Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-20

because it undermines the principles on
 which good governments are conducted. It is unfortunate, though it is inevi-
 table, that President Harrison, while
 recognizing that the surplus is an evil, should seek to prevent its accumulation
 by recourse to extravaganza of expendi- ture rather than by a reduction of tax ation. Extravagance never can be a proper re nedy for the present state of things. No healthy government was ever organized or car rled out except on principles of economy. Even the most oppressive governments in the way of taxation to the people of the old world recognize this fact
 They have enormous and most urgent expenditures, the most conspicuous being Tn the cost of the vast military establish ments maintained. Yet these establish ments are part of their system. and beyond their maintenance and certain recognized sources of expenditure there Is a direct recognition of the virtue oi economy. There is no thought in ans of these powers, however despotic or re- gardless of popular rights they may be- of seeking out new objects of expendi- ture. The fact is recognized that eX- travagance in government, no more than extravaganza in individuals, is to be en- couraged. A man who, after he has satisfied his reasonable needs, seeks out other forms of getting rid of his money :, Is called a spendthrift. A nation can no more indulge in useless expenditure with impunity than an individual. Mischief is as sure to result in one case as in the other.
 If President Harrison's idea should find expression in legislation we may expect to see the country launched on period of extravaganza that has no par allel i'll this or any country. The ab- normal growth of our pension list which instead of decreasing according to the natural order as we recede from the close of the civil war is growing in it's propor- tlonS with every passing year, is but single illustration of the career into which the president and his party would hurry the nation. The enormous sums for southern education, for river and harbor improvements, for paying money over to states, for subsidies to ships, for special enterprises on every hand, which have filtered the calendars of congress, which were urged in the republican national platform and which run like a minor key through the presidents inaugural ad- dress, would ruin the reputation of the government for prudence, if not hopelessly debauch those legislators who should adopt them. The end and aim of the whole thing is not so much how to stop the surplus as how to get rid of it. There can be no question that so long as tine present tariff is continued, so long as there is a disposition to increase l. as was done by the republican senate bill, the surplus will continue to accu- .nulate and will furnish an excuse for extravagant expenditures to get rid of It.
 The proper way, the StateSmanllke and ne American way to get rid of the surplus is to reduce the taxation of the people. Unless this is done we will nave another era of jobbery and corrup tlon and extravaganza at Washington beside which that of the Grant admins tration Was the veriest economy. The American people will not rest content to put up with this interminsble taxation fol extravaganza and jobbery The party that thinas it will recl1ons not with the real character of the people, Truly, as President Harrison admits, the ourplus is an evil. And it is an evil that is fraught with danger and disaster to the interests of the country and the peo- ole