New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-13
THE DEFICIT SCARE"
up cARL1sLEs MISLEADING ESTIMATES.
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE KENTUCKY STATES
MANS FIGUREs-EFFECr OF PARTISAN
IMAGINATION ON STATISTICS.
xBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.I

WASHINGTON March lex Speaker Carlisle has
,oned the ranks of the makers of estimates" whose
handiwork is exploited in the columns of Democratic
and Mugwump newspapers from day to day
as proof that the wicked Republicans are
about TO begin "the looting Of the Treasury"
Mr. Carlisle has opened his oracular lips to vent te
opinion that that dangerous surplus" which uSed
10 keep President Cleveland awake o. nights mas
"practically disappeared" Mr. Carlisle does not STOP
to tell what has caused the surplus 10 VANISH so
suddenly and utterly. but lie does attempt 10 give
currency and weight to some Of the widest es'-
mateso concocted by the deficit" hunters 10 si'"
how the Republican conspirators who are III power
intend TO "loot the Treasury" ana create ~
Of hundreds Of millions.
As might have been expected Mr.. Carlisle tlppcu
on the very threshold of his jeremiad In colnpar
Ing the probable receipts and expenditures VI "oN
year he 6cures "dcfcitn of s57 09o,110 on account
of the ordinary expenses" Of the government even
If none of the extravagant appropriations Pi'po''u
Shall be maden In reaching this astonishing rsSuio
u. has simn,v omitted a small item of some sixty
odd millions on account Of postal revenues, wmch
he has added on the opposite sac Oh ING n"i"h,o
sheet. He might just as fairly nave o"nl''ou "e
estimated revenues on account OF customs uu"eS vi
internal taxation. .u
indeed-when compared with the trlumphs OF MS I'M
acinanon as set forth in interview published III
"The New-York SUM to-day. For example, nc lh'i-
mates that the Republican programme lhcluues icss
lo,on which, if enacted will add S7Ooooe'ooo 10 INC
500 600 900 which will be required by present ID"
20 nay pensions next year. His figures in detail 90
not make so big total as lie CLAIMS ny s""o
So 900 COO but perhaps little error like that ought
not 70 be noticed in the figures Of man who is 'oss-
ing hundreds of millions into the big hungry hopper
Of Democratic and Mugwump "estlmatcs' hcio
are his estimates in detail, which, considering INC
source. deserve reproduction: 80,
Arrcaraees BILL SAT- 600 900; Grand Army service OIL
$4,000 600; Prisoners Of War BILL SlooVoVov
emf bill $50 600 600; bills. s259ooVoo; Ai"s
Nurses bill, $, 900 600; total s'Oi''oo'oVo
After promulgatng this estimate hr. Oariise' III
the interview mentioned, darby hnted that II du no.
include all the enormitles which the hepuo"''S 'u
ready to comr.it. lie SAID:
These are not all the general pension bills penuhe IN
Congress- but they enough to show the reckless "'"
in which The Republican party proposes 70 es-~e ul"n
this subject The bills have enumerated II passed VIII
add SOS eos 600 the 500 100000 now annually eN-
pended for pensions
Now, is it possible that Mr. Carlisle Is ignorant VI
the fact that if what he calls the Grand Army PENSION
hill should become law, II would increase thc OK
pendtures on account OF pensioners now on the rolls
only by the difference between the amount now PAID 10
nensoners who receive less per month than that Dill
vould give them and that amount Is he also *
norant Of the fact that the expenditures on account
of any service pension law would be diminished Dy
the amount paid 10 "dependentS.' even If the Pe"a
I'M Dependent bill should become "A law iI>t '|'''
he not also know that there is no prospect Whatever
Of the repeal of the limitation OF arTearageS If
Service Pension bill is passed Can he carefully study
and compare the provisions Of the pending bills ana
then look his own estimates" in the face without
acknowledging that the latter are e1travagaht ana
Observation-Disclosures Of millions too bgl Not II ne
is fair he processes TO be, or as MS ilchas oA
and proclaim him 10 be A., .A,,o
Further on Mr.. Carlisle refers 10 the pIonabie
amount of appropriatons which will be required Ia
nav the claims for French SpOlatlons ana ,lSS" l.
that il NAV be as high S1o.O00,OOO' Ills estl.
mstes show gross and ineXcusable ignorance IL
Mr. Carlisle had taken the trouble 10 spend even zen
minutes Of time the report OF the committee on
Claims, which submitted 70 the House t~cNe
DAYS ago-a printed copy Of which he received IS
(soon as 1t published-he would not nave ieu 70
}give currency to such false and misleading " estl-
lmaten He would have found that according 10 the
report Of the Attorney General the total anonnt Oh
aaid claims, according to petitions filed, j. ABOUT
$3.50 900 900: that many OF the pettohs "cre mere
blanket, petitions filed 70 save the jurisdiction 81
the Court Of Claims, and wholly unsupported bN PROOF
that down " February "a 1870, the court Oh Nans
had passed upon and reported to congress Gains
Amounting S19.2e1 726 % whereof the court mas
allowed the claimants exactly 81 .G6674o . or about
g Clio per cent II the percentage OF allowance on
the remainder Of the claims 10 -sh 'la
he the same il would amount TO SV2l 81 ~, "hlch
added t. the amount already alowed-woud naRe
exactly 800 30 So which amount congress nus'
appropriatc instead Of $40. 900 900
This is pretty fair indication Of the shrinhaee
which such estimates Mr.. Carlise,s must sliier
when tested by facts-say, discount OF "a per cent
which must be charged 10 a heated partisan magma
nent Kentucky state man did not look at that able
and exhaustive report Of the House Committee ON
Claims.