St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-28
THOSE CHILLING FIGURES.

1t was not idle talk or partisan vapor-
ing when the GLOBE SAID some time
ago that the present congress bid fair
to be the most prohigate in the history
of our national legislation. Results al
ready confirm the prediction, and even
the Republican leaders are staggered
by the show of extravaganza that the
house committee on appropriations is
making. The committee has already
agreed upon appropriations aggregating
over Sac, 000, 900, exclusive of river and
harbOr appropriations, and also eXeiu-
sive of any increased pension legisla-
, ton. The highest estimate of reve-
nues for the next fiscal year is $3.50. O00,-
600, while Secretary WINDOW places
the estimate at below $780, 600;
so that the appropriations now agreed
upon by the appropriation committee
will take up every dollar that comes
into the treasury. and possibly leave a
deficit of S5O.OOO,0OO for next year. And
yet rivers and harbors, and pension
ers, and other CARBOHYDRATES, are not
provided for.
Mr.. PETERS. of Kansas, who is neither
Democrat thor Mugwump. but a stiff
necked Republican of the old school,
and who is also a memb n of the house
committee on appropriations, stood up
In his place in the house the other day
and earnestly warned his Republican
colleagues of their eXtravagant course.
"Let business men pause and face
these figures" SAID Mr.. PETERS. "They
may be chilling figures; but | tell
you it is better for us to pause and face
them now than to pause when it is too
late. aud be staggered by them"
That is just what the BUSINESS men
of the country outside Of con-
gress are doing. They have paused
and are facing these figures, and
they will be heard from in the
sweet by and by. The figures are all
the more alarming in view of the fact
that the Republican party is committed
by the Chicago platform and by its per-
siStent assaults upon Mr.. CLEVELAND
to pass the dependent pension bill.
Then there is the river and harbor bill,
calling for SSS.000,000 more. which must
be passed. And there is the BLAIR edu-
cational bill hanging fire, the coast
fortifieation bill and a number of other
measures that will run the extraordinary
appropriations up to something like
$3.50, ZOO, 900 additional to what is to be
provided for in the regular appropria-
ton bills. Here we have total of
about 500. 900 TO be paid out Of a
treasury with only between 500. ZOO, 900
and $3.50, 000,0 900 in its vaults.
Isn't this profigacy with high hand?
Where is the tax reduction aud the
tariff reform that the Republicans prom
ised to come in?
These Minnesota Republicans who
voted the party ticket in 1888 because
they preferred to have the tariff re-
formed by Republicans rather than by
Democrats can now study the Republi-
can method of doing the work in these
chilling figures" that MIR. PETERS
spoke OF.
The Democratic administration left
surplus of 500, 000,0O0 in the treasury,
During the first year of Republican
administration that has been suuan-
dered, and at its first session She Re.
publican congress threatens to bank.
rupt the treasury and the Republican
party along with it.
The profigacy of this congress will be
apt to impress the nation with the ne
cessity of returning to the economic
methods of a Democratic adminiStra-
tiOn.