Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-03-19
New Series, Vol. 81, No 12
APPROPRIATIONS ANALYzED.

APPROPRIATIONS ANALYZED.
Pittsburgh Commereal-Gazette.
Senator Allison has made a careful
analysis of the appropriations made b.
the Fifty-first Congress, showing wher
the money is to go and why its expend
iture is necessary. The items of in
crease for the years 1912 aggregat,
about s175, 5,000,000,and thus distributed
Pensions, s1O2OOO,OOO; post-office, s22,
638, 900; navy, s14,000,0 ,000; 0;fortifcations
S2,S00,000; Indians, $6,900,000; rivers
and harbors, s2,7OO,OOO; Sundry Civil
bill, S3,000,00O; Worlds Fair, S1,000,-
900, French spoliation claims, $S1 ,304,
900; direct tax refunded, ST., 100000;
other increases, about S3,000,000, max
ing the total above given.
The big increase is in the pensions,
making considerably more than one-half
of the total; and it is worth noting that
$14, 100000 of this was to make good a
deficiency left by the Democratic Con-
gress in 1889. The Dependent Pension
law caused an increase of $88,000,000,
but the record shows that thirty-six
Democrats voted for that measure,
while forty helped to pass it by lodging
In other words, over One-half of the
Democratic members supported the bill
directly or indirectly, and to that extent
the party is responsible for the .'extrav-
agance," if that is the proper term.
Over $38,000,000 of the increase is
due to contemplated improvements in
the navy, in coast defenses and in in
creased postal facilities. Were these
not necessary and desirable? Will not
the country be largely benefited by the
expenditures? The river and harbor
excess of S2,700,000 goes to repair the
levees along the Mississippi and for
deepening the harbor at Galveston-ob-
jects which the Democrats did not resist
with any great amount of force. The
Indian bill increase was necessary to
keep faith with the Indians, and many
members of both parties worked hard to
secure it, as also to settle the French
spoliation calims. The million for the
Worlds Fair was sanctioned by both
parties.
If these several increases were but
wanton and reckless waste of the pnblic
money, why did the Democratic party
join so largely in making them? The
Republican party does not seek to es-
cape responsibility, being in the MAORI
ty, and, furthermore, being convinced
that the appropriations were proper and
will prove highly beneficial. The Dem
ocrats, however, were not the innocent
onlookers they would have the country
believe they were while the country
was being "looted" For the consola-
tion of those Democratic editors who
seem so fearful that there will not be a
dollar in Uncle Sans strong box when |
it comes their party's turn to do their
looting, Senator Allison, who is always |
safe and conservative in dealing with |
figures, is confident that there will be
$50, 100000, which will be good enough |
starter for party that processes such a |
holy horror for a big surplus.
A MAN HIS OWN GRANDFATHER.
Exchange.
The following remarkable coincidence |
will be read with interest:
Some time since it was announced |
that man at Titusville, Pennsylvania,
committed suicide for the strange rea-
son that he had discovered that he was |
his own grandfather. Leaving dying |
statement explaining this singular cir
we will not attempt to un-
ravel it, but give his own explanation
of the mixed-up condition of his kins-
folks in his own words. He says:
81 married widow who had grown
up daughter. Ny father visited our
house very often, fell in love with my
step-daughter, and married her. So my
father became my son-in-law, and my |
step-daughter my mother, because she
was my fathers wife. Some time after
ward my wife gave birth to a son; he
was my fathers brother in-law, and my
uncle, for he was the brother of my
STEP mother. My fathers wife-i. e.,
my step-daughter--had also a son; he
was, of course, my brother, and in the
meantime my grandchild, for he was the
son of my daughter. My wife was my
grandmother, for she was my mothers
mother. 1 was my wife's husband and
her grandchild at the same time. And
as the husband of a persons grandmoth-
or is his grandfather L was my own
grandfather"