Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-05-28
THE "BILLION CONGRESS" "

Cleveland Leader.
Ex-President Grover Cleveland, in
a speech delivered to the Democ-
racy of Buffalo, said "the most threat
ening figure which to-day stands in
the way of safety to our government"
is "the reckless and wicked extravaganza
of public expenditures" which "brazenly
exhibit to- day billion dollar Congress" "
while "but lately large surplus remain
ed in the public treasury" During Mr..
Cleveland's occupancy of the White
House the existence of the surplus was
not deemed a subject of congratulation.
1t was said to be a misfortune and a
menace to the business of the country.
The Cleveland administration did all in
its power to augment it and nothing to
diminish it. Debts of the government,
drawing 6 per cent. interest, were left
unpaid; appropriations for pensions were
withheld; needed public improvements
were suspended, all for the purpose of
nursing and swelling the surplus. Then
the President, in his messages, pointed
to the "awful SURPLUS" withdrawing
millions of the peoples money from
circulation, as an evidence of the in
Justice of unnecessary taxation" and
as proof of the imperative necessity OF
removing the duties from wool and
unmanufactured articles to check the
superfuous stream of the peoples money
flowing into the national treasury. Re-
publican Congressman offered to reduce
the surplus by removing the duty from
sugar and by abolishing the internal
revenue tax on tobacco, amounting in
all to something more than $80.000,OOO
annually. The Democrats rejected this
offer They wanted one special kind of
tax reduction; something that would
remove protection from Northern prod
ucts and no other. All propositions
that would interfere with protection to
Louisiana sugar producers or Southern
tobacco raisers encountered the unalter-
able opposition of the united Democracy
Therefore the tax remained and the
surplus went on augmenting.
A Republican administration went
into power and the dreadful surplus
/ i trah toA
the country in an honest, economic
business like manner The government
during the first two years of this admin
istration, paid over $120,000,000 more OF
the public debt than was paid during the
same period of the Cleveland admins
tration. Republicans preferred an hon
est payment of the public debt to &
dishonest and extravagant boarding Of
public funds for political buncombe
Re ublicans appropriated nothing in
extravaganza. They were governed by
motives of wise and public spirited
prudence. They removed the duty from
sugar, reducing the cost of that article
to the consumer two cents per pound
and cutting down the revenues in tht
aggregate sum of nearly $60,000,00(
annually. The net increase in appro
priations over the preceding Democratic
Congress was $170,446,269.75. OF thi
sum $113,312,351.69 was for pensions
1t was known that thousands of Unior
soldiers whose health had been ruined
in the service of their country wer
suffering for the necessaries OF life
that the widows and orphans of tn
men who had been killed while fightin,
for the Uuion were in need of help
The platforms of both political partie
had repeatedly promised increased pen
I; sions. If the Democrats undertake t
!, denounce the Harrison administrator
forhonestly eeping its word and doin
what Democratic national convention
: had pledged to do, they will not receiv
!. much sympathy from the people.
The next important item is the navy