Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-02
A SHALLOW PRETENsE.
The Republican Excuse for Extravagant
I~eoislafion-

A SHALLOW PRETENSE.
The Republican Excuse for Extravagant
Legislation.
The plan outlined by Representative
Forney, of Alabama, for the reduction
of appropriations by the next congress
is encouraging to the extent that it
shows an appreciation of the need of
retrenchment. This may be billion
dollar country, as Secretary Foster
suggests, but the people viii not accept
the greatness of our resources as an ex-
cuse for unnecessary extravaganza.
But when it comes to pointing out
where retrenchment is possible the
outlook is not SO fiattering as could be
desired
The mischief done by the Fifty-frst
congress is in many particulars n-
remediable, especially so long as we
have a republican president and a re-
publican majority in the senate. Many
republicans have boosted with great
JUNCTION that the tariff cannot be re-
duced for ten years at least This may
turn out to be delusion: but it is be-
yond dispute that the reckless legisla-
ton of the last congress has committed
the country to a vast expenditure OF
money for years to come. The cost of
congress is not to be estimated by the
billion of dollars which it appropriated
To put its cost at that sum is to take q
most inadequate view of the situation
Its most perniciouS activity was eN-
erted in the passage of general laws,
calling for great appropriations at
once, but still larger sums for the fu-
ture.
This remark is particularly ap-
rlicable to the pension legislation of
the last congress. Under previous laws
the pension bureau was so conducted
that the expenditures were increasing
rapidly. New legislation was enacted,
which will increase pension appropria-
tions to an extent that prudent men
shrink from an endeavor to estimate
| An idea of the rate of increase may be
! had from the statement of Commits
sioner Raum that over five thousand
certificates were recently issued. the
| first payments on which will amount to
| nearly. six hundred thousand dollars
This rate, if maintained. means an ad-
| dition of thirty-one million dollars per
year to the pension charge, and the
work is expected to go ON for many
years yet But it Is to be observed that
the present work is not satisfactory,
I
| for the present force. There is to be
an increase in the number of clerks,
however, and then the task of giving
pensions to everybody may be greatly
| expedited
| How far the granting of pensions has
outrun expectations is shown by the
| experience of the treasury in the pay
ment of the pensions due on the 4th of
| the present month Treasury officials
| were somewhat embarrassed to make
! the necessary provision to meet them.
| as they discovered the commissioner of
| pensions had estimated the sum needed
at nineteen million dollars, when, in
| point of fact, twenty-six million dol
lars were needed. The money neces-
| sary to meet the drafts was not ready
for some days after they were due, and
the government paper was saved from
dishonor only by the fact that many
| of these drafts are not presented
promptly. This, of course, was fore
seen; but a similar incident, we are in
formed, never happened before in the
history of the government
Meantime. in other matters the treas
ury gives unmistakable evidence that
the 'tbillion-dollar country" has been
subjected to demands that strain its re
4
over that there would be plenty
of money to pay the fou1
and one-half per cent bonds al
maturity, the treasury proceeds to per
feet arrangements to extend more than
half of them at reduced interest. Incl
dentally Boosting of the high credit
which renders this possible But the
credit of the government was not in
issue. 1t was a question of cash, not
credit A claim of having cash enough
to pay note is not supported by proof
of credit enough to renew it At the
same time the payment of other appro
priations is postponed by bubbles
common device of debtors who are
hard pressed. Such is the ,unenviable
position to which bi1lion-dollar coun.
try has been brought by a billion-dol-
lar congress, and the worst has not vet
come.
The next congress will have to re
trench wherever retrenchment is posi-
BILE, but with all that it can do in thai
direction it will not be possible to keeI
l down appropriations to any thing neal
what they were under the last admin.
istration- 1t will not be practicable to
repeal much of the vicious legislation
of the last congress, which calls fol-
large sums Of money. Small leaks may
be stopped here and there. but the big
ones are for the present out of reach.
The country will have plenty of leisure
in the future to reflect what an expen-
sive luxury is q billion-dollar congress-
even to . billion-dollar country
| Louisville Courier-Journal
THE WANAMAkER SCANDAL.