The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-02-26
THE PARTY OF ExTRAvAcANcE.


THE PARTY or ExTRAvAcANcE.
Moves Which HAVE Plunged the Nation
Into Expense.
The Republican party, true to the
tradition Of its ancestor, the WhiQ
party, has never shown tendency
toward economy and retrenchment
whenin power. The party is 50 per
meated with that reckless spirit, In
herited from the Wing organization.
and became so calloused to public opin-
Ion during The reconstruction period.
that Republican rule and extravaganza
are to-day almost synonymous from
the National Congress down to the most
insignificant municipal corporation. A
Republican Congress was never known
to abolish useless Office or to reduce
the salary Of an officer whose duties
had been lessened by the creation of
new places. In 1874 the tidal
wave which swept the Republicans out
Of the popular end of the Capitol was
not caused BY the Mckinley bill, but
was popular condemnation Of Repub-
lican corruption and reckless expend4
iture Of public funds. Since that tidal
wave" the House, which originates all
revenue and appropriation bills, has
been intrusted to the Republican
party buttwice. The Forty-seventh Con-
gress was so notorious for corruption
and extravaganza that ten weeks after
the first session had adjourned Demo-
cratic House was returned by seventy.
five majority. Two years ago the Re.
publicans carried the House by ten
majority, and three weeks ago the
people again showed their want Of con-
fidence In the Republican party SO en-
phatically that, had not the party lead
ers taken the precaution to steal the
Montana Senators and create States out
of mining camps, the party of spoils
would have been annihilated.
The appropriations made BY the last
session of Congress are SO enormous
that If levied directly upon the people
eight dollars would be required from
every person enumerated in the last
census to raise the money to carry them
out. Although the service In ses-
eral bureaus of the Govern
ment is decreasing -for instance, in the
general land Office, the bureau of In
dian affairs, the military service and
the internal revenue department. 161
new offices were created and 81, 1855, 900
appropriated for their support. The
appropriation for old Offices was In
creased $135, 1000. When the surplus had
been exhausted and pension defcien-
nv - org mn 000 e., SlS11<,z7
session, the Republicans during the
last days of the long session author
lied contracts to be made for the
manufacture of heavy ordnance to
the amount of s3,775, 200 and also
authorized the construction Of heavy
war vessels which, with armament,
will cost $24,225, 900. OF this amount
only S5,475, 900 was appropriated and
the remainder was saddled on the next
Congress. Public buildings were au-
thorized to be erected which will cost
81, $685. when completed, but only
50, 375,0o0 was directly appropriated.
Besides appropriating $22,0O0,000 for
river, and harbor improvements, the
Secretary of War was authorized to con-
tract for other works amounting to
S14, 922, $40, of which only $1,000, 600 was
directly appropriated.
The fallacy of protection has had
much to do with inoculating the Repub-
lican party with this mania for extrava-
gance. The leaders, having taught the
rank and file that the consumer does
not pay the tariff, naturally regard the
millions stored in the Treasury vaults,
derived from taxes on imports and in
ternal revenue, as so much plumber
from importers and foreign manufact-
urers, and use them accordingly. A
high tariff and extravagant appropria-
tons go hand in hand.
The Republican party, as at present
composed, has been taught to look
upon the money which finds its way
into the public Treasury as not de-
rived from the pockets Of the
people. Being imbued with such ideas,
it is not strange that when it con-
trolls Legislature the State treasury
is treated as if it was Washington
surplus. The rebukes which the Re
publicans receive after every trial
given them by the people do not seem
to teach them a lesson. A few days
ago the leaders of the party were as
sem bled at the Denison from all parts
of the State to ascertain what was
wrong with their organization and
what remedy should be applied.
They resolved after.a long session to
make more places for the workers
and to silence free-trade pa
per by buying it out and running
it as spoils organ. TO make places
for the workers" means the creation of
new offices, and it is fortunate for the
taxpayers of Indiana that the Legis-
lature is not Republican, for the State
house would not be large enough to
shelter all the workers whom the
Legislature would have made places
for. 1t is only necessary to refer to the
Republican House Of 1887 for an ex-
ample of what would have taken place
in the Legislative halls of the State this
winter had a. Republican Legislature
been elected. -Indianapolis Sentinel.
DocToRINa THE LOCAL VOTE.
The System OF Local Self-Government rs
Viewed by Mr.. Harrison.
The people Of State elect their Gov;
ernor and Secretary of State by major