Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-02-26
sQuAroERED MILLIONS.

SQUANOERED MILLIONS.
Senator Carlisle Discusses ..the Vanishing
Surplus"-He Shows Deficit of S84,-
100000 For Next Year-A Tale OF Repub-
Mcon Extravaganza and High Tariff Tax
alton.
Everybody has known that the Re-
publican majority in Congress has about
succeeded in squandering the great sur
plus in the Treasury. Everybody has
heard intimation. too. that a deficit is
likely to take the place of the surplus in
the near future. Republican Senators
themselves have made public statements
which showed that the possibility of
deficit was looming up to disturb the
peace of the Republican lawmakers.
The quiet haste with which Speaker
Reed and the small cabal now running
the House of Representatives let the di-
rect tax refunding bill drop was another
Indication that the bottom of the Treas
ury would soon be reached.
The exact state of the Treasury and
its future condition have thus come to
be subjects of speculation and prophecy;
but there was no trustworthy informa-
ton which took account of the future
demands upon the Treasury together
with its resources for meeting them.
Such a statement has now been made
by the most competent authority in
public life, Senator Carlisle, of Ken
lucky. He does this in striking article
in the Forum Magazine for February,
entitled 1.-THE Vanishing Surplus
Senator Carlisle finds that the condi-
ton OF the Treasury at the close of the
present fiscal year, June 80, 1891, will
be approximately as follows:
ASSETS.
Available cash on hand July l. 1890,
including redemption fund. Sill .029 107
Receipts. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 3S7, 0O) 900
Total 1895, o29, 10Y
LIABILITIES.
Ordinary expenditures. ........... s379, 1000
Redemption of Nation bank notes 2!,OOlOO
Rebate on tobacco and snuff. 1,C0),000
Purchases OF bonds for the sinking
fund, and other redemptiOnS of
debt with premiums, as per Sec
retary's report. 100000
Total. s512 600 600
This shows deficit of S14, 1000, 900 for
the year. The account for 1892 will
show a much larger deficit. Here is
Mr.. Carlisle's forecast of the condition
of the Treasury at the end of next year:
ASSETS.
Revenues from all sources. .s373, 900 900
LIABILITIES.
Deficit for year 1891. .............S II, 900
Estimated ordinary expenditures,
according to the Secretary's
port 3o1. So2 2O9
Pension deficiency. 100000
Rivers and harbors. ................. 1885, 20
Sinking fund. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1929, 1928
Total s457, 1851
<'This shows deficit of SS4, O44, 3S7 on
July 1, 1892, if the requirements of the
with, or deficit of S34, $40, 459 if moth
ing whatever is to be paid on that &C
count
While Senator Carlisle does not claim
absolute accuracy for these estimates,
he gives good reasons for believing that
the deficiency will in each case be above
rather than below the amounts stated.
Some interesting comparisons are
made by Mr. Carlisle to show how rap
idly the expenditures of the Govern
nent have outstripped the rate at which
population has grown. ''While our
population" he says, ''in 1890 was only
sixteen times as great as in 1890, our
expenditures, excluding all payments
upon the interest and principal of the
public debt, were more than $50 times
rs great. In other words, the popula-
tion increased from 1929, PA in 1890 to
60, $50. $40 in 1890, while the ordinary
annual expenditures, excluding pay
ments on the principal and interest of
the public debt, rose from 81, 919, 592 to
1851. 637 ,2O3.''
Smother interesting comparison is the
following: ''From 1880 to 1910, includ
ing the period of the Seminole war, the
population increased 50. 81 per cent. and
the expenditure increased 80 per cent;
from 1910 to 1850, during which time the
war with Mexico was commenced and
prosecuted to successful Illumination,
the population increased So. 81 per cent.
apd the expenditures increased So per
cent; but from 1880 to $780, period of
profound peace, population increased
s34.57 per cent and expenditures in
creased 55 per cent The ordinary ex-
penditures for the current fiscal year,
1891, will be at least - per cent. greater
than in 1890, although the population,
as shown by the recent census, is in
creasing at a rate of less than 81 per
cent per annum."
The record of the Republican party in
increasing the expenditures of the Gov
ernInent will be seen from the follow
ing figures, which do not include pay
ments on the interest and principal of
the public debt:
Expenditures
per capita
1S6O. ..........................$ l.9O
1850 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 337
Js0 4Ie
In view of this increased expenditure
and the increased tariff taxation which
1T indicates, Senator Carlisle concludes:
The public peace may be preserved,
the rights of person may be scrupu-
lously respected, and ample remedies
may be afforded for all injuries inflicted
upon the citizen by private individuals,
hut all this will not make the people
prosperous, or permit them to be so, il
the Government itself robs one part OF