The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-06-26
= BILLiON-DOLLAR COUNTRY.
The EsPUbIIoan Excuse for Ezt-zra~aas
Legislation

Of app. OPERATIONS by the next congress-
Is sncom- aging to the extent that it
shows an = appreciation OF the need Of
retreuehmeht- This may be a billion
dollar eOuutry. as Secretary Foster
suggests, bat the people win not accept
the greatness of cur resources Is an ex-
euss for unnecessary extravaganza
But when e comes to pointing out
where resFeuckment is possible the
outlook is D0s 50 aatterins- as could be
desired
The mischief done by the Fifty-6rst
congress is IN many Parti -uiOrs ir-
remediable, especially so long As We
have a republican president and = re-
publican majority IN the senate Many
republicans have boasted with great
unctiOn that the tariff cannot be re-
duced for ten years ss least This may
turn out to be q debrsiOu; but II Is BE-
gond dispute that the. reckless legisla-
ton OF the last congress has committed
the country to- b vast expenditure OF
money for years, 70 come The cost OF
congress is not to be estimated by the
billion of dollars, which 1t appropriated
To put its cost al that sum Il TO take a
most inadequate view OF the situation
It's most pernicious activity was ex-
erted in the passage of general laws,
calling for great appropriations 1T
once, but still larger sums for the fu-
ture.
plicable to the pension legislation of
the last congress Under previous laws
the pension bureau was 50 conducted
that the expenditures were increasing
rapidly. New legislation was enacted
which will increase pension aPprOpria-
tons 20 an extent that prudent men
shrink from an endeayOr to estimate
An idea of the rate of increase may be
/ had from the statement OF COmmis-
siOner Raum that over tive thousand
/ certificates were recently issued, the
| 6rst payments on which will amount to
nearly six hundred thousand dOllars$
| This rate, If maintained. means an adj
/ ditiOn of thirty-One million dollars per
/ year to the pension charge, and the
/ work is expected 70 go on for many
! years yet. But it is TO be observed that
/ the present work Is not satisfactory,
| and Is only mentioned as good work
/ for the present force. There is to be
/ an increase in the number Of clerks,
! however, and thea the task of giving
pensions to everybody may be greatly
/ expedited
How far the granting Of pensions has
OUUrun 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
We're 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, tveuty-six million dol
lars We're 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 unmistalSable evidence that
the "bilIiOn-dOl1ar country has bees
subjected to demands that strain its re
sources After protesting over and
over that there would be plenty
Of money to pay the fOul
and One-half per cent bonds a
maturity. the treasury proceeds to per
feet arrangements to extend more thar
half of them at a reduced interest, Incl
, | dentally bOasting of the high credi
which renders this possible. But th'
credit OF the government was not II
, issue. 1t was question Of cash, no
credit A claim Of having cash enough
: 70 pay a note is not supported by proc
Of credit enough to renew it At TIT
, ! same time the payment OF other aPPro
3 Pristions is postponed by quibbles-i
common device of debtors who ar
hard pressed Such is the unenvia bl,
: position to which a billiOn-dollar cOun
try has been brought by a bilhOn-dOl
= lar congress, and the worst has not ye
come.
The next congress win have TO re
, / trench wherever retrenchment Is posi-
, bic, but with all that it can do in tina
: direction it viii not be possible TO lzeel
down appropriations to anything nea
I what they were under the last admin
! istration- 1t will not be practicable {.
; repeal much of the vicious Legislation
:. Of the last congress, which calls 70
large sums of money Small Leaks ms.
!, be stopped here and there, but she hi
, ones are for the present out OF reach
: The country win have plenty OF leisUr
IN the future to reflect what an eEPen
: sive luxury is a bifliOn-dOllar congress
a even to q billiOn-dOllar country
: Louisville Courier oOrnsL