Evening journal., 1891-04-09
THE SECRET ETARY'S TALK
Mr.. Tracy Defends the Appro-
priations of Congress.
NO BxTBAvAGANoE he BELIEVES

Pension Expenditures Immediately After
the War and at the Present Day--rhs
Fertilization Appropriations OF the Last
Congress Were Only TOO Small lie says. |
Boston, April 9-Over thousand per /
sons were present az the first dinner Of ths |
Republican club given at Music hall last
evening. The principal table was placed |
on the platform la the middle of ths |
table sat President Roger Wolcott On |
his right were Secretary Tracy, Of th,
navy Lieutenant Governor William II |
Halle Hon Alanson w Beard Hon 10 |
seph Il Walker, Speaker Barret, Congress
man Morse Ex-Governor Ames and j o
Wardwell, secretary Of the Republican
state committee. On his left were Sena
tor Aldrich, Of Rhode Island. ex-Goycrnoi
Braokett, Postmaster Hart, Congressman
Henry Cabot Lodge, President Sprague
OF the senate Congressman Grecnhalge j
o. Burdette Of the state committee, and
General n p Banks At Il o'clock presi
dent Wolcott introduced Secretary Tracy
The secretary WAS cheered loudly as h,
rose 70 speak
Secretary Tracy's Speech.
Secretary Tracy began by comparing th,
present administration with that OF the
| Democratic administration which preceded
| IL. The comparison was made 20 reflect
great credit upon President Harrison and
| his heads Of departments. Continuing
Secretary Tracy said: "The principal
charge which has been advanced Of laA
| by our opponents IS that the appropria
Il 81 81
extravagant II can hardly be said that
this is a charge against the administration
for until constitutional amendment shall
be adopted similar 20 the rule which W.
have in New York by which the ohiei
executive may veto separate items of ap
propriation bills, the influence Of the exec
utiye in checking unnecessary appropria
tions will be inconsiderable Under the
present provisions OF the constitution the
president, ia order to prevent the passage
Of a single item Of appropriation, must
veto the whole bin, and such practice
would neocssitate keeping congress con
tinually in session.
The Increased Appropriations.
1T Is true that the appropriations Of tn,
last congress were larger than those Of it'
predecessor Some increase must newt
ably take place as long as the country con
tinues 20 grow Apart from pensions thl
increase is shown chiefly Ia the appropria
tions for the postal service, for the navy
for the census, 10 carry out the Indial
treaties, for rivers and harbors, for coas
defenses and for the payment Of the spolia
! tion claims The Increase Of S23 100000 70
the postal service is more apparent tha
real. II means an enlargement Of posta
facilities. which means with it a more tina
Z corresponding increase Of receipts. Thes
receipts must be set or against the appai
ent increase In appropriations, and II
probable that the net result will be a n
duction in the annual postal deficiency
The Navy Appropriations.
"Twelve millions Of the increase is 70
the navy II is wholly for the constru'
tion Of new ships aud their armor and n
mament The ordinary RAINING appr,
priations for the navy have not been il
creased. A considerable part OF the amour
u appropriated is for ships authorized by IA
previous congress, but not begun until lSs
4 and 1890, One million is for the purchas
h Of nickel for armor plate. OF this amour
/. $4,000 has been expended, while the ha
II ance is in the treasury awaiting the n
= quirements Of armor manufacture Thel
/. is no doubt that the government needs tt
ships. She needs the armor, and the II
& creased appropriation was iudicious an
!. necessary.
il Money for the Red Men.
3 "Of the increase in the Indian appropr
r alton, over 81, 900 is for the purchase {
y land, and the land is an asset equal 20 q
K greater than tine appropriation. One mil
ion was for the support of Indian schools
s and the balance mainly for the payment d
l
4 opposed by the secretary of the interior
supported by no one connected with TIA
{ administration, and carried through bot
d houses chiefly by Democratic votes.
4 For the appropriation for fortiiication
and coast defenses l offer no explanation
a or apology Ia my opinion the item shoul
i, have been larger.
9 The Pension Deficiency.
I There remains the principal item of il
n crease Of Sl1a000000 in the appropriate
4 for pensions OF this amount S25,O00,OC
T. is in the nature Of q deficiency whic
Z should have been appropriated under e,
d isting law by the previous congress if
i had performed its duty. The excess OF I'll
: present appropriation over that Of the las
2 congress would thus have been reduce
g from ll3,00000O to SG8 0O0, 900. Even thi
increase is large, and it cannot be denie
Q that the provision which the country Ia
made for the disabled veterans of the wa
Of the Union is liberal. At the close of th
war the government was under heav
obligations to the soldiers who had Tough
p its battles and to the men who had fui
p nished the means to enable the govern
J. ment to prosecute the war
4 ITO the latter il owed $500, ,OOO, ,000 Blu
e the burdens imposed survived the establish
% ment of peace These consisted mainly i
+ interest and pensions The aggregate q
? these two items has not increased since TIA
war and will not be substantially increase
s hereafter, even by the large and libera
D amounts TO be paid annually to the sol
J. diers The following table will show tn
& amount paid for pensions and for interes
in the years named;
po,sio,s Interest on Total Pen
Debt sions and Int
, 1853 . sl,O7s9glf9 SCI ~ sl66l s25, ,s0s, sSs 2
1867 -. @,o38,55ln l43,5sl ,5sl9l l6l,7 1886
! 1865 ... 23is2, ,ae6ss l4042i0i5.n l6i2J6 Gls 4
1869. .. 2s.45d,267S 1900. .si2sO l59l70,sG45
1880 ~. 81, ,d2iT18u 400. 4S429 l2s, ,6a5 2,l A
i ls9O .lO6 alds5507 36,Ol9,2SlO5 l48Os8 l39 L
Z 1891 l2600,000O0 a2,lO1O00W las lO0OO0O
q lss2 .l35,O00OG0 2z,00lO0O0 lGO0OOOO
o High Water Pension Mark.
a "In 1867 the expenditure for pensions
] amounted to 20,93dO00, while the interes