Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-03-26
BALANCE SHEET OF CONGRESS


appropriations made by that body. Mr..
Cannon was the only Republican in the
House who, at the close of its session,
received public expression of favor from
his Democratic colleagues, who thereby
indorsed his fairness and equity, and
must be in a measure bound by his ig-
ures. His conversation, ability and in
tegrity are unquestioned, while his po-
sition at the head of the committee
named gave him ample knowledge of
every appropriation made, and his sum-
mary thus has all the weight of Judicial
determination. 1t appears from his sta
tistics that assertions of vast expendi-
lures by Congress of unwarranted sums
of money, which will bring about.a de-
ficiency, as made in the Democratic
press, are not only ridiculous, but false
ly made to influence the public mind,
like the charges against the Mckinley
bill before it had gone into effect.
The net increase in appropriations
over the Fiftieth Congress, which was
Democratic, is shown by Mr.. Cannon to
be sl70, ,446 1863.
When this increase is analyzed it ap-
pears to be almost wholly due to the ne
cessity under which Republican Con-
gress was placed to pay debts incurred
either by Democratic Congress or by
the Democratic party. 1t is character
istic for Democratic organs to charge a
Republican Congress with extravaganza,
but when the expenditures ordered by
it have been principally necessitated by
Democratic failure to provide means
for carrying out measures of their own
creation, the boot goes on the other leg,
and the Democratic explanation is what
the country wants and will demand.
The Fiftieth Congress bequeathed
$40 100000 in deficiencies to its success
or, of which $25, ,321 ,907 was for pen
sions alone Having been responsible
for the war for the Union, which
made pensions a necessity, the Dem
ocratic party, afraid of the soldier
vote, passed legislation which it failed
by the amount named to make good in
the appropriations of the Fiftieth Con-
gress, and left to be made up by Re-
publican Congress, which had the cour-
age to do what is right by the veterans
at all hazards. The pensions measures
of the Fifty-frst Congress, and the de-
fciency of s25,0O0,0O0 already cited,
make up $113,3l2,351 of the total in
crease. For every penny of that amount
the Democratic party is directly respon-
sible and chargeable, by instigation of
the war.
President Cleveland, it will be remem-
bered, put into the Pension Bureau as
Commissioner, a man who was drawing
the highest pension known to law be-
cause he had sworn that he was ''physi-
cally incapacited" from labor of any de-
scription, and yet whose career in office
was entirely and laboriously devoted to
scheming how he and the Democratic
party could rob the poverty stricken
old veterans of the rank of privates of
the meager pittance Congress had agreed
to give them. The action of Repub-
lican Congress in caring for the veter
ans of the late war, redeeming thereby
the promises made them by the people
when they enlisted, that they and their
families should be the public care, has
made it possible for this government to
enlist on days notice million men,
on five days notice five million men,
and forever to defend this nation against
foes from within or without
The price is not too great. 1t is paid
to veterans for what they did to sustain
the nation rather than to maintain
standing army in idleness, because it
will make every freeman patriot in
any future war emergency.
The increase of 81 Al, ,473 for the new
Agricultural Department is an item
against which the demagogue Democrat
ic press has made no protest. The Re-
publican party has no excuses to make
for the appropriation for this purpose
whenever it has future opportunity,
without asking leave of the Democratic
party.
The Notifications of the country have
caused an increase of $2,802, IA, and
hn no nrlu 70
read the patriotic expressions of the late
Samuel j. Tilden to be confounded in
any criticism they make on this score,
while the increase of $780,, l46 in the
Indian bills is counterbalanced by the
knowledge that lands secured from the
Indians in return for this expenditure
and thrown open for settlement will
eventually bring over $l2,000,000 into
the Treasury-a plain business invest
ment for which the Republican party
would have been roundly and soundly
and justly scored if it had failed to make
provision.
The naval appropriatins are increased
by $l4, ,042, ,344, on the recommendation
and in pursuance of plans of Democrat
ic officials of the Cleveland administra-
tion. but most of all in obedience to the
will of the people, and $22, 2,668,343 of
increase is credited to the Post Office De-
partment. The improvement in the
postal service alone would warrant this |
increase of expenditure, but when the
increasing receipts of the department, |
consequent on its improvement, are
shown to the country, as they will at a !
later period, the most carping Demo
cratic critic will crawl into his hole and
try to pull it in after him.
There have been public buildings to
erect, the cost of the census, soldiers
home appropriations, the Worlds Fair
expense, and various minor items, not
one of which can be honestly question
ed on the score of justice and need to
make up the difference.
And this country is growing. 1t costs
more to run it to-day than it did ten
years ago, or five years ago, or even two
years ago. 1t is working out problems