Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-09
POLITICAL TALKS.
Secretary Tracy to the Boston
Republican Club.
DEFENDING THE WORK OF CONGRESS


Meeting of Trade Unionists-Effect of
the Feminine Vote in Kansas-scatter-
ing Election Figures.
boston, April 9-Over 1000 persons
, were present at the first dinner of the
Republican club given at Music hall last
evening. 1t was the largest meeting of
the kind held in Boston in a number of
years Among the guests were Secretary
Tracy, Senator Aldrich and Gen Stewart
L. Woodford, and they made the princi-
pal speeches. Roger Wolcott, president
of the club. presided, and after speaking
about twenty minutes introduced Secre
tary Tracy, who was greeted with hearty
applause. After review of the work of
Die present administration the secretary
tackled the question of appropriations by
Ike last congress.
Explaining the Increases.
The principal charge which has been
advanced of late by our opponents is that
the appropriations CT the Fifty first con-
gress have been extravagant. 1t is true
that the appropriations of the last con-
gress were larger than those of its prede-
cessors. Some increase must inevitably
take place as long as the country contin-
ues to grow. But, apart from this inev-
liable enlargement of expenditure, there
is no difficulty n explaining the present
increase to the satisfaction of every man
Apart from pensions the increase is shown
chiefly in the appropriations for the postal
service, for the navy, for the census, to
carry out the Indian treaties, for rivers
and harbors, for coast defenses and fer
the payment of the spoIiation claims.
The increase of so, 600, 600 for the postal
service is more apparent than real. 1t
means an enlargement of postal facilities,
which brings with it more than CORE
spending increase of receipts.
Navy and Indian Expenses
"Twelve millions of the increase is for the
navy. 1t is wholly for the construction of
new ships and their armor and arma-
ment. There is no doubt that the gov
eminent needs the ships and needs the
armor, and the increased appropriation
was judicious and necessary. OF the in-
crease in the Indian appropriation, over
four million is for the purchase of land to
be opened for settlement and sale by the
government. One million was for the
support of Indian schools and the balance
mainly for the payment of the so-called
Choctaw claims, a payment opposed by
the secretary of the interior, supported by
{. no one connected with the administration,
and carried through both houses chiefly
by Democrats votes. For the appropria-
ton for Notifications and coast defenses
offer no explanation or apology. In my
opinion the item should have been larger
For Pensions and Interest
There remains the principal item of
increase of S113,OO0,O0 in the appropria-
ton for pensions OF this amount S25,-
100000 is in the nature of a deficiency
Shn haap
under existing law by the previous con-
gress, il it had performed its duty. At
the close of the war the government was
under heavy obligations, first to the sol
diers who had fought its battles, and sec
ond TO the men who had furnished the
means to enable the government to prose-
cute the war to a successful conclusion.
To the latter it owed 50, COO 900, 900. But
the burdens imposed upon the country by
the war survived the establishment of
peace. These burdens consisted mainly
in interest and pensions The aggregate
of these two items has not increased since
the war and will not be substantially in
creased hereafter, even by the large and
liberal amounts to be paid annually tothe
soldiers under the present law
Aggregate Not Increased!
in 1861, two years after the close of tie
war, the expenditure for pensions amount
ed to 500, 93S 900, while the interest on the
debt was SAB Isl, 600, making a total of
S164 us 4S3 This is the highest mark
the aggregate of pensions and interest has
ever reached. 1t has shown fluctuations
from year to year, one increasing as the
other diminished, until in the present year
pensions amounted to $126 COO 900, while
the interest on the debt is only $50, 900, 0O0.
Even in 1892 when the pensions are to
amount to Sl35. 600, 600, the aggregate OF
pensions and interest will be S162, OOO, 600,
or Sc zoe, 0On less than the aggregate was
in 1867.
Burden Per Capita Diminished.
%Since the aforementioned period the
population has nearly dou bled. so that
the burden borne by each individual tax
payer from the two sources, which may be
set down as the great burden of the war, is
about one-half what it was when the war
ended. The country paid its debt to the
bondholders first and to the soldiers aft
erward; the burden is being shifted from
interest to appropriations, and it is not
for the bondholders to complain of the
arrangement
Three Acts Worth Passing.
zone thing more may be permitted to
say-that if the Fifty-first congress had
done nothing but pass three acts-the
anti-lottery law, which has prohibited the
use OF the mails for the promotion of
lotteries; the meat inspection act, which
has already opened the ports of Germany
to the importation of American cattle,
and which, we hope, viii cause the remov-
all of restrictions both in France and Ger
many on the impOrtations of the hog pro-
duct of the United States; and finally the
shipping BILL which is destined, trust
TO bring about revival of our merchant
marine-if this congress, ! say, had done
nothing but pass these three acts it
wonld be entitled to the lasting gratitude
of the American people"
Secretary Tracy was heartily applauded
throughout his speech, and at its conclu-
sion his allusion to Secretary Blaine was
greeted with prolonged applause.
AIdrich Sees "A Reaction.
Senator Aldrich, of Rhode Island, said
that Democratic success in New Eng