Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-06-25
a SHALLOW PRETENSE,
The Republican Excuse for Extravagan
Legislation.

Legislation.
The plan outlined by Representative
Forney, of Alabama, for the reduction
of appropriations by the next congress
is encouraging to the extent that it
shows an appreciation of the need of
retrenchment. This may be a billion
dollar country, as Secretary Foster
suggests, but the people will not accept
the greatness of our resources as an ex-
cuse for unnecessary extravaganza
But when it comes to pointing out
where retrenchment is possible the
outlook is not so fiattering as could be
desired.
The mischief done by the Fifty-frst
congress is in many particulars ir-
remediable, especially SO long as we
have republican president and re-
publican majority in the senate. Many
republicans have boosted with great
JUNCTION that the tariff cannot be re-
duced for ten years at least. This may
turn out to be delusion: but it is be-
yond dispute that the reckless legisla-
ton of the last congress has committed
the country to vast expenditure of
money for years to come. The cost of
congress is not to be estimated by the
billion of dollars which it appropriated.
To put its cost at that sum is to take
most inadequate view of the situation.
Its most pernicious activity was eX
erted in the passage of general laws.
calling for great appropriations at
once, but still larger sums for the flu
ture.
This remark is particularly APP
plicable to the pension legislation of
the last congress. Under previous laws
the pension bureau was so conducted
that the expenditures were increasing
rapidly. New Legislation was enacted.
which will increase pension appropria-
tiOns to an extent that prudent men
shrink from an endeavOr to estimate.
An idea of the rate of increase may be
had from the statement of Commits
SiOner Raum that over five thousand
certificates were recently issued, the
first payments on which will amount to
nearly six hundred thousand dollars.
This rate, if maintained, means an ad
dition of thirty-one million dollars per
year to the pension charge, and the
work is expected to 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 then the task OF giving
pensions to everybody may be greatly
expedited.
How far the granting of pensions has
outrun 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, twenty-six million dol
lars were 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 similar incident. we are in
formed, never happened before in the
history of the government
Meantime. in other matters the treas
ury gives unmistakable evidence that
the ''billion-dollar country" has been
subjected to demands that strain it's re-
sources. After protesting over and
over that there would be plenty
of money to pay the four
and one-half per cent. bonds at
maturity, the treasury proceeds to per-
feet arrangements to extend more than
half of them at a reduced interest, Incl
dentally boasting OF the high credit
which renders this possible. But the
credit of the government was not in
issue. 1t was question of cash, not
credit. A claim of having cash enough
to pay a note is not supported by proof
of credit enough to renew it. At the
same time the payment of other appro-
priations is postponed by quibbles-a
common device of debtors who are
hard pressed. Such is the unenviable
position to which a billion-dollar coun-
try has been brought. by a billion-dol-
lar congress, and the worst has not yet
come.
The next congress will have to re-
trench wherever retrenchment is posi-
BILE. but with all that it can do in that
direction it will not be possible to keep
down appropriations to any thing near
what they were under the last admin
istration. 1t will not be practicable to
repeal much of the vicious legislation
of the last congress, which calls for
large sums of money. Small leaks may
be stopped here and there, but the big
ones are for the present out of reach.
The country will have plenty of leisure
in the future to reflect what an eXpen-
sive luxury is billion-dollar congress,
even to a billion-dollar country
al