Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-12
..BLoWING IN, THE PEOPLES MONEY.

s'BLOWING IN" THE PEOPLES moNEf'
Elsewhere we republish from the New
York Sun an article devoted to the
costly details of President Harrison's
second term "swing around the circle"
That journal, which is nearly always ex-
act to mathematical demonstration,
estimates the cost of this trip at $40, 900.
BENJAMIN Harrison is not rich man.
Whoever is paying for this most
expensive expedition expects some
return for it. 1t has been ornamented
by the presence of Postmaster-G
Wanamaker-he of the $500 900 corrup-
ton fund. 1t may have been designed
as an advertisement of Wanamaker's
Philadelphia clothing house. Perhaps
he and Boss Quay are prepared to foot
the bills. Certainly the economical
president is not expected to do it him
self.
When Queen Victoria or some other
European potentate travels it is always
incognito. A modest special train will
serve their purposes fairly well. They
have life tenure of Office and do not
need any meretricious show. One can
scarcely see how the public treasury can
be made directly responsible for all this
vulgar glitter, but that it will be made
to settle the bills in some shape let no
man doubt who understands the ways of
the "God and Morality" party-the
party of all the education and all the
decency.
Readers of newspapers will remember
the way the money of the people was
"blown in" on the Pan American con-
gress business. Then we had the same
fanfare, parade and bloviation that has
signalized this second term swing around
the circle. The most lavish expendi-
lures signalized every phase of this
bizarre episode. The idea seemed to be
to knock as big hole as possible into
the national treasury. When Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration conceived the
idea of Pan American congress it was
undoubtedly supposed that any country
which cared to participate in this dem
onstration would pay the expenses of
its own representatives. A state dinner
or two would one would suppose, have
covered all demands OF hospitality on
the part of the United States. Not so
thought our expansive secretary Of state.
Nothing would suit him but to send the
Pan American congress philandering
around the country, on special train,
at the national expense. They were
dined and wined, and there was no end
to the prodigal outlay OF the peo-
ple's money. They were sent through
such rush OF dissipation that their in
dividual stomachs revolted. Tired ma
ture called for rest; and, on the pitt
able petition of the much feted diplo-
mates, they were permitted to return
to Washington, with their stomachs
permanently disorganized and the seeds
of gout laid in many hardy constitu-
tion.
Who authorized this Bacchanalian ex-
pedition? The United States undoubt-
edly paid for it, but why?
Things were different in the old Demo-
cratic days. When Mr.. Buchanan was
president, pleasant excursion was made
down the Potomac and out to sea on the
revenue cutter Harriet Lane, under the
auspicies of Mr.. Howell Cobb, at that
time secretary of the treasury. 1t was
gala affair, and was graced by the pres
ence of the beautiful and accomplished
Miss Harriet Lane herself, at that time
the lady of the White House. At the
next cabinet meeting, Mr.. Buchanan
turned to his secretary and said, ''By
the way, Mr.. Cobb, who pays for the ex-
penses Of the trip of the Harriet Lane?"
Mr.. Cobb showed a little embarrassment
at this question, and Mr.. Buchanan fol-
lowed up his attack by the remark, "If
you will kindly furnish me an estimate
of the cost it will give me great pleasure
to give you my check for the amount"
When that cabinet meeting adjourned
Mr.. Cobb lost no time in footing up the
bills for the little jaunt out of his own
pocket.
Times are sadly changed now. Mr..
Tom Fitch's ingenious plan of blowing
the surplus in has become the shib-
boleth of the Republican party. The
money of the people is poured out freely
on every pretext, and the vulgar mag
nifcence of the possessors of place and
power is flaunted Extensively in the faces
of their masters.