Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-09-01
TIE APPROPRIATIONS
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY, PROMISES AND PER
FoRMANCES.

with sounding of horns and music Of tim
brels, and with one accord declaring that
the appropriations should be reduced from
$60,000,000 to Sl00,000,000 per annum. The
usual economic resolve was passed, under
the guidance of Mr.. Holman, and the COM
mittec began the work. Tho tedious and
tortuous recitation Of the details would oc-
cupy too much of my time and exhaust much
of your patience but the record is there for
the casuist who seeks to follow At 1t an
swers your purpose and mine to know the
result / give 1T to you in brief
The appropriations made at the first SEES
sion of the last or Fifty-first congress were,
in round numbers, $i64, 100000, including all
deficiencies of the prior congress, and in
GLIDING the estimates made for all perma-
nent and indefinite appropriations.
On the same basis and including the same
items and in the same form, the appropria-
tons for the first session of this congress
are sos, 900, 600, or S44000,000 in excess of
the corresponding session of the Repub-
lican congress, criticised severely. A
careful study of the details will show that
this increase is chiefly for pensions and for
the postal service, and that for all the other
great services of the government there is
but little change, In every case of reduc-
ton, more than the amount of the reduction
will be made up by deficiency bills next
winter. No one can now say what the APP
preparations for the second session of this
congress will be, but they cannot be less
than the app OPERATIONS of the second ses-
sion of the last congress, so that this shib-
bcleth cry of last year, and two years ago,
has passed into the limbo of exploded hum
bug and calumny by the open confession
and conduct of the Democratic organized
leadership of the house, and by the mature
Judgment of the house as disclosed by its
votes.
The apology made by the Democratic
leaders in the house for these large appro-
priations in excess of the first session of
the last congress, is that they were made
necessary by laws passed at the previous
congress.
THE DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.
These additions to appropriations are
variously aggregated at from $50 100000 to
$79,C00,00O, depending upon the relative
truthfulness or knowledge of the particular
leader making the statement. Mr. Holman
reached the maximum by including items
having no place there and which were
cluded by Mr.. Sayres of Texas, who takes
the minimum sum of the $00,0000 900 as the
increase. An examination of the items dis
closes an estimate of SIS. 100000 on account
of the dependent pension bill of July Ia,
1880 Admitting the estimate to be true,
why criticise it adversely Was that PEN
sion law just or unjust2 If it was proper
recognition of the great service of the old
soldiers of the republic in the time of war
to now enable them to support themselves,
why place it in every table of adverse crit
| icisml 1t it was unjust, why is it that no
bill was introduced into the last house, with
| its lao Democratic majority TO repeal it2 No
! Democratic orator assails this law in either
| House, or on the stump, or in the newspapers
manifestly for the reason that this benef-
cent measure, passed by Republican con-
| gress and approved by Republican presi-
dent, meets with the approval of the popular
| judgment
THE DOMESTIC SUGAR BoUNTIEs
The next item is the estimate OF 0,000, 900
| for the payment of bounties to the producers
of domestic sugar. This probably is 81 $780,
| 900 too high an estimate. 1t is paid largely
| to sugar planters in the south, and though
| criticised, no effort was made in the houses
at the session just closed, to repeal it, nor
any serious suggestion to that end was
made in either house These two items,
constitute SIS 900, 900 of Mr.. Sayres $6S .000,-
| 600. So it may said that the present Dem
| ocratic house, by its own record, has ad-
| mitted the wisdom of these laws requiring
| the expenditures complained of. The truth
| is the cry made against the last congress, as
extravagant and wasteful in its appropria-
! tions, was an uni Just partisan criticism for
| partisan purposes.
From long experience on the senate COM
| mittee on appropriations, and from an inti-
mate knowledge of the details, from year
| to year / do not hesitate to say that the APP
| preparations of the last congress and prior
| congresses have been in the main, If not in
| their totality, wise, just and necessary.
| With full treasury, public works, wise
1
| ment like ours, were undertaken, but which
! were not absolutely necessary for its daily
| current service. Rivers and harbors were
improved; new navy was partially con-
| structed; needed public buildings were pro
vided; the pension list was enlarged and
| other necessary expenditure provided for.
NO PRUNING KNIFE APPLIED.
| Nearly all these appropriations prior to
| the last congress, were madeswith one house
Democratic and the other Republican. This
unjust criticism aimed at the last congress-
| in its effect, if not in its intention, was
aimed at the liberal provision made, by that
| congress- for the old soldiers, their widows
| and orphan children, and now, at the close
| of the first session OF the Fifty-secend con
| gress, with a Democratic majority large
/ enough to command n two-third vote, ex-
/ tending over period of more than eight
| months, with every care taken to prune
/ down appropriations, and every possible
| subterfuge rcsortcd to to reduce them, we
| find the Democratic house agreeing to ap-
| propriations at the first session of this con-
| gress, aggregating S24, 600 more than for
| the first session of the last congress, with
| out including permanent appropriations, in
| GLIDING these, more than 1000 600 in ex-
cess of the first session of the Fifty-frst
congress so much criticised. What further
| vindication is needed. Who now will criti-
| else the last congress as compared with this,
after this full vindication and Endorsement
| of the present Democratic housel do not
| draw this comparison to complain of the APP
| preparations just made. They are in the
main properly made, and in respect to many
of the departments of the government, so
scantily made that a brood of deficiencies
will appear next winter in number without
precedent in our history, in time of peace,
making it necessary next year to largely in
crease appropriations to carry on the neces-
| sary operations of the government With
the greatest economy and care these appro-
priations will increase, from year to year,
notably those for pensions, as, also, for the
| postal service. which increases in its ex-
penditures and In its receipts about eight
per cent per annum To illustrate: When l
entered the senate, In 1873, the appropria-
tions for the postal service were 5000, 900
and the receipts s23,o00o00 This year the
appropriations are more than $4,000. 900
and a deficiency of from 81 ,00O, 900 to 81 0o0,-
900 inevitable, and the postage receipts Will
be nearly, If not quite, $50, 100000 for this
year. Thus showing in q marked degree
our continued growth and prosperity in q
national sense.
| EXTRAORDINARILY or REDUCTIONS.
/ know of no department of the govern
ment where any considerable saving can be
made. I know of no law our statute
book now requiring appropriations that is
likely to be repealed; and know of no one
| in public life IN any Of the great parties Of
our country, that purposes, or suggests, the
| repeal of any statute now involving any
considerable expenditure of public money.
So that those who como after us will not
be able, under any probable condition Of