The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-09
eminent honestly and economically ad-
ministered.
Democratic Economy"


Mr.. Holman and his friends even went
further. They strove with some success
to brighten the American people with
the declaration oft repeated by the
mouths of his lieutenants, Governor Say
ers and Mr.. Dockery, that the income
was unequal to the ne eded expenditures.
With House elected on a platform OF
economy, with over 140 majority larger
than the whole opposition, we naturally
expected some reduction OF what Demo-
cratic orators call the public burdens. L
confess that was myself astonlshed to
find that not only were the appropria-
lions of the first session of this Congress
to exceed the appropriations of the first
session of the last Congress, but they
were to exceed them by the enormous
sum of $4,000, 900. My surprise was
very much heightened by the fact that
day after day had seen appropriations
manifestly inadequate carried through
the House against all argument, and fact
by sheer force of numbers. The present
condition Of things is an overpowering
testimony, not only to the growth of the
country, but to the integrity and econ
omy of the committee on appropriations,
of which Mr.. Cannon was the head. The
debate in the Senate of July 26 shows,
moreover, that even the $4,000, 900
appropriated have not reached the needs
of the country. Mr.. Allen of Washing
ton shows that a lighthouse has been
thrown out which should have been
built, on a spot which has already cost
the country the lives of many men, and
Mr.. Allison shows that one item at leas t
of large amount has been lessened on
the demand of the House by the simple
expedient of cutting off one-half, with the
understanding that it shall go on the
next years Deficiency bill. Of one item
Senator, Isham G.. Harris, Democratic
leader of the Senate, puts tersely his
opinion, and that opinion will illuminate
many other items not discussed. [ want
to call your readers attention to this
simple fact, even at the expense of reitera-
ton and of being tiresome. We expended
1852, 900, 900 the first session of the Fifty
first Congress. We were abused most
roundly therefor. The lowest figures
any Democrat can now make for his
Congress is $510,000,000. These figures
are undisputed. The moral is indispu-
table.
1t does sometimes seem great pity
that we haven't, we Republicans, the
power of vituperation. We seeem to
have no energy Of characterization
Abusing, as the Democrats have, in the
widest language the appropriation of
1882, 100000, and then appropriating
$510,000,000 themselves, means two
things. 1t means that in the last cam
paign the Democracy were inaccurate,
and that in the present House they have
been detected. If we were in theirssplace
and they in ours, fear their language
would be more adequate.
The Payment of Rebel War Claims.
But if the Democracy have adopted
what one of their own men calls a sspop
gum system of tariff reform, their COM
mittee on war claims have started Cat
ling gun system of war claims. tits true
that the House itself has so far acted on
but few of them; but these few show
how the many will finally be treated. A
House which has voted to lift the incu-
bus of the statute of limitations from
Sibley's case, so as to allow the heirs of
an officer who left the United States ar
my to join the Confederates collect a
royalty on tents used in the very war he
helped to wage, has shown itself capable
of infinite power of sapping the Treas
ury. The committee on war claims have
reported in favor of more than $70,-
100000 worth of claims for damages
caused by the devastation of the war. If
there is anything settled in law it is that
no nation ever undertakes to repair the
damages of war. Where the
accident of destruction. falls, there
it rests. But there is grave danger
at this moment that we shall at this late
day be cajoled into vast payments in
that behalf These claims come to us
under the sanction of religious societies,
to pay for rent of churches, to pay for
damages to schools and colleges. Each
is for small amount, but the aggregate
will appall the country. In the Forty
fifth Congress, after a pitched battle
over William and Mary College, such
claims were sent to the rear. Today, in
addition to the $70,000,000 already re-
ported by the committee on war claims,
$4OO, 900, and perhaps $500, 100000 of
such claims have been referred to the
Court of Claims.
If Mr.. Holman and his band of econo-
mists had given half as much attention
to this proposed drain on the treasury as
they have to the refusing of what they
knew they must consent to, we should
today have safer surplus in the treasu-
ry even if we had less campaign talk.
The Last Hours of the Democratic Circus.
The close of this session of the House
seems likely to be worthy of its begin
ming. After a full and free debate the
House, by majority of a dozen, de-
termined to agree with the Senate to
make the appropriation for the Chicago
exposition, which is needed Then
commenced the extraordinary spectacle
of a filibuster begun by the chairman of
the committee on appropriations in
House where his own partisans had
majority of 140 votes. Such scene is
unusual, I think unique in our history.
In order to heighten the spectacular
effect General Wheeler was allowed to
drag into the House Characterization of
the House by the Hon. Tom Watson of
Georgia. Characterization which could
be made of no other House, and which
Mr.. Watso was allowed without punish
ment to reiterate and reaffirm. Mr..
Watson, though now of the Alliance
party, was chosen as Georgia Dem
ocrat.
A part of that Characterization has
been made the subject of investigation,
and nust sneak for itself, All the rest