The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-08-11

DEluOCRACY'S FINANCIAL RECORD
The Fifty-frst, the Republican
congress shocked the nation with its
billion dollar appropriation budget;
its work was unique in the matter of
lavish expenditures. The first session
of the Fifty-second, however, has
passed the limit of the first session of
the Fifty-frst and explanations by
the Democrats were in order. These
have been made by that prince of ap-
preparation committeeman Joseph ID.
Sayers, assisted by Representative
Dockery. The statement they make
is exceedingly interesting and shows
that the Democratic house in this
session was in its action con-
sistent with the history of the
Democratic party on it's retrenchment
and reform policy. The excuses in
this years appropriation bill must be
credited to obligations imposed upon
this congress by the billion dollar
congress, and to the Republican SEN
ate, who raised the houses
appropriations by the modest sum of
fraction less than $19,OO0,OOO. The
amount demanded of this congress
by certain provisions OF the last fig
ured out $40, 527, 602.62; add this to the
senates raise of 1881, 466.9O and we
have sos, 479, O69.52, which the Demo-
cratic house did not want to appro-
pirate but had to. Subtract this from
the total appropriation of S507, 701,-
3SO.57 and we have $409, 222, 81 05 ap-
propriated by the Democrats as
against $494, $50, 248.65 spent by the
Republican house of the first session
of the Fifty-first congress-a net bal
ance in favor of the Democrats of $751;
1873, 937.60, rather neat little balance
for campaign year.
A feature of this authoritative state
ment which should fill the nation
with alarm and concern is the def
cheney in the treasury that is inevita-
BILE under the present lavish system of
expenditures; for, while the appropri-
ationsjust made foot up $5O7, 7O1 1880. 81,
the closely estimated income for the
fiscal year is only $455 1886, 35O.44, def
icit of $50, 1865 ,O3O13. The Republicans
have method of twisting this little
Item around so that no deficit is ap-
parent, by doing away with the sink
ing fund which this year would be
S4S, 632, 900. Yet even with this liberal
missapplication of funds there will be
an unconcealable deficit of about
$4,OOO,OOO. Last year the Republicans
defaulted to the sinking fund only
$ll ,3S6,57O, this year it will be over
four times that amount; where do
they propose to stop?
The surplus in the treasury at the
close of Cleveland's administration
was, exclusive of the gold reserve.
$685. 100; the present surplus is
80 92,377, rather shrinking away.
The books will show that the appro.
priations under Cleveland's admins
tration were $lO6,sO6, $50 less than
under the Republican admin
istration that preceded him,
and that Harrison administra-
| ton has snent So0O 1o7 ne,
more than Cleveland's. Some of this
excess has been demanded by the
growing needs of a wonderfully de.
veloping nation, but this would hard
ly account for SO per cent of that ex-
cess.
On such financial record alone the
Democracy can well afford to go be-
fore the nation for its approval. With
its platform of retrenchment and re-.
form, pledged to honest government
economically administered, and with
candidate the epitome of such
platform and with his record of val
iantly standing between the people,s
treasury and the looting pension bu.
reau, the Democratic party can 90
into this canvass with every assur-
ance of success. And when added to
this, the great battle cry of tariff re-
form is shouted all along the line, sig.
nal victory is inevitable
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