New-York tribune., 1892-01-08
nf IL NF0ou IOr lhc m"ll.6cHIclt
4 PERPLEXING PROBLEM.
CONDITIONS CONFRONTING THE DEMOCRATS.
STEADY DwINDLING OF THE AMOUNT THAT IS
GOING TO BE SAVED
fBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE.

begun 90 hedge no, ore Of them is now willing to
wager that he appropriations can be reduced even By
Sloo'OOOOoO. except Holman. and even h. would de
mand heavy odds. a short time ago his figure was
Sllo,oOoo0o Other Democrats put the figure at
sco'O0o,00O offers still at 10000 OOo and a good
many OF them now canddly admit that the reduction
must be very small Some OF tie Democratic news
papers have begun also to admit that it will be i'm.
practicable 10 effect any great reduction and to say
that 1t was not much the amount OF money appro.
prlated at the last session which the people com.
plancd Of as il was the spirit in which the appro-
priations were made whatever that may mean.
Of course the Democrats find reasons " As plenty as
b!ackbcrTies"-and unlike another celebcatcd boaster
'hey are willing to give them-why there can be no
great reduction in appropriations compared with
thoSe made by the Billion Congress- OF which they
have talked and written much. One reason is that
the worklngmen" will demand liberal appropria ions
for public buildings and river and harbor improve
mentS. second they urge is that the
farmers" will forbid any rtailmcnt Of the appropri.
ationS for operations of the Department OF Agri-
culture. third reason is mat the people will not
suffer any reductions to be made which will cripple
or postpone Dc work Of rebuilding the Navy and pro.
vidlng modern Notifications and armament FOR the
defence Of the seaboard still another is that
the country" will resent and rcbukc any attempt TO
cut down the appropriations for pensions.
These few OF the reasons one hears mentioned
force ard cOgency Of the reasoning may be freely cd
mittcd without d>pcllnc wonder that the Democrats
did rot happen to stumble upon the reasons until they
brought face to face with the practical problem
of providing for the support Of the Government
MI OF these existed year aeO and were known
to and appreciated by the Republicans who then had n
majority in both branches Of Congress and possessed the
courage TO do right The Democrats know the reasons
well rs the Republicans did. ard matter of fact
i.ritv aI NJ tIp in
which weTc made. and vet they howled and tried to
convince the country that Wild wanton. reckless eX-
avagance marked every Appropriation act OF that Con
grcs only that but they have continued TO assert
with voice and pen that the Republican Congress has
driven the Treasury into bankruptcy. IL Is rather
pleasant to wneS, their squirmlng now-or it would
be If they did not feel unhappy over being found
ont They have just begun To realize, apparently. tha.
wholesale lying doesn't pay. Here they are con
frontcd by condition. to speak:
Frst-Thc Treasury is bankrupt therefore empty,
and consequently they must cut down the appropra-
tiOns az least one fourth.
Sccond-Thc people groaning under the excessive,
unbclrabc burdens Of thanwar tariff taxation
and therefore they must cut down the tariff and TINS
tighten both the ovcrburdencd people and the already
empty Treasury.
Thrd-Tlcre are controlling rcasors why they can
not reduce the appropriations for pensions. for the
Navy and National dcfeuce,, for public buidngS. for
rivers and harbOrs for the Department Of Asri-
culture
Folrth-Thc country will discover long before the
Presidential cecton-but not long enough before to
forget it-hat they have lied boh about the eXtrava-
gancc Of the List Congress and the coalition Of the
National Treasury. as well when they promised
to repeal the niquou, Mckinley tariff and tighten
the gIicvous burdens imposed by worse than war
tariff taxation"
What IS TO be donc'7 is the question 10 which
the Democratic leaders are seeking an answer. Chair
man holman repllcs Restore the appropriation bills
To nv committee and will cut them down 500
900 600. The distribution Of these bill, by a Demo
cratic House has the country ten, Of millions of
dollars which would have bccn saved If the bills had
been left with the Appropriations Committee, where
lcy belonged
Tho Democratic leaders shake tier heads dubiously
and General Caichinss. Of Mississippi who voted to
distribute the hs and who j. a member Of tho
Committee Rule. which las the restoration propo
siiion under consideration. replies: 81" am not 80
cei tain abOat that. have asked the clerk Of the
Committee on Appru uprations 10 make me up state
meni for the ne Of tie committee Kulcs showing
he aggregate of the various appropriation bills for
he COngr,sscs preceding ana fpliJvns the NLINh
" hen the change wa, made Iutl thO-c nsurc, arc
received cannot trll b. what extent the increased
expenditures are due Ia tho -v-tcm which now
pursuing or Z, an unavoinble growth along certain
grown since / cniend Congress from $-.uoo,OOO or
80 900 900 10 - OOO 900 Thi, bill never ia
the hnnd, OF the Committee on Appropriations The
bill ha, also been enlarged t. an enormous ca
tent Notwithstanding the fact that IT has always
naincd in the Appropriation. Committee. The Naval
bill has increased but certainly not because 1t was
taken ont Of the hands Of The Appropriations Com
mtiec. but because the necessity has arisen for the
creation Of Navy. at cost Of millions Il dollars.
dn mot he flut
pendlturc. 1t may be that some Of the other com
mttecs lutristcd with the preparation Of approprE'-
ton bills have been little reckless. but 1t would be
unfair to say unless the assertion borne out by
the truth"
General Catchngs. il viii he observed, Is by no
mean, convinced that Chairman Hoimans answer Is
the correct one. even if the ninety yinc Rcprcsent.
tives who compose the seven committees, each of
which would lose one appropriation bills II
the plan should bc adopted would consent 10 be dc
prived Of any part of their authority ana dignity.
4 hold on the purse string, Is the dearest and most
cherished possession OF c0mnite', and General
Cachlngs Is probably right when he expresses the
opinion that tEc bills Will rennin where they were
placed By the Mimi Congress when the Free IFadcrs
determined TO down sam Randall:
There are few apprc cpratlo.', however whlch hs
down Fist, Lheic the ln''ia.i bill TIC estimates
Tor when amount 10 neerl, +'o4',OoO lhs blii
Judge Holman thinks De reduced 10 T4,1Oo,"O,
a sty.ng of about 81 100000. Well the Indians have
Ions used 10 that sort of treatment at the hands
Of Democratic CongrcS-s. - ,
" 1ernnd trcre is The District Of Columbia bill the
estimate. for which amount 10 about SJJUO,Uo' oI
N inch about ,jODOuo Will he payable from the Ma
tional Irca,ury II The foil anIodnt he appropuacd
TN, bill Is In the hdda OF JId7c Holman tuhittec
" inch NAV he able reduce u. ssty, TlOOuDp, one
i,W Of Winch Saving viii benefit the :'atCnal
,rr asury The taxpayers Of The District 0i toIun
la VINO pay the other half would much rather sec the
amount ncrcisci than diminished, for the money l.
needed. .,.. ~ ,h, ,,,.t
1nr there are judgments and ilndlnes "i TN" cour'
Of Clam, and Of the accounting officers o 'c iIy, @
,,rv i'm ,ciuli OF creditors OF thC Government. ier
sons whom the Government owes have always bcSh
fair game for DcAOciatlc COngicssr@ ana Nhitc'tl
they receive from tl one they NAV count a, hct
pront Pernap, "A saving OF ole or TWO millions
NAV be ci.ccfed by po.tpJnlne the piNHeh, oi snch
debt until after the Pre- 4idcntill election But thcs2
items aggregate - mean, ptlfl sum ilhc'7l "hrt com
p,d with the 800. 100000 of which judge holman
mate. I'm discussing the matter yesterday Il incnb;I
of the Appropriations Committee said ne Wts ItdruN
I'm favor OF substantial reduction IN the expenditures
~ tbe Government, hut nj present " was auO't hl-
80 - h.,, .cclnc.Lic cOmld be Cml down