People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-08-26

Mr.. Goodnight. Merely a question.
Does not the excess of the pension appro-
priation bill of this session more than
double the difference you have stated?
Mr.. Holman. No; the excess for pen
sions does not double the differen ce.
But am speaking of the condition of
the bills as they are now, not as they
will be when this session of Congress
shall have closed.
Gentlemen, you have incorporated into
this bill the most odious and indefensible
feature which was inaugurated and
adopted by the last Congress, and the
one which the people, as rule, most in
dlgnantly denounced-the contract sys-
tenn, the pledging and mortgaging of tn
future labor Of the people. That, hey ond
all other features of your legislation here,
is to be condemned. How does this bill
stand upon which you propose to ask a
conference? Twenty-six million dollars
in contracts when the bill went to the
Senate, the Senate adding $4,000, 900
more, with $11, 100000 coming down
from the last Congress, swelling up to
$40, 100000 in contract pledges upon the
labor of the people and upon your Treas
ury for the future. Is that the record
that this Democratic House intends to go
to the country upon? We came here
! pledged to economy in government
We came here, gentlemen, upon the
fierce and indignant protest of the peo-
pie Of this country, the Democratic
masses and portion of the Republicans,
against the profigacy of the Republican
i party, and shall we now make a record
still more to be condemned? Will you
! go before the people of this country,
gentlemen, in the coming campaign, de-
handing a reduction Of the burdens rest
ing upon the shoulders Of the people, de-
handing reduction Of taxation, when
you have yourselves piled up appropria-
| tons until you are compelled to look
about to see what further burdens you
can lay upon the shoulders of our people !?
4 We denounca the burdens of taxation,
yet we deliberately provide for increasing
them. Can we go before the people de-
manding that the Democratic party shall
remain in power for the purpose Of Sc
curing purity and honesty in the admin
istration Of our affairs, when is this very
bill we are adopting system inaugurated
by the Republican party in the last Con
gress-a system of making contracts for
the future which will sap the very foun-
dation Of virtue in this Government and
in our legislation, and, as gentlemen all
/ know, open up the sluices of fraud and
corruption So far as I have seen, not
/ a single Democratic paper north of the
city of Memphis-not one-has failed
to condemn this measure in unqualified
| terms.
Here is a bill which, including con-
tracts and with the amendments, runs
up to $53,O0O,0OO. Flfty-three million
dollars Gentlemen, can we face our
constituents without blushing when we
present to them such a record as this
Can we stand before Democrotic audi
ences and defend such record? What
justification can we make when the
whole country believes that this Demo
cratic House should compel reduction
of expenditure to the extent of at least
500 100000.
1t is not for me to criticise the record
that any gentleman has made here.
We have all right to vote as we please.
But we have made the record which [
have shown up to the present time.
With this bill passed, there is no hope
that this record will be better than that
made in the first session of the last Con-
gress. Now with that record, repeat
again, can we afford to go before the
Democratic masses who believe that in
tegrity, 1rugality, and honesty in the ad-
ministration of the Government are in
dispensable for the preservation and per-
petuation of our Republic?
We came here pledged by our national |
and State platforms in favor of frugal |
and honest government. The Democra |
tic party have never hesitated in their |
approval Of that platform; and what is
more they have never violated their
pledge. Shall we be able to leave this
Hall within the next few months feeling
conscious that such has been the case
I do not criticise the course which any
gentleman has chosen to pursue. |
know how these measures press. But
that a measure involving this enormous
expenditure which does not benefit one
man out of twenty five in this country,
not one out of fifty in my own State
not one in twenty in my district
although it borders on the Ohio River
for 20 miles-that such a measure as
this should be made the means of unex-
ampled extravaganza is marvellous be-
yond all degree. Excessive pension
appropriations are inevitable; but there
is no necessity for this prodigal measure