San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-02
TIE BILLION CONGRESS-.

cry of "billion congress" against TIT
republican party seem determined t.
earn for themselves the sobriquet o
the "ten cent congress-" II there II
any virtue in niggardliness in the
management of national affairs, In
country so rich in all material re-
sources as ours, the democracy are
welcome to 1t. The country will dis
cover, as IL always has and always
must, that certain amount of money
is needed to carry on the business OF
government, and any Withholding of
the necessary funds in one year must
be made up in the next. There is NO
help for this condition of things, it is
imperative. The expenses of govern
ment, unlike those of private individ-
uals, cannot be cut down in day. The
arrangements for the public service
are Oh too vast q scale, and are pro-
jected too far into the future for any
material change to be made has.
tily without detriment to the
public service. The appropria-
tions of the government should be
ora liberal scale, just as the expen.
ses OF q man of established position
and fortune should be on generous
basis. The pension bills, the postal
appropriations, the mail subsidies,
the expenditures for navy and coast
defence, the salaries of our foreign
ministers, the aid voted to public
works of national character-all
these should be on a liberal scale.
There is no economy in parsimony,
and the broad minded men of both par
ties understand and acknowledge that
understand this is so, but on the eve
of general election there is always
the demagogue's cry of retrenchment
and reform, q cry that means moth
ing in and Of itself, but is supposed
to nave a talismanic effect upon the
the voting masses. No one will as
sert that any unnecessary wasteful.
ness on the part OF congress is to be
lightly passed over, neither should the
country hold congress guiltless if for
any cause it fail to make adequate
provision for the proper support of
every branch of the government. In
this term, proper support, is included
all that conserves good government
at home and provides for our de-
fence abroad; all that legitimately be-
longs to the general government to do
in promoting our commerce and in
opening up international and trans
continental channels of communica-
ton; all that ministers to the increase
of our ocean tonnage and the build
ing up of our merchant marine. The
republic has laid aside its swaddling
clothes. The experimental period of
our national existence is past. We
have come to mans estate, and must
play the part of men in the direction
of the commerce and empire of this
western world. To do this fed lures
capital. That capital is the national
revenue, and like all other capital it
is to be used if it is to bring us as a
nation Its legitimate returns. 1t has
been the policy of the republican par
ty to use the national revenue liberal.
ly in creating and extending com.
MERGE, as we'll as In increasing the
efficiency of every department of
the government, beoa1se iD:no other
way could the supremacy of the re-
public be established on this CONT
nent, or Its commercial Importance be
recognized abroad. In its laudable
endeavor to do this it has been
charged with extravaganza, and the
last republican congress has been
named in derision the "biliion con-
gress." 1t is the avowed purpose of
this present house of national repre-
sentatives to rebuke this liberality of
expenditure for national ends and to
reduce the appropriations in every
quarter. Upon this avowal they ex
pect to carry the country with them in
the November election. The repub.
lican party stands upon it's record
and trusts confidently to the instruct.
ed judgment of the people, as 1t will
find expression at the ballot box nine
months hence.
The reports of the Behring Sea
commissioners, both sides, are ready