The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-02
PENSIONS IN POLITICS.
Government Bounty Bestowed Reck-
lessly in States Needed by the
Republican Party.
Figures That Clearly Indicate
Wholesale Fraud Entirely
for Party Profit.
DemOraiized Condition of tho National
Treasury brought About by tho
Billion Dollar COnxress

WARRINGTON, Feb. 1.--Soms interesting
figures como from tho pension bureau.
Thev illustrate the way in which the bounty
OF the government has been exploited in
party's interest. for the purpose of holding
the northwest TO the republicans. New
York furnished 448, $50 man to the union
armies during the war, and now has
S3,31l pensioners on tho rolls. or about
one rensloner to every nve and one-half
men furnished. Indiana sent but 1856 1863
men and has G7.420 pensioners. or little
more than one for every three men fur
nished. Ohio has about the same ratio. hnv-
ing furnished 313, $50 men and having S,9l6
pensioners. Iowa, state which had to be
specially worked" to hold ID in line, fur
nished 7G,242 men and has 81, 131 pension
ers. or almost exactly one rensioper to
every two men furnished. Minnesota has
Jared still better. That state. which fur
nished only 24.O20 men, has 15 206 pension
era. or considerably moro than ono for
every two men. Michigan furnished 81. 1854
men and has 4404S pensioners. or more
than one to two. Docs any sane man doubt
that these figures represent wholesale fraud
and the exploitation of the governments
bounty in aid Of political party2
The present congress came into being
with an enormous load upon the treasury.
It's predecessor had not only spent all the
money on hand, but had heavily mort
gagged the future. How hesvily no account
ant has yet been able to determine. In
deed, Mr.. McLennan, Of the treasury de-
partment. has utterly broken down in
health under the strain Of trying to find out
the degree Of ruin wrought. Among other
means of equandsrinR the billion dollars,
congress was specially interested In au-
thorizng lavish expenditures for costly
buildings in all sorts of cities and
towns. big and little. 1t left as a legacy
to this congress great mass of contracts
of this sort. for which only partial appro-
priatons had been made. and consider
able part of the app opriations last year
were forced in this way. But the author
iZatons were so many and 80 extravaoan
that even the activity of the administration
in binding the treasury to expenditures has
not been able to keep up with the list. AL
most two years after the billion-dollar
congress went out OF existence there
remain about fifty public buildings au-
thorized, for the construction of which
no contracts have been made. The au-
thorized cost of these ranges from $4,000
to $1,000, 900 each. with two or three on
which no limit of cost is fixed. The fig
ures given on these foot up moro than
Sc, ,O0O,O0O. The total, including the un-
limited ones, will exceed $l00O0,0OO. 1t is
not by any means impossible that some-
thing will be done at this session to sus-
pend these authorizations unless the an
swers not yet given to the questions Of the
ways and means committee shall show the
treasury to be in a much better condition
than anybody expects.
Should increased revenues be needed IL 10
going to be very hard to supply them. Tho
whisky tax, which seemed to offer SO simple
a remedy, has been rendered unavailable
by the whisky makers, who, in hope OF
profit, have manufactured SO largely that
full two or three years. supply will be in
bond before any additional tax can take
effect. Whisky cannot yield additional
revenue, therefore, Tor two years to
come Coffee and tea, which are al
together imported. and raw sugar. of
which 6ve.sixths ia imported. are ideal
SUBJECTS of revenue tariff taxation; but
no congress will restore the tax on these
until the people shall have been reconciled
to a small increase in consideration OF
tariff change giving them cheaper clothing
and blankets. In view of these conditions
the minds OF all the democratic leaders
seem more and more turning TO gradu-
ated tax on large incomes as . source OF
mora raYenue.