Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-02-01
WHO CAUSED THE DEFICIT?

Republicans have not yet become
so hardened that they do not expe-
rience an uneasy feeling when allu-
sion is made to the deficit in the
Treasury. When the subject is
mentioned everybody looks toward
them, and something resembling a
blush may be seen upon the checks
of some of them in whom native
modesty has not been extinguished
by bad associations.
The st. Louis Globe Democrat,
speaking for this latter element,
enters into an argument to show
that the Republicans are not solely
to blame for the deficit. 1t admits
that Mr.. Cleveland left large sur
plus in the Treasury when he went
out Of Office in 1889. But it says
that this surplus was mainly used in
paying off the public debt, and that
a bill was passed making large re-
.duction Of tariff duties. Then it
proceeds to argue that as the Repub-
licans have controlled the House but
twice in twenty years, that is, dur
ing two Congresses, the Democrats
are mainly responsible for any ex-
trayagance in appropriations.
This is ingenious, but it is not
fair, and it is not true. Mr.. Cleye-
land not only left to Mr.. Harrison
surplus of $50, 100000 in addition to
the gold reserve of $1OO,OOO,OOO MAX
ing $185,0OO,0O0 in all, but he left
an annual surplus Of about $1O0,OOO,-
900 in the revenue. Here was, count
ing the accumulated surplus and the
annual surplus revenue for four
years, about half billion
of dollars surplus for the four
years of Mr.. Harrison's term. Some
of it he used, as claimed, in paying
the public debt before it was due,
and many millions were paid out for
the privilege of doing this. Mr..
Cleveland did the same thing, but
he did it under protest, because the
Republican Senate would not permit
a reduction of taxation except by
making whisky and tobacco free. AS
the taxes on these articles were not
felt as a public burden the Admins
tration very properly declined to ac-
cept this way Of reducing the reve-
nue., and bought bonds at premium
in order to avoid a disastrous con-
traction of the currency by locking
up so much money in the Treasury.
While this was doing, however,
Democrats insisted that it was
makeshift to which the Administra-
ton ought not to be driven; that the
way to get rid of a surplus was not
to squander it, nor to use it to buy
bonds at premium, nor yet to abol-
ish taxes on luxuries, but to make
such a reduction Of the tariff as
would cheaper the prices Of the nee
essaries of life. The Democratic
House passed,a bill for that purpose,
which the Senate rejected. So the
Administration was obliged to keep
down the surplus by purchasing the
bonds when they could be had at
prices that were not too exorbitant.
In spite of this palliative, however,
Mr.. Cleveland left large surplus,
as already mentioned, to his success
sor.
When Mr.. Harrison came into of
flee on minority vote, the ill-luck
Of the American people decreed that
he should have at his back not only
a Republican Senate, but also Re
publican House. The party of
spoiliation was fully equipped for
indulgence in its faYorite pastime of
prohigacy. But it had something
more than its usual motives for dis
sipating the public revenue. The
surplus in the Treasury pleaded
trumpet-tongued against the reten-
ton of unnecessary and therefore un-
just taxation. From the moment
that the result of the elections of
1888 was known that surplus WAS
doomed. Resolved to perpetuate class
privileges and the burdens which
they entailed, the Republicans saw
that the obstacle presented by the
continuing and growing surplus
must be removed. Either Of two
courses was open to them: To in
crease expenditures or to devise a
plan of reducing the revenue without
relieving public burdens. They
adopted both. New laws were
enacted adding millions to the ex-
penditures not merely for that Con-