The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-16
TWO YEARS OF REFORM.

City correspondent has cellAted some very
Instructive and interesting statistics of
revenue receipts and public expenditures
embracing the administration of President
Harrison and two years of Mr.. Cieveiands
regime. IL FIRST compares the receipts and
expenditures of the government during
the twenty-eight months succeeding the
election OF a Democratic congress and
president. IL Is argued that such COM
parison Is fair. although during the FIRST
four months of the period the government
was stiil Republican. because "the mo-
ment the people OF this country knew that
the Democracy had been successful. they
knew that an effort would be made to re-
verse tariff conditions" Hence il argues
that the whole period since the November.
1s32. election. may fairly be considered
az having been afTecteA by the tariff re-
form wave and the six months since
the act passed be considered as test of
that measure.
It is shown that during this period OF
twenty-eight months the receipts OF the
treasury have been, In round numbers.
$3.50 600. and the expenditures $50. Oo0, Co.,
leaving q deficiency OF Sill. oee0o0. During
the twenty-eight months prior to that
election the receipts were $50. COO. 600 and
expenditures $s0s. o00, 600. leaving a surplus
OF $1,000. oocn. an average monthly def
cheney of over 3s0O.o0o I'm the last twenty
eight months as against an average sur
plus OF over 100000 a month under the
Harrison administration and the McKin-
ley bill. But says the correspondent,
in order TO satisfy those who prefer to
consider the period In which the Democ-
racy has actually been In power. II is
yell to make another comparison or two"
Ti,is embraces the two last years ending
on the 18th instant The receipts during
that period were $500. coo 600 and the expen-
ditures $7sz. ooo. Co., leaving deficit of slo7.-
100000. Compared with the last two years
OF President Harrison's administration, i'm
which the receipts were s72o. ooo.oco the ex-
pendltures 500. coo and the surplus 3d.
oeo.ooo. the. contrast Is striking. The ng-
ures show an average monthly deficit un.
der Cleveland of nearly 81, s0a.o oo and an
average monthly surplus under Harrison
OF over s5oo.0oo
But this comparison In carried etin
further. During the past two years the
Cleveland administration has added to
the nations bonded debts the sum of $780,
0n.0oo. During President Harrison's term
trary the public debt was reduced sssss.-
ooe,0o. In other words, under Cleveland
the country has added to its interest-bear-
ing Obligations an average of nearly ST.
ooe.ooo per month. while under Harrison
the average monthly reduction was nearly
10000. Or to put 10 In another way.
Harrison reduced the debt SIS oco, 900, while
Cleveland Increased IL sSi.m.mo per an
mum.
Coming to a comparison OF the results
or the Havemcyer bin with the Mckinley
bill, Its predecessor, the figures, are also
of interest. The new tariff law has been
In operation little over six months. AT
the end OF the half year OF It's operation
the receipts OF the treasury were siss .oo.-
oa. an average OF 81. 900. 90 monthly. Dur
ing the whole period or forty-seyen
months during which the Mckinley law
was tn effect, the receipts averaged S2a
0a.oo monthly, the total. revenue being
81, sSi. oao.ooo. Figures sometimes lie; they
may do SO when falsified or misplaced.
but the above statistics are both correct
and Instructive. They show that under
the threat and afterwari actual impo.
si,ion OF alleged tariff reform upon the
country lis revenues began 20 shrink, and
have maintained that status up 10 date:
that In two years instead OF PAVING o,,r
debts at the rate OF nearly ss.ool.eoo month.
iy. we have had added 10 our burdens a
monthly increase Of nearly ECO 900. They
shoY. In short. that from heing solvent,
prosperous people. We have not only spent
al the money collected IN revenue hat
nave been 'nor'gaging tia future az fhe
rate OF about 81, sna.as9 monthly since Mr.
Cleveland and his tariff thinkers took
charge OF the national directorate.