Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-04-25
WHERE THE DEFICIENCY BEGAN.
Eject of the Mckinley Bill ON the Ma
toms Finances.

cribe all this to the passage of the new
tariff bill. They say that it is not
yielding revenue enough, and they hold
out the idea that it will never afford
sufficient money to pay the expenses
of the government.
1t is an odd proof Of the rapidity
with which everybody forgets former
conditions that comparatively few
now remember that after the last
presidential election practically every
body recognized the need of changing
the tariff laws, because the Mckinley
bill was not affording revenue enough.
AS to the republicans, they were SO
hot for revision of the tariff that
they insisted that a special session of
congress should be called for the pur-
pose in March or April, 1898. They ex-
pressed the hope that the revision
might be carried out in such way as
not to destroy American industries,
but, at all events. they wished the
work done at once. In February, 1898,
Secretary Foster prepared to issue
bonds, but was stopped by the presi-
dent, who preferred to transfer a
bankrupt treasury to his successor.
Every body understood that a revision
of the laws was necessary in order
that the government should have the
means to meet the enlarged scale of
expenditure, rendered necessary by the
legislation of the Fifty-frst congress.
Some remarks submitted by Senator
German near the close of the recent
session of congress, with reference to
the present deficiency of revenue, have
publicans. This speech of Senator Cor
CT
has only recently appeared in the sup
plement to the Congressional Record.
An examination of the full text of the
speech shows that it contains a good
deal of matter which republican news
papers do not care to quote. AS they
have made Senator German their own
witness by introducing what he had to
say about the present administration,
we will undertake to give some of the
results of cross-examination.
In one of the tables submitted by
Senator German he shows that On the
3Oth of June, 1890, during the admin
istration of Mr.. Harrison, there was a
cash balance, excluding the gold re-
serve and available cash for current ex-
penses, of nearly $50, OOO,OoO This was
while the Mckinley bill was under con-
sideration, but before it's passage.
From that date to the close of last
year the expenditures exceeded the re-
ceipts and available cash by $56,,s16,-
1883.
Later on, abiding to the excess of ex-
penditures, Mr.. German said:
Mr.. President that was the case before the
present administration came into power.
During the last administration the very lues-
ton was presented here, and stated the views
than 7 do nnu hat 1aIg RI
that date had failed to produce a sufficient
amount of money by $50 100000 It was nearer
$3.50 900, 600 When the present admins tration
came into power they were interfered with by
the commercial conditions that no legislation
of congress responsible for. They have
been intensified in the last two years The
revenues have fallen off and the expenditures
have increased year by year."
Mr.. German then proceeded to give
figures showing that the revenues for
the two fiscal years from July 1, 1890,
to June 80, 1892, amounted to STAT, $780,
231.55, and the expenditures for the
same period to $792, 377, 527.2s, showing
a deficiency of $44, S27, 295.73. Ali of
this period was under the Harrison adj
ministration, and all but three months
of it under the Mckinley bill. For the
fiscal year 1898 the figures of Senator
German show an excess of eXpendi-
lures over receipts of between four and
five millions. The fiscal year 1898 was
mostly under the administration of
Mr.. Harrison and wholly under the
Mckinley bill. Thus in these three
years the deficiency of revenue, as
compared with expenditures, amounted
to nearly fifty million dollars
The fiscal year 1894 was wholly under
the Mckinley bill, and showed a de-
ficiency of SO, 600, 900 in revenues as
compared with expenditures. The last
six months of 1894, forming part of the
present fiscal year, showed deficiency
of some S27, OOO, cOO. Two-thirds of this
period was under the new tariff, and
one-third under the Mckinley bill
Of the total deficiency of $146, 500, 224. O5,
between July 1, 1890, and January 1,
1895, only 1000, 900 occurred in the
last six months of 1894, and only two
thirds of this time was under the new
tariff bill. Thus, of the deficiency up
to January 1, 1895, the Mckinley bill
produced $3.50, 900, 900.
In view of these statements, what
amount of wisdom is there in the
current proposition to reenact the Nc
Kin1ey bill in order to produce sufh-
cient revenue? = Louisville Courier
Journal.
Hon. Thomas B. Reed evidently
hadn't read the late reports of the
treasury when he wrote his last trib-
ute' to the Fifty-third congress. He
assumes that there is an immense treas
i L