St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-08
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
AS the fiscal years roll round, it
becomes more and more apparent
from the comparisons thus made pos
sible that the good people of these
United States made a sorry bar
gain when they discharged the De-
mocracy in 1883, and engaged the
Republicans to manage their ma
tional affairs for four years. The
comparison, too, fully justifies their
wisdom in revoking their decision in
1892 and ordering a new trial, even
if they did lose their heads in the
cyclone Of '93, and make partial
abandonment of their purpose The
study of figures is not the most
absorbingly interesting of mental oc-
equations, but business men know
we'll that they have to give time to
them or go to the wall, and the
voters of this country must also take
time to study the figures of national
income and outgo if they would not
suffer in pocket.
During all of Mr.. Cleveland's first
administration, beginning in 'S5, there
was a Republican senate and Dem
ocratic house. No changes were
made in the revenue laws, the act
of 1888 regulating customs receipts
II h.
Mills and Morrison to reduce these
taxes proved abortive. The Demo-
cratic house held the purse strings,
controlling expenditures, and the
senate refused to decrease taxation
while doing what it could to augment
outgo. In 1888 the Democrats were
turned out body and breaches; the
Republicans had charge of income
and expenditures, and proceeded to
make a four years record, checked
partially by the return of a Demo-
cratic majority in the house in the
election of 1890, and shut off entirely
by the election of 1892.
During the four years of Mr.. Cleve-
lands term, 1858, the average an
nual receipts of the government were
$780,, 699,946, and the expenditures
averaged $3.50, 641, 1853 annually, leav-
ing a net annual surplus of income
over outgo of 1913 ,05S, 1873, or a total
of S372, 1882, 731. This was $6.O1 of in
come and $3.50 of outgo for each
man, woman and child in the coun-
try. During Mr.. Harrisons succeed
ing term the annual receipts aver
aged SAL, 900, $40 and the expenditures
$3SS, 335, 1862, a net average excess of
receipts over expense of $50, $50 ,94S.
This was a per capita of Sc of in
come and S5.74 of spending. That
is, the margin between income and
outgo, that was Sill per capita I'M
der Cleveland, was narrowed under
Harrison to 26 cents. Before the
| momentum of the Harrisonian policy
could be stopped in 1894, this margin
was wiped out, and the expenses ex-
| ceeded income by 500, 1903, 260, or $1O2
| for every person in the country.
Leaving this comparison for our
readers to reflect on, a speculation
| as to what might have been done
| had the voters not changed their
administrations and policies in 1888,
| but continued the Democrats until
the present year, with Republican
senate to prevent a reduction of
taxation and the annual surplus re-
naming the same. The annual aver
age of BOOSTS of surplus would, in
the ten years between 1885 and 1885,
| have made an aggregate fund Of
| 930,5S1, $50. This would pay the
! principal OF the Understanding ma
| tional debt in 1895, and leave a
balance of $216, GOO, 900 for other pur-
| poses. 1t would have redeemed, if
so applied, the legal tenders, $685.
| 100000, and retired the silver GER
tificates issued under the Allison and
Sherman acts, and left p balance of
/! SS.000.000. Thus applied, we would