The Van Buren press., 1896-05-02
REETs HOsoHfi
Secret u MsEimlsyss Bssm-lhe Tari1
Ear@Rs Want Nan = the : AE1e
Esass ThsJ Cam Gsnfrsl.

- Af2gA1 Eal i-ia-a taaffes alA-TszAlr
W&sz-N71oN. April g --Eotw1sE
st&1aszg sAs etsorts q SPEAKER Esea =
establish a reputation ter ee0zazT se<
this CongTsss Il il hoH TerT probable
that the seeoz1 Reed Congress III
sxceec the first f. the &nzg1zt = u
zDpropriztiozs Z fze1. sozae g TIE
best informed sEzzc5ers + CozVssz
are row fnelszed 70 think tkzt the
record o. o. TIE Fifty fourth Congress
win Be billion and = hzIf e the
peoples money voted awzy. iazsezd e
the billiOn which TIE first Eeed Ger
gress eost the eozntry.
No one ever ssri01zly beiiexsd f1zx
Speaker Reed azd beeor1e eorTs-tsf -
the principle II econszy Il pzblzc
expenditnrs. AL that wzs believed C
hiza wac that he wzs wiling &c yielz .
the prejudice Of the people. VITO fzFox
economy, BY keeping close gT@@p G
the TrezSury looserz Of the Hezse Ct
Representatives Reed Answer 70 the
allegations that the Fifty first Congress-
was billion dollar Congress wz< that
this Ia billion dollar eo1nsry.
He is satiehed. however. that TIE
people are opposed &c sxtrsvzganees
and consequently when &c became a
candidate for The Presidency be Laid hi1
plans 20 keep the body over which he
ruled within reasonable bounds. ard
establish q character for economy for
purely political purposes The trick
was adopted Of making appropriations
for eight month instead Ct twelve. II
order that the cold official figures q The
fun amounts could not Be quoted dHring
the campaign. Bat even with his eight
months appropriations the bills Ct the
present session Of Congress viii amount
10 800 900 900. No one doubts that
this enormous gum will fall short Of the
appropriations Of the second session q
his Congress when the fears Ct 3
Presidential election will not De staring
the Republican majority In the face.
Reed recognizes the unpoprlarity CT
extrayagant appropriations, but says
that IT IA foolish prejudice ofthe people.
II is safe 10 cay that be would not
humor any such prejudice II be were
not a candidate for bis party's
nomination for President.
The people Of Maine never called
Reed % account Tor eztraTaga1ee. but
in appealing 10 the people Of the whole
country he finds II necessary 70 conform
somewhat TO the popular idea regarding
the expenditure Of public moneys. As
a Presidential candidate be instructed
his party friends On the appropriation
10 scale everything down.
10 hide a. much AZ possible, % contract
for public works for good length Of
time. making only ANAL appropriation
for the first year, OF for the preliminary
work, and In that way 70 make a. good
a showing az possible for the Congress
during the aiislleffstial campaign, when
the people habitually scrutinize the
bills.
But In spite Of all Reeds efforts, In
spite Of all that has been concealed, in
spite Of the sharp practices Of the appro
priation committees, the moneys appro
priated during this session Of Congress,
when the record Ia completed, viii
exceed the half billion mark by si00.
700 900. Having this ar an estimate
and anticipating the yoracity Of the
when Congress reconvenes
next winter, 1t II entirely proper to
assume that the appropriations of this
Congress will eventually amount 70 a
billion and half dollars