The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-27
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES NOW
AND FORMERLY.

During the discussion of the legisla-
tive and executive appropriation bill on
Tuesday Senator Allen, of Nebraska, at
tackled it on the ground of extravaganza.
under Buchanan" he said, 1.-The gov
eminent cost $50, 900. 900 annually, and
now 1t costs $500, 900, O00." In that time
he declared the population had doubled,
but the government expenditures had
increased tenfold. Economy in public
expenditures is always a duty, and there
is need of eternal vigilance to prevent
extravaganza, but there is reason in all
things, and nothing is TO be gained by
false or extravagant assertions. Sena-
tor Aliens statement was demagogic
in spirit and untrue in fact. In he
first place, there is no fair basis Of COM
parison in the government expenses In
Buchanan's time and the present. The
United States government Of to-day Is
a vastly different organization from that
of 1S56-60. All the old departments Of
the government have greatly expanded
since then. and many new ones. includ-
ing some Of the most important and
valuable, have come into existence. AT
that time there was no railway mail
service, no letter carriers, no ~life-saving
service. no internal revenue service, no
Pension Bureau. no Agricultural De-
partment. no Currency Bureau, no sig
nal service. no Weather Bureau, no
Bureau of Statistics, no Commissioner
Of Education. no Civil-service Commits
sion, no Interstate-commerce Commits
sion, no Labor Bureau, no Fish Com
mission. no Bureau of Engraving and
~Printing-and this list might be con-
siderably extended. These various de-
partments and bureaus employ many
thousands Of persons and are as neces-
sary to enlightened and progressive
government as any part of it's ma
chinery. The American people would no
more dispense with them than they.
would go back to the days of mud roads,
OK carts and wooden plows.
Aside from the absurdity of compar-
ing the United States government Of to-
day with that of Buchanan's time, SEN
ator Aliens statements of fact were
and misleading. He said:
Under Buchanan the government cost
$780, 600. 900 a year, and now it costs $780,
900, 0O0." As a matter of fact, the lowest
government expenditures in any year of
Buchanan's administration were $50, 000,-
600 and the highest $72. 900, 900. Last
year the total ordinary expenditures of
the government were 1856, 1875. 900. in
stead of $500. 600. 900. as Senator Allen
said. And this expenditure included
pensions, which were $141.0 00,0 900 last
year. against s $4,000 0 in Buchanan's
time,. and interest on the public debt,
which was $50, 97S, 900 last year against
81, 593, 900 in Buchanan's time. The two
Items of pensions and interest on the
public debt, amounting together to s172,-
373, 600, are really extraordinary expendi-
lures caused by the war. Deducting
these, the total ordinary expenditures
of the government last year were
s1S3, S23, 29S. This is less than three
times the average annual expendi-
lures during the four years of Bu-
chanan's administration instead Of ten
times, as Senator Allen asserted. Con-
sidering the growth of the country and
the expansion of the government in all
directions. this is not extravagant, and
compares very favorably with the ante
war period. 1t should be remarked. by
the way, hat in three of the four years
of Buchanan's administration the ex-
penditures of the government largely ex-
ceeded its revenues a condition that
did not exist again until during the
present administration. No doubt there
is room for retrenchment and economy
in government expenditures. but such
sweeping statements as those of Sena-
tor Allen do no good.