The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-19

II Is d crime, Say tue lax caters III
congress passionately, not to furnish
the government with necessary rev.
enue. So it is. A body of representa-
tives of the people who should with
hold from the government in it's sew
eral departments the money necessary
to the conduct of the business of the
people ought to be treated with utter
contumely. But we are obliged to ask
the gentlemen in congress and out Of
it, who declaim against the German
bill because it does not furnish revenue
enough. what is their definition of
necessary revenue? Is it necessary
that a man shall have all the money
that he can spend? Is he reduced to
starvation if his resources be cut down
to a modest, but comfortable living?
And so with the government. What
else do these gentlemen mean than
that the present tariff act does not
bring in money enough to support
prodigal extravaganza in every direc-
ton, in every department, in every
bureau, in every place where an open
: ing can be made for such expenditure
as has characterized the conduct of fed
eral affairs for years past, but more
particularly since McKinley's congress
set the pace Ia 1890? Must the people
of this country go on paying taxes for
ever and increasing them, in order
that successive congresses may fight
with one another in scattering the peo-
pies money to the four winds?
The G o b will not be suspected of
declaring the German act to be an ideal
tariff measure, but the charge that it
does not produce sufficient revenue
and that it is a deficit breeder rests on
the assumption that no such thing as
economy in the conduct of govern
ment exists, and that our expenses are
not subjects for criticism, but only our
revenue. The receipts of the govern
ment for the year 1886 from all sources
were over $3.50, ,O00, ,O00 The total dis
bursements were a little over $433, ,00O,-
600. This is a deficit, sure enough
but why? If we go back along the
years We find that this scale of inordi-
nate expenditure was reached only in
the year 1891, following the Mckinley
congress with its bills to reduce reve-
nue. and increase expense, and. in a
general way, to carry out Corporal
Tanners policy Of God help the sur
plus" It was in that year that the
$400,0O0000 mark was passed If we
go back but one year previous. we
find that the total expenditures of the
government for 1890 were 1855, SIS, ,5S5,
and for the year previous We're $685., asa, >
6S9 This was the very liberal scale Of
living to which the United States had
accustomed itself prior to MeKinleyism
Take the revenue of the present. I'm
der this very German act which the
republicans unite in declaring made
Quate to the treasury's needs, it will
appear that, if our expenditures We're
modelled upon the ample limit of but six
years ago, the German act would sup
ply US with a surplus every ynar. rarg-
ing from s25, 900, 900 to $50, ,O00, GOO. We cal
this all the revenue that is ecessary'
to the government under any prcpel
theory.
Yet no man in congress dreams o1
raising a voice against the carnival
of extravaganza that prevails. Condi-
tions in this country have changed
mitch and are changing still. The mar
gin of profit is smaller 1t is neces-
sary for the people to accommodate
themselves to more limited resources
and to effect closer economies. Every
individual and most municipalities
have felt the necessity of this during
the last five years. The federal gov.
ernment alone has made no changes
but has gone on spending money, moi
only at a rate commensurate with the
income Of the old boom times, but ac-
carding to scale set by the congress
whose sole purpose it was to make ar
e''d Of The surplus. and to create such 6
Ne:lcit as would serve to bolster ur
tie demand for ever more. and moro
tariff taxation That is why we have &
deficit The revenue pouring into the
federal treasury today exceeds i'm.
menseiy in amount all that this coun:
try ought to be spending for the con,
duct Of It's busfAess. The cry for "nec