Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-10


in CUBA well knows that the mother
country has broken her promises to
the insurgents and treated them with
the grossest treachery. The fact is
Spain has never undertaken the re
forms she promised the insurgents If
they would lay Down their arms which
they bore so calamity throughout the
ten years war. But no such excuse,
fiimsy though it be, can be found for
bill and the deficit. Then as If to add
insult to injury he goes Oh to prate
about a surplus A veritable night
mare to his economical soul it would
seem is this surplus" produced by the
sale of government bonds. He is so
profoundly impressed with the nee1 of
economy and cutting down appropria-
tons that he would have the deficit
measure continue in operation and
the government continue to pay it's
legitimate expenses out of the fund
resulting from the sale of bonds, some
of them on disadvantageous terms.
rather than have a tariff that would
provide adequate revenue for carrying
on the government. paying its bills
when such are due and leaving lit
tie toward paying off the national
debt
There has been a disposition of late
to laud the President for an intlc:;-
but how has he met this Of 4 deficit,
a breeder of trouble ever since it came
to those who would force the country
onto a silver basis? He declares that
this deficit, existence of which he de-
MED a year ago, is nowise alarming.
This is the kind of high authority he
affords the silver senators, who have
already shown a disposition to flock
by themselves. for filibustering to
defeat revenue legislation and thereby
to embarrass the Republican admins
tration.
Furthermore the President has this
to say, which from the mouth of
private citizen would probably be
termed rot" as it deserves to be:
THE government thus applying a
IN ~, ofxlx tn
the payment of expenses not met by
its current revenues. is not at all to he
lkened to man living beyond his in
come and thus mourning debt or en-
on his princi al
Not living beyond income when the
government has To borrow money to
pay its current expenses? What in
the name of the colossal ego is It.
pray? Why is il that he makes no
of the increasing deficit of the
last five months? He could have got
the information from the monthly
debt statements. which show that
since the first of July the deficit has
to $40.500.0 900 and that for
it was nearly eight and
quarter millions? But this would not
bear out his prediction that the Will
son law is to produce sufficient rev.
enue. By no means. So We needn't
lock any further for a reason why he
didn't mention these facts which are
so pertinent and threaten a deficit for
the resent fiscal year of nearly 500
900, eco.
How long does Grover Cleveland ex-
pect his wonderful surplus" to last
under such conditions? Long enough
ing from the tone of his message that
is all he cares about it. His serene
of his handWork does
not appear to have been disturbed in
the slightest by the fact that Harri-
son paid $3.50, OIL $50 of the public debt
and that he himself has borrowed
1878, 4S1. 632, with which to meet the de-
felt that the chairman of the commit
tee on appropriations now says amounts
to $17S,S46. When the government shall
have settled the Indebtedness incurred
under the Cleveland administration it
will have paid 1907 ,093,SS and yet
President Cleveland's chief anxiety for
the future is not this debt, not the
conditions which brought it about, not
the weapon this deficit may be in the
hands of the silver men, but the sur
plus" left from such of the proceeds
from the sale of his bonds, as happen
to be unexpended!
Resignation Of Superintendent Rowell.
All in anyway acquainted with Super
intendent RoWell'S successful manage