The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-08
AN EXTRAVAGANT CONGRESS-
Representative Dockery's Statement
Of the Facts.

The last Congress easily surpassed all
its predecessors in lavish appropriations
made or attempted
| This charge is contained In statement
| prepared by Representative Dockery OF
Missouri, of the minority of the House APP
| propri ations Committee, for publication
in the Congressional Record.
ut was thought Mr.. Dockery states.
that the Fifty-first Congress, commonly
known as the Billion dollar Congress, had
! touched the limit OF extrayagant appropri-
| ations. That Congress appropriated 81 >
| O35,6So, 1924. The total appropriations
| OF this Congress, however, including per
Inanent and indefiniye appropriations, ag-
| gregate $1,046, 437 ,0lS. So, being $10,-
| 756, sos. 90 in exness; of the improvident APP
| preparations of the Fifty-first Congress,
which was the last Republican Congress.
The total appropriations made at this SEES
sion, including the permanent appropria-
tons, as sent to the President, also the
general deficiency bill, so far as it was
| agreed upon by tRestwo houses, amount TO
| $500, SCI 1923. 90
1T is proper 20 Say that / include in
this statement OF appropriations the sun
priation hills, which failed to receive the
approval or President Cleveland. / also
include an estimated, amount on account
OF the general deficiency bill, which did not
reach the President. In estimating its
totaFf add to the amount OF the bill, as it
passed the House, the items added by the
Senate, which were agreed to blythe House
on conference report, and exclude all
disputed items, making total Tor the
general deficiency bill OF SIS, ASS, 365.S2
The last Congress tFifty-thirdl apprO-
pTiated 1898, 239 ,2u569. An analysis OF
the appropriate made by this Congress
discioses an increase of Liabilities along
almost the whole line of Federal appro-
priations over appropriations made by
that Congress, which was Democratic in
both houses
The liabilities have been notably aug
mented on account OF Notifications, the
new navy, the postal service, and river
and harbor improvements.
rThe bills of this Congress, which show
increases as compared with the Fifty
third Congress, are as follows:
For expenses cf the foreign service
$3.50, 400; District OF Columbia expenses,
S796, 1872, for construction of fortifiea
tions, and ornaments thereof, S12, $685.
467 90; Legislative, executive and judicial
expenses, Sl2, 790.24; support Of the Mill
tary Academy, SOS. Sol. 10; maintenance OF
the navy, SS,947 ,523.2i; postoffice ex-
penses, 81 1,454, 3o5 90; regular river and
harbor bills, including indefinite amount
estimated ut SO, 900 900 for the Mononga-
hela River, $4.O16, $40: sundry civil ex-
penses, including river and haTbor works
under contract, So, 800, s25.S2: deficiency
appropriations, S4,0TS, 1878 mseellan-
eous expenditures, sac, 1855 II, and per
manent annual appropriations, S24,9S3,-
743.6S.
'Deducting from the aggregate of these
increases the reductions made under the
other bills, including Sf0,370, ESQ for pen
sions, she net increase by this Congress over
appropriateness made by the Fifty-thifd
Congress amounts to S57, 197, s12.s4.
in the presence of this exhibit it seems
hardly necessary to indulge in comment or
criticism. Tue Fifty-first Congress was re
buked by the country for its riotous waste
OF public money. The condition OF the
Treasury and of business then was very
much more favorable than IL is now. At
that time the annual current surplus in the
OF dollars, while there was fair degree
Of prosperity hi all the avenues of trade
and commerce.
AT this time the current income OF the
National TFeasgEyssss coafessefA yesinssse-
quate to meet current maturing liahlli-
ties The excess Of Expenditures over re-
ceipts for eighWnoYuhs OF this fiscal year
was $4s, 1o7, lie as, the current de-
ficiency during the last three years and
eightmonths having ueeh S1s5, 919, 446. IA.
THE Republican party cannot escape
the condemnatfbtf o. the country for UNI
just and mwagrented appropriations in a
time of profound c6inmercial depression.
When this congress Convened at its first
session, labor was discontinued because OF
inadequate compensation; mining indus
tries were at ,staAdstill; manufactures
were closed or running upon limited time
while agriculture. an avocation in which
one half our Reople- are engaged, was
utterly PROSTATE.
Upon the reasseTnbling of this Congress
at its second session, in December last,
these adverse business conditions were ag-
gravated and intensified. The condition of
the public Treasury was also still more
unsatisfactory, the Secretary of the Treas
ury estimating a deficiency of S45,71S,-
1910. so for the ensuing fiscal year Every
consideration of patriotism, equity and
fair dealing to all the people demanded a
policy of rigid economy. Some of the Re-
publican leaders, as have stated on former
occasions, attempted to enforce such
policy.
Congress however, has reckIessly diTe
gar,led the obvious requirements of the ma
tional Treasury, and instead of making an
honest effort to close the ever-increasing
chasm between receipts and expenditures.
has still further widened IL by appropria-
tons which. in their aggregate. are with
out precedent in all our history. Indi- |
viduai or corporate enterprises, if con-
fronted with like conditions, would have re-
duced expenditures wherever possible. The |
dictates of sound business Judgment COM
manded the Republican party to pursue the |
same policy in respect TO national expendi-
lures 1t has not done so. On the con-
trary, the Republican party has wasted the |
substance of the people and squandered |
their revenues in prodigal appropriations.
$50 much for the fiscal record of the |
Republican party in this Congress. The |
of that party III respect to |
public expenditures, the proposed increase |
of tariff taxation, and its certain failure |
wisely to reform our monetary system, |
will, / venture to predict, vacate many |
seats in Congress at the next Congressional |
elections and restore the Democratic party |
to mower in both House and Senate.
''As have stated, the appropriations as |
made by this Congress are enormously in |
excess of the revenues of the government, |
and, in my Judgment, far beyond the ne |