The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-10
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE.


FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE.
In letters of exceptional insight and
value from our special correspond
ent at Washington, published in the
G i o e yesterday morning and this
morning, we have comprehensive
summary Of the extravaganza Of con.
gress, of the growth of federal eXpendi-
ture and Of the enormous increase in
the burdens laid upon the people. The
great machine has been set in motion
and was keyed up by the Mckinley
congress of 1890-whose Watchword, in
the language of Mr.. Croker's friend,
was "To hell with the surplus'-to a
rate of speed which cannot be easily
moderated. The country is living far
beyond it's income, and, as far as pos
sible, any reduction or economy has
been made impossible for years to come.
The analysis of necessary expendi-
lures presented in the particularly lucid
and convincing letter Of our correspond
ent this morning is of interest to every
voter and taxpayer. How, with this
outlook, are expenses to be cut down?
How can we effect such economies as
to put a check upon accelerating ex-
pense? Interest charges must be paid.
The army and navy must be maintain
ed, and their demands are growing.
Although the administration is at last
awake to the abuses of the pension law,
which its party has fostered and almost
compelled, it sees ahead a probable rise
of the pension appropriation to $1G0,OOO,-
000. 1t has tied it's own hands and illus
trated, practically, the force of the old
adage that HE who will not when he
may, shall not when he would"
Take the river and harbor BILL for in
stance, which was passed at the last
session of congress. Although the pres
sure for such an appropriation this
year is great, suppose it were to be re-
sisted successfully. 1t would advan-
tage the country little. It's faith and
funds have been pledged far into the
future by the congressional profligacy
which the presidential veto of Mr..
Cleveland and public sentiment COM
bined were powerless to check. It will
be remembered that, during the admin
istration of President Arthur river
and harbor bill was passed by a con-
gress in political sympathy with him,
carrying a total appropriation of about
$1S,000,000. So great was the public out
cry, and so strong was Mr. Arthur's
own feeling that this was an outrage
upon the taxpayer, that he vetoed it
without hesitation. That was supposed
to be the limit Of spendthrift mad
ness. Yet, if we were to pass no river
and harbor bill at all for years to come,
the annual expenditure for that pur-
pose, as our correspondent shows, by
continuing appropriations under con-
tracts already entered into, would be
$20,000,000, or more than the rosiest Wis
ion Of the jobber and the lobbyist con-
jured up fifteen years ago.
The system of distributing the ap-
preparation bills among different COM
mittees, so that there is no common
budget, but each body is interested, by
a sort Of dishonorable emulation, in
getting the most money that it can,
contributes to swell the total. Our cor
respondent shows that. for the ten
years from 1877 to 1887, the total regular
appropriation amounted to $2,019, 747, 900,
and for the following ten years to
So, 427, S78, 900. Thus, in the last decade,
cur expenses per annum were $4,000
600 in excess of those of the decade
just preceding. Make any allowance
that you will for natural increase in
the cost of government with the growth
in population, and it scarcely affects this
vast total. No one will say that, be-
tween 1877 and 1887 the country suf-
fered because of insufficient appropria-
tons. Set everything on most munifi-
cent scale, suppose us to be not merely
liberal but lavish, and this comparison
shows that our annual appropriations
today could be and should be cut down
$100,000000 per annum at the lowest fig
IRE. This should be made the war cry
Of political party, and when it has
been done that party will win.