Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-03-18
THE MESSAGE.
President Mckinley Sends Commu-
nication to Congress.
THE GOVERNMENT REVENUE.
It Is Less Than the Current Expendi-
ture-The Revenues and Expenses OF
Certain Years Compared-Congress
Asked to Correct the Conditions.

WASHINGTON, March 15.-The preSi-
dent to-day sent the following message
to congress:
To the Congress of the United States:
Regretting the necessity which has required
me to call you together, feel that your assem-
bling in extraordinary session is indispensable
because or the condition in which we ma the
revenues of the government 1t is conceded
that Its current expenditures are greater than
its receipts and that such a condition has ex-
listed for now more three years
With unlimited means at our command we
are presenting the remarkable spectacle OF in
creaSing public debt by borrowing money
to meet the ordinary OUTLAWS incident upon even
an economical and prudent administration OF
the government An examination OF the sub
ject discloses this fact in every detail and leads
inevitably to the conclusion that the condition
of the revenue which allows it is unjuStiiable
and should be corrected
We find by the reports of the secretary of the
treasury that the revenues for the fiscal year
ended June so, 1892, from all sources were $685.
SoS- y and expenditures for all sources were
S415 953 S06 56, leaving OF receipts over
expenditures of So, 914 1886. During that fiscal
year $40 SO, 467 9S were paid on the public debt
which had been reduced since March 1, 1889
$3.50 076. 800. and the annual interest charge de-
creased S11 ,6S4, 576. 90.
The receipts of the government from all
sources during the fiscal year ending June So
1893 amounted to 1851 716. "a and its expendi-
lures to S459 374 S87 IS, showing an excess of
ceipts over expenditures of 8. 81. La Since
that time the receipts of no fiscal year, and
with but few exceptions of no month Of any
fiscal year, have exceeded the expenditures
The receipts of the government from all
sources during the fiscal year ended June 3d.
1894 were 1872. S02, % and its expenditures
S442 Cos, 1887, leaving deficit, the first since
the resumption of specie payments of $50 sO3,-
2605e. Notwithstanding there was a decrease
OF SIC, 769 12 20 in the ordinary expenses of the
government, as compared with the previous
fiscal year, its income still not sufficient TO
provide for its daily necessities and the gold re-
serve in the treasury for the redemption OF
greenbackS was drawn to meet them. But
this did not suffice, and the government then
sorted to loans to replen1Sh the reserve In Feb
ruary 1894 $50 900 600 in bonds issued and in
November following q second issue of $50 coo. 900
was deemed necessary. The sum of SLY III ,T90
was realized by the sale of these bonds, but the
reserve steadily decreased until Feb
ruary 6, 1885 third sale of S62 315 AGO in bonds
for S65 116, pa was announced to congress The
receipts of the government for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1895, were $500 373, 203 go and
the expenditures 1888. 17s. 426.4s. showing a de-
felt of S42, sos 223.1S.
A further loan of 500 900 600 was negotiated
by the government in February, 1895. the sale
netting Sill. 166, 245 and swelling the aggregate
of bonds issued within three years to $685., 315,-
400.
For the fiscal year ended June go 1896, the
revenues of the government from all sources
amounted to S4O9. AS 40S. 7s while its expendi-
lures were s434, 67s. 654.4S, an excess of ex-
penditureS receipts ST S25, 203, 40. In
OCher words, the total receipts for the three
fiscal years ended June 80, 1896 were insufficient
by S17sS11, 729 46 to meet the total expenditures
Nor has this condition since improved. From
the first half of the present fiscal year, the
ceiptS of the government. exclusive of postal
revenues were s157, SOY 500. 76. and its expendi-
lures exclusive Of postal service S195 210, OO02
or an excess OF expenditures over receipts of
SS7. 9O2. S9646 In January Of this year the re-
ceiptS exclusive Of postal revenues were S24.-
316 994 C5 and the expenditures exclusive of
postal services $50 269, 30 deficit of S.. $751;
IA for the month.
In February OF this year the receipts exclu
sive of postal revenue were S24. 40 1913 and
expenditures exclusive of postal service S2S-
796. 66, deficit OF 81. 3S5 O59. IS: or q total
deficiency of s1sj 031. 5So4f for the three years
and eight months ending March l. 1897 Not
only are We without q surplus in the treasury
but with an increase in the public debt there
has been corresponding increase in the an
nual interest charge from So, S93 SS3 20 in 1892
the lowest OF any year since 1862, to S34, SS7,-
297 60 in 1895, or an increase of 81 1913 4144 40
1t may be urged that even if the revenues of
the government had been sufficient to meet all
its ordinary expenses during the past three
years, the gold reserve would still have been
insufficient to meet the demands on it and that
bonds would necessarily have been issued for
| its repletion- Be this it may. it is clearly
manifest, without denying affirming the cor
rectness OF such a conclusion, that the debt
would have been decreased in at least the
amount of the deficiency, and business conf
dence UNNECESSARILY strengthened Throughout
| the country.
Congress should promptly correct the exist
| ing conditions Ample revenues must be sup
| piled not only for the ordinary expenses of the
government, but for the prompt payment of
| liberal pensions and the liquidation of the
principal and interest of the public debt.
| In raising revenues, duties should be
so levied upon foreign products as
| to preserve the home market, so far as possible
to our own producers; to revive and increase
manufactures; to relieve and encourage agricul-
| ture; to increase domestic and foreign COM
merce; to aid and develop mining and building
and to render to labor in every
field of useful occupation. the liberal wages and
| adequate rewards to which skill and industry
are justly entitled The necessity of the pas
sage OF a tariff law which shall provide ample
| revenue, need not be further urged. The
] imperative demand of the hour is the prompt
enactment of such measure, and to this
| object I earnestly recommend that congress
shall make every endeavor. Before other bus
mess is transacted let first provide sufficient
| revenue to faithfully administer the govern
ment without the contracting Of further debt
! or the continued disturbance of our finances
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion, March Is, 1897.