The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-30
THE PRESENT FAILURE OF Gov
ERNNFNTS.

The report which comes to US of the
financial condition of the state of North
Dakota is interesting chiefly because
it is a type Of the weakness and the
vice of all governments, local and fed
eraI, in this country today. The peo-
pie of North Dakota are taxed as
heavily as their resources will bear
The treasury of the state is loaded
down with the expenses Of a formid-
able list of big public institutions. The
legislature, following the example of
its predecessors, is lavish in it's own ex-
penditures, and employs, as usual, a
long list of useless functionaries at
salaries several times as large as they
could command in any private occupa-
ION. Expenditure is greater than in
come. It is a situation not unfamiliar
to either the business man or the com
munity. When it confronts an individ-
ual he knows exactly what he has to
do. His first duty, if he be an honest
mar and not a swindler, is to reduce
his expenses until their aggregate falls
basis Of honesty and solvency. He
can then proceed to rectffy and add to
his income at his pleasure by whatever
means may offer. This is not the course
that is pursued by any political party.
All have tried their hand at it, and
al have failed equally in meeting a
business situation in a businesslike
way. The North Dakota legislature
seems to have concluded that it has
but two choices; one of which is to
get additional revenue by reopening the
saloons again, and the other is to avoid
a deficit by closing the schools.
1t is thoroughly unfair to blame
North Dakota for this, or to charge it
up as part Of the financial reckless
ness Of the West, when we notice that
the legislature of that frontier state
is only following the example of the
federal congress, at Washington, with
the clamOrOus approval of the entire
Republican party in the nation. The
condition of the federal treasury for
some years past has been worse than
that of the treasury of North Dakota.
Our national expenses are SO far in
excess Of all rational needs that the
only thing necessary to give us a treas
ury surplus is to put reasonable econ
omies into effect. If the appropriations
were to be cut down today to the totals
as they stood for the years prior to that
year of calamity, 1890, which saw Nc
Kinleyism and profigacy join hands to
loot the treasury, we would not need a
dollar more revenue than we have to-
day. Is there the slightest disposition
to adopt this policy? On the contrary.
we find congress insisting upon con-
stantly increasing appropriations, and
offering a willing ear to proposals that
will involve us in heavy additional out
lays. To make up for this no remedy
is open save that of adding to the bur
dens of the consumers. And the policy
of 1890 is to be reinforced at a special
session Of congress, called for the pur-
pose of increasing the cost of the neces-
saries Of life, in the hope, ill-grounded
though we believe it to be- of securing,
by this oppression, enough money to
keep pace with the growing extrava-
gance of the national legislature
There is but one end to this process.
Business houses and banks and rail-
roads have found it in receiverships
and insOlvencies. Sooner or later, I'M
less it reverses it's policy, every gov
eminent will reach the same point.
There is no royal road to prosperity,
any more than to learning Wealth has
never been accumulated by any people
or any individual except by the process
of earning something and spending less.
With very few exceptions, the machin
cry Of all our governments, national,
state and city, is overgrown and enor-
mously expensive. Almost without ex
ception, the proposition to retrench by
cutting down expenditures is either
denied altogether, or answered by
Gripping the schools or the courts or
some other fundamental necessity. The
expenses for political purposes, the
number and salaries Of employees, the
appropriations for big institutions, for
private jobs and enterprises that