The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-29
GOOD REASONS WHY THERE is
SUCH DEFICITS IN THE
TREAssURf.
RAIDS OF THE .sPoILsMEN
HAVE RESULTED IN INCREASING
APpRoPRIATIoNs TO ApALL-
ING FfGtREs.
BIG SALARIES FOR sINECURI
All the Result of Partisan Legisla-
ton In the House of Repre-
sentatiyes.
Snecial to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-Benjamin
Harrison wrote very interesting book
about This Country of Ours" but he
did not tell the whole truth. He ought
to have stated the fact that we have
had but few presidents and legislators
honest enough to be courageous, or
courageous enough to be honest.
Benjamin Harrison has had his ca
reer, and he could have lost nothing by
telling the full truth. On the contrary,
if the full truth were told by such a
man; by one who has been prominent
in both he legislative and executive
branch Of the government; it would
have had great weight with the peo-
pie.
The full truth about "This Country
of Ours" Is that the people have almost
no voice in their own government; al
though they think that they are run
ming it. Moreover, inasmuch as the
government is in the hands Of the rich
and the great, in the pomp and the
pride Of their worldly estate, the peo-
pie are being robbed right and left,
and before their very eyes.
1t was neither the Wilson bill, the
Mckinley bill, nor the Dingley bill.
that brought about conditions which
hove made the common people suffer.
True, all national legislation has it's
effect upon business; but there Is much
back of that.
Do you know of any business man
in any city who would pay a salary Of
$1,000 per annum toa bookkeeper when
he could get a man perfectly capable
to perform the work for $500 per an
mum?
Is there a business man in any viii
lage who would pay an annual salary
of $4,000 for the services Of man who
would be willing to work for $4,000,
and do the work just as we'll? Can you
imagine that such an absurdity could
exist?
Well, that is what this government
of ours Is doing all the time. The peo-
pie are being taxed and, therefore,
robbed by reason of the fact that many
Of their public servants are paid more
than double what would be necessary
ton of federal affairs.
Senators and representatives pass
appropriation bills, and presidents sign
those bills, for the disbursement of
hundreds of millions of dollars an
nually; because the alleged statesmen
and the chief executives are not hon.
est enough to be courageous, or not
courageous enough to be honest.
For example, there are 10000 postof-
fees in the money order and presi-
Dental classes. The salaries of those
offices run from $500, per annum to
$4,000; and they are sought after Wig
orously by men who could not earn
SO much money in their usual aYoca-
lions.
Men who are not dabbling in politics,
but who are attending to their own
business, and prospecting, are not, Of
flee seekers. They are doing we'll
enough.
There are very few men who seek
the higher offices, for the honor Of hav-
ing and holding prominent positions;
but the bulk of the office seekers are
men who want office because there is
more money in it for them than in
their natural avocations.
1t is demonstrate that the 10000
postoffices Of this money order and
presidential classes pay an average of
$1,000 each. 1t is also demonstrate
that, as an average, those postoffices
could be administered for half that
amount of money. If you give away,
simply as a gracious gift, $500 per an
mum to 10000 political workers, you
are giving away a total of So 900, 900
every year on the postoff1ces alone.
During the past ten Years the peo-
pie have been taxed to pay out $1,000
900 unnecessarily for salaries of post
masters. And yet the people wonder
why the government is poor, and has
been obliged to issue bonds and go into
debt, in order to- pay it's running ex-
penses.
But that is not all; it is only sam
pie. There are assistant postmasters,
superintendent, chiefs of divisions and
heads of bureaus, who receive double
the amount of money for which their
services, or the services of men as good,
could be obtained.
Take one isolated case. There is a
man today working for 5000 per annum
in one of the departments at Washing
ton, who is glad to hold his position at
that salary, because he could not earn
that much outside of the government
service And yet he drew $4,000 per
annum as chief of division. during
the Cleveland administration; because
he had political influence enough to Sc
cure him the fat place. He has been
reduced to 5000 clerkship, and is very
glad that he was not thrown out on
the world to earn a living. 1t is need
less to humiliate him by mentioning his
name. There are others; very many
others.
The Farmers Alliance folks, the Pop
ulists, and the howlers for all sorts of
financial reforms, are wasting their
ammunition and are deluding them
selves as we'll as the people.
All national political platforms con-
tain fervid declarations, about Z" gov
eminent economically administered"
but they are merely catch phrases to
deceive the people. They mean moth
ing. absolutely nothing, to the political
leaders. -
This is a mere statement Of facts,
without explanation of the causes Of
the profligacy which has grown with
the passing years until lit is simply ap-
palling The secret cause of the waste
of hundreds of millions, has been hid
den away for none than twelve years
in the oblivion ofupolitital history The
open and palpabfet cause of this high
way robbery of. the people may be
found in the Organization and rules of
the national house sof representatives
AT the first regular session OF the
! e FJ.E