The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1897-12-24
THE APPROPRIATIONS.

Here comes the assertion in sew
eral journals that Secretary Gage
himself estimates there will be def
cit of 50 100000 in the next fiscal
year under the present revenue law.
Is it strange if many newspapers are
lamenting their loss of influence with
the people, even when they try to
use it in good cause, SO long as they
resort to such untruths in order to
support any claim they make? The
secretary made no statement war;
ranting such an assertion. What he
did was to contrast his estimate of
the probable revenue for the next
fiscal year with the amounts asked by
the various departments, showing
that if ALI the money asked should be
appropriated by congress, and spent
during the fiscal year, there would
result deficit of $21 ,647, 1886. This
formal statement, made BY successive
secretaries in their annual reports, is
never supposed to be an estimate by
them that congress will appropriate
all the sums asked, although it does
at times exceed the estimate.
The fact remains, says the Tribune.
that the responsibility for the future,
both as to suficiency of the revenue
and as to possibility of strengthening
the monetary system, rests just where
President Mckinley placed it when
he urged in his message great prud
ence in appropriations. 1t is obvi-
Gus that congress has power to ap
propriate more money than its reve-
nue. laws raise, and equally obvious
that deficit, so long as it exists,
involves more or less risk of dlstrust
regarding the monetary future. In
plain words Secretary Gage has
shown congress that it is asked shy
the several executive departments
and Offices to appropriate $21, ,60O,-
600 more money than its revenue
law will probably yield next year,
although that law will probably
yield next year, although that law
Will yield, in his opinion, 81 3, 100000
more than the government requires
for its expenditures this current
year, and $34,4OO,OOO more than it
actually expended in the last fiscal
year. Thus the whole question
comes to be one of appropriations
is the great increase asked, largely
exceeding the probable revenue,
necessary for the proper support of
the government?
This is the one question which the
representative of the people in con-
gress must decide in the light of their
knowledge of the needs and the will
of the voters. 1t is their especial
and great responsibility at this time.
They know that they can defeat
themselves and their party, as both
parties have more than once been de-
feated, by appropriations which the
people hold excessive in view of the
existing conditions. 1t is PLAIN to
them that the country greatly needs
such assured excess of revenue over
expenses as will strengthen the pub
lie credit and the currency and make
practicable reforms to that end. If
they care rather for the satisfaction
of interested people in this or that
Improvement or building or exten-
sion of the public service, they have
TO answer to constituents who are not
slow to remember that heavy appro-
priations without an ample surplus
involve grave risks.
The appropriations asked this year
are substantially the same as the
amounts voted last year in most
branches of the service, and the
great difference is found in compare.
tIvely few items. Under tie war de.
artment, including river and harho,