Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-10
THE SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
rIs pueuo DEBT STATEMENT.

The official statement oil 1euerdl reNe-
nues and expenses for the month of
August is not encouraging, especially In
that it shows that the latter largely out
run the former. During the first two
of the present fiscal year the to-
tai revenues were SIS, 1OS.7l9 and the eX-
penditures SS3 ,GSS. $50. Compared with
the corresponding two months of 1896, the
revenues show decrease of about So, 6OO.-
600 and the expenditures an increase OF
nearly SG,000,000. The internal revenue
receipts of July and August of this year
varied in amount very little, though for
the worse, compared with those of the
same months of last year. The material
difference is to be found in the decrease
of receipts from the custom houses;
these were in August, 1896, under the
Wilson tariff, ST., 1929, 425 in 1897, under
the Dingley act, they were only SG,9e1,-
702. This falling of of the revenue from
duties was undoubtedly due to the enor-
nous importations which Immediately
preceded the passage of the new tariff
bill, and, owing to the magnitude OF
those anticipatory importatons under
lower duties or no duties. it is probable
that it will be several months before the
actual revenue producing capacity of the
Dingley tariff can be accurately ascertain
ed. Meanwhile the expenditures of the
government, the consequence to a high
degree of the extravaganza of congress,
will largely exceed the revenues. In
August, 1875, the deficit of receipts was
50. G3j ,4S0; in 1896 it was $40. l39 $50; in
1897 it amounted to Sl4.35l ,795.
In the list of expenditures of July AMI
August Of the present year the largest
single item IS for pensions. the amount
paid aggregatlng S2S,75O,755. In the
corresponding months of 1896 the eXpen-
ditures for pensions were $50, 497, JIG,
This shows an increase for the two
months Of 1897 of more than $1,000 600
over 1896. and in the thirty-third year
after the close of the war of the rebel
lion. The total pension expenditures for
August of the present year were near
ly twice the new tariff, and more than
two-thlrds of the total revenues of the
government for the same month, the lat
ter being $40, O23. Gl5 and the former Sl3,-
3ol 900.
These figures suggest that not only
should congress most carefully weigh
the merits Of any proposed legislation
providing for an increase of the pension
fund. but that it should authoriza an eX-
hau-tive review of the present list of
pensioners, to the end that it may be
clearly ascertained whether or not there
are upon it the names of any considera-
bic number of persons not fairly entitled
because of patriotic service rendered to
have their names upon it, EX Secretary
Morton. in a timely and suggestive con-
tributiOn The Forum entitled "Retrench-
ment or Ruin" speaking with reference
to the pension list, says: ''Why should
the decade from 1850 to 1890 show more
than seven hundred millions paid for pen
sions when that from 1870 to 1850 show
less than four hundred millions: :
No good citizen objects to pensions for
those real soldiers who incurred genuine
disabilities in the service or consequent
upon the service. But the thousands of
men who draw pensions from the gov
eminent of the United States because by
sworn testimony they have proved them
selves victims Of chronic disease, and at
the same time have policies in life insur-
ance companies to which they have
solemnlv declared themselves free from
ali chronic maladies aggregate stupen-
dOuS sWindle upon citizens who pay
taxes or upon those who carry life in
surauce. Why should not investigation
be made and such cases eliminated from
the pension rolls? How can any man,
without periuring himself, have pen-
sion lecauSe ne h4s chronic disorder
and life insurance policy because he
has not such an afllictiou:"
This is grave charge clearly made,
and runs on all tours with the no less
serious one that there are many pen
siOners who are drawing total disability
pensions while they are enjoying com
Portable incomes from the laborious pur-
suits in which they are actively engaged.
Every honorable, meritorious, worthy
soldier must desire that there should be
no.names on the pension list which are
not rightly there, and every such veteran
is himself most nearly concerned that the
pension roll shall be really a roll of
honor. The worthy pensioners should
be the first to ask congress to investigate
the list and to remove from it every
name which has not been fairly and just
ly placed upon it-Philadelphia Ledger.
LOWS CANDIDACY.
Seth Low has been nominated for may
or of Greater New York by the Citizens
union, an organization plying at pol
~.