The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-10
CONGRESS
SEES A GHOST.
Spectre of the Big Deficit Rises
Up Before 1t.
Estimates Range as High as
$72,OOO.OOO.
ATTACK PENSION ROLL
That is Considered a Good Place
by Some
To Commence Cutting Down
Government Expenses.

Washington, Dec. 10-The house yester-
day entered upon the consideration of the
pension appropriation bill and stirred up
a debate that promises to continue for
several days. Several of the southern
| Democrats offered criticisms of various
classes Of pensioners and Private John Al
len of Mississippi, who led the assault in
| a speech replete with characteristic hu-
NOR, presented series OF amendments,
designed, as he said, to correct some OF
the most glaring evils. They prohibit the
granting of pensions to widows whose ap-
plications were not fled during their
widowhood and the granting of pensions
to widows whose applications were based
on marriages contracted after the pass
age of this act, and to permanently in
sane or idiotic minors, who had reached
their majority. The northern Democrats
however, wed with the Republicans in
their professions of friendship for the SOL
dfers, and one of them, Mr.. Norton of
Ohio, declared that the Republicans could
not make the bill too large for him 1t
was admitted on both sides of the house
during the discussion that the $40, 600
carried by the bill for pensions would not
cover the expenditures, but, as congress
would be in session, Mr.. Cannon said it
would be easy to make good any defcien-
cy that might occur.
MI Stone, in charge of the bill, yielded
to Mr.. Cannon, chairman of the commit
tee on appropriations. who took occasion
to make a general statement of the esti-
mates submitted by the secretary of the
treasury for the public service of 1899, for
the purpose, he said, of disabusing the
minds of members and the country of the
false impression made by a comparison
of these estimates with those or preced-
ing years. The estimated revenues for
1899 We're $4S2, ,O00, ,0O0 the expenditures
$504, 600. showing an estimated deficit
of S21, 900 900.
Under the last sundry civil act the Sec
retary of the treasury, he pointed out.
was compelled to expend this year s4S,>
0000 900 for river and harbor work, $33, 900 900
of which had not been authorized by law.
If this sum, not heretofore included in the
estimates, were deducted, there would be
estimated surplus of s., ,000,0 900 instead
of a deficit.
Last year the estimated deficit under the
last tariff act was S46,000O 600. If the S17.>
100000 for river and harbor work for
which the government then stood bound
had been included. the estimated deficit
would have been $63 OO0, 900. Mr.. Cannon
said it might be that the expenditures
for pensions for 1899 would exceed the es-
Inmates. The commissioner of pensions
estimated the expenditures at $14S 900 900.
If he should prove to be right, Mr.. Can>
non pointed out the $140, 900 900 appropri-
ated by this bill would pay all pensions
for the first eleven months of the fiscal
year and deficiency appropriation could
be easily made. In conclusion Mr.. Cam
non solemnly warned the house that the
large antfcipatory importations would
keep the revenues under the present law
down to a minimum, and he appealed to
his collea CUES to see to it that while the
public service is sufficiently supplied with
money not one dollar is appropriated
which is not absolutely necessary to the
public service"
This statement of Mr.. Cannon was
warmly applauded on the Republican side.
Mr.. Allen Dem, Miss.) attacked Mr..
Cannon's statement in a speech in which
there were flashes of his inimitable hu-
NOR that set the house into a roar Of
laughter. He gravely commended Mr..
Cannon's appeal for economy, but avowed
that the figures of the chairman of the
appropriations committee did not do the
situation justice. He produced figures
that showed an estimated deficit for the
next year of $72. 600. He referred to
the increase in the pension roll under the
present administration and ridiculed the
idea of a decrease unless the increase was
recent campaign in Ohio" He read from
Commissioner Evans testimony before the
appropriations COMMITTEES, predicting a def
fcit of from $8,O 900 to $4,000, 900 in pen
sion expenditures during the next fiscal
year The maximum had not yet been
reached.
..rhe question of the maximum of the
pension roll" said Mr.. Allen, 'is one of
the things that has protracted my stay
they were talking of the maximum I
stayed ten or fifteen years to see it, but
it has not yet come, and I guess I will
have to come back again" Oaughter)
Mr. Allen directed the batteries of his
humor at the Dingley law as revenue
producer. picturing the intense anxiety of
the chairman of the ways and means
committee at the extra session to get
bill on the statute books that would strike
a balance between the receipts and ex-
penditures. and predicting another sea-
son of anxiety on Mr.. Dingley's part next
spring at another extra session, called for
the same purpose.
Mr. Allen seriously criticised some of
the classes of pensions issued. In con-
clusion he spoke of the hardships this
great tax burden placed on the people of
the south, who were. he said, being re-
lentlessly burdened by the gold standard
and AZ cent cotton.
Mr. Allen discIaimed any intention of
attacking the federal soldiers or pension
rolls. but he said he could but marvel
al the fact that 97s000 names were on
the rolls. and that there are 100000 ap-
pHcatfons in the pension office. There
had been but 100000 men in the federal
army, and he was reminded OF meet
ing between an ex-confederate and an ex-
federal at a blue and gray reunion. They