The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-02-18
MR.. SAVERS ARGUED AGAINST
RECKLESS EXPENDITURE OF
THE PEOPLES MONEY.
BRILLIANT PLEA FOR CUBA L|BRE.
Mr.. De Almond of Missouri Won Shouts
of Applause on Remarks in Behalf
of the Struggling Patriots-A
Tariff Debate.

into committee OF the whole and resumed
| consideration of the sundry civil apprO
praton bill.
Mr.. Cannon, in charge of the bill. ASK
ed unanimous consent that the bill he
considered as having BEEN read the first
time
Mr. Hepburn (rep.) Of Iowa asked il
the purpose of the passage next Monday
under the suspension of the rules had
been abandoned and there was move.
ment to procure first reading of the bill
to avoid the criticism made when the
river and harbor bill was passed last
year without having been read.
The question evidently nettled Mr.. Can
non. who said he was willing that the
house should pursue towards this bill any
course the majority desired. He called
attention to the fact that but two weeks
of the session yet remained, and there
were still to be passed in addition to the
sundry civil appropriation bill, the navel
appropriation bill and the general de-
ticiency appropriation bill.
But you have not answered my qucS.
ton" exclaimed Mr.. Hepburn. Haze
you abandoned the purpose of passing
this bill under suspension of the rules
There never was any such purpose
replied Mr.. Cannon, sharply.
\ compromise was arranged and the
reading of the bill dispensed with 1t
was arranged there should be five hours
general debate, two hours and Il half on
Il side.
Mr. Cannon made the opening state
ment regarding the measure. 1t carried
$50, J64. 743. about SS.000.00O less than
the estimate and about SIT, 100000 more
than carried by the bill for the current
year. The increase was extraordinary
but. he said. easy of explanation. OF the
increase S15,53l 900 was for river and
harbor improvements authorized to be
placed under contract ny the river and
harbor bill of year ago, and 81 GO, 10
for public buildings in the course of CON
structiOn. and $7O9,300 for the expenses
of the United States courts.
He said the committee recommended
no appropriation for Wilmington, Del,
because it had been found that the work
could not be done for the sum authorized
by the river and harbor bill CS20j,COUl.
The same reason accounted for the fail
urc to appropriate in this bill for ne
Oakland. Cal. improvement, which
would cost 100000 more than was at-
thoriZcd. The same was true of the
Kentucky river. The river and Larh1r
bill authorized an expenditure of $500,
600 1t would require 81 900. 900 to COM
plctc the project. Dams and > Of the
Ohio river and Yakima bay. Ore. were
also omitted from the bill for the same
reason.
Mr.. Savers CdcmD of Texas. taking the
SUndry civil bill as Il text. attacked the
record of this congress in the matter Of
cXtravagant expenditures. The appro-
priations for this congress. he declared,
would reach the unprecedented sum Of
S1,O4J. 100000. He asserted that it
would not he in the power of the rcpubli-
cans of the next congress to pass Il ;artf
revenue bill that would raise revenue
enough To meet the expenditures unless
the majority i'll the next congress re
verscd its policy and adopted the old
democratic rule of economic expenditure
of the peoples money.
Did not the Fifty-Srcond congress.
when all branches of the government
were democratic, cXpcnd rs much As the
republican congress-" asked Mr.. Miiliken
(rcpD of Maine.
Not within $50. 100000 on the amount
expended by the Fifty-hrSt congress or
to bc expended by the present congress"
replied Mr.. Saycrs.
He proceeded to draw IL contrast be-
tween the appropriations of 1897 and of
1887 To show their increase in Il decade.
The appropria tions made by the various
bills i'll ten years had increased lround
tiguTcS):
Postotiiccs, SIS. 1000: sundry civil.
S24,WO,0O0; District of Columbia 81
1000: military academy. S1Jl 100,
diplomatic and consular. S2ISO0O: pcn-
SOns. SJ9.2I3.OOO: agricultural, 81. TO-
600; legislative. executive and judiciary,
SSS4. 900; Indian. SSii, 2l3; naval. $1l.-
0I2.OOO; river and harbor. S1.1IJ.0OO;
besides S15,WO,0O0 authorized and forti-
tications, S7,3TI.0O0. The grand total of
appropriations in 1887 VAS S3S1 ,330.9I1
against $51S,S45,194. an incrcas" of
Sl4J, 900. In the face of this show
ing of the vast and rapid increase of ap-
preparations, Mr.. Saycrs appealed 30 the
members, irrespective Of party, to take
home the necessity of rctrcnchmcnt.
Mr.. Dockery (dcm.l of Missouri. who
followed Mr.. SaycrS. said in his opinion
the expenditures of this congress would
reach S1.O5OOOO.00o. But he SAID he
desired to acquit the speaker Of the
house of any responsibility. He COM
mcndcd Speaker Reed for his ''heroic
attitude against this 'riotous assault on
the treasury" While his party was res
ponsiblc. Speaker Reed. he said. was not
entitled to share in the odium.
Speaking for the future. Mr.. Duckrry
said he did not know whether Il tariff
could he framed which would raise Suti
Cirnt revenue 70 meet these vast CN-
pCnditurcS. but if anyone could frame
such II bill he said it would be the dis
tinguiShed chairman of the ways and
means committee. Mr.. Dingley." Ga lis
side of the house however. they did not
believe that prosperity could he secured
by increasing taxation aud limiting still
further the volume of money.
Mr.. Gatherings dcmJ of Mississippi.
formerly chairman of the rivers and
harbor committee. entered into an
elaborate defense of the river and hOr-
horS improvements AMI specifically Il de
Tense for the lazoo and Mississippi at
Nicksburg.
He was followed 10y Mr.. Hepburn. who
denounced the last river and harbor bill.
not because of the appropriations for
great national projects. hut because the
bill was made the vehicle of ruthless and
reckless expenditure in insignificant i'm
prOVemcuts.
He said Mr.. Catchings' defense of the
1aZoo appropriation only proved the truth
of the Biblical proverb. the wicked flee,
though no man pursueth.'
Mr. Hepburn denounced what he
termed the extravaganza appropriat tons
for nullir buildinus ua tool aS an nv