Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-24

| they are claims third of a century old
and were refused to be paid quarter
of a century back by large majority
of non-partisan Legislature.
DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATIONS.
The Shield Behind VIII CHI the Republicans
| Always HiGe-T The acts Exposed.
In mitigation of the enormous appro-
priations made by this Legislature,
great stress has been and is constantly
/ laid On what is called the deficiency
! appropriations. Whenever the reckless
squandering of the public funds is
forced home, point by point, upon the
| Republican management, it Immediately
takes refuge behind the deficiency ap-
preparations Since the Legislature of
| 1897, this term has become as familiar
| in West Virginia as household words.
1t is to be found in all published cam
paign statements, and is the wade me-
cum of the country school house spell
| binder. During the session the words
were kept constantly paraded before
the public in large caps, and when the
index to the Acts of 1897 was printed
they were conspicuously displayed as
headlines and so arranged that the
casual observer might get the impress
sion that they included the principal
Of
If these appropriations were rendered
necessary. by financial mismanagement
On the part of the Democratic admins
tration or by ill-advised and vicious
action of previous Democratic Legisla-
lures, the Republican Legislature GER
tainly ought not to be held responsible
for them, and these amounts should
not be considered in estimating the
amount of public expenditure for which
they are responsible. To fix this re-
sponsibility definitely, it is only neces-
| sary to glance at the deficiency appro-
priations and see when and how they
took their origin.
The general cause of the size of these
appropriations is undoubtedly the
course pursued by the two last Legis-
latures. When the Legislature of 1895
assembled, great fears were entertained
by the Republican leaders that it
would
COMMIT BXTRAVAGANCES
of all kinds that would be serious hand
icaps-be heavy loads to carry-in the
next presidential campaign. The mem
bers were, therefore, labored with and
forced to realize that it was absolutely
essential to future party success that
the appropriations should be cut down
for this session at least, regardless of
the fact that such course would rem
der large appropriations necessary at
the next session, that would not meet
until after the election, and it was
hoped that any injury caused by this
action to the various State interests
would, in the meantime be charged by
the people against the Democratic
party then in possession of all the adj
ministrative branches of the State gov
eminent. That this behest was obeyed
to a great extent may be perceived by
comparing the auditors estimates Of
expenses submitted to that Legislature
with the amount appropriated by it.
In the campaign of 1896 the Republic
cans carried everything, from Presi-
dent to county constable When the
Legislature of 1897 met, it was realized
that the members could no longer be
restrained. The promised land had
been reached at last. The eft promised
rewards of long years of faithful SER
vice could be postponed no further.
The supply Of pie" at Washington was
known to be woefully short. 1t was
felt that the
TAPPING OF THE STATE TREAS
URY
lavish appropriations could not be
avoided. The only question was how
to reward the workers without out
raging the people. In this dilemma re-
sort was naturally had to the thread
bare expedient in national legislatures
of creating a Deficiency bill" This
scape-goat having been selected, was
at once loaded with every claim that
could by any ingenuity be made to
relate back to September 80, 1896, and
driven out before the people of the
State as conspicuous evidence that the
Democracy had sQuandered the peoples
money and then endeavored to compel
z Republican Legislature 70 make the