The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-21
HOW MONEY Went
cannon's Resume OF
Congressional Appropriations.
IT WAS WISELY SPENT.

OhSl SSStOuoA
IT WAS WISELY SPENT.
Charges of Extravaganza Refuted. What
| Congress Did With the Nations Money.
/ War Expense Heavy.
The appropriations made at the last
session OF the Fifty-tift Congress will
amount to 1878, t5s, 4OO7S, showing an
apparent reduction of s2l9, ISIS, 2l4 80
below the appropriations made at the
preceding session. This reduction is
attributable to the necessarily large APP
propriations made at the session which
closed July last-the second session of
the Fifty-fifth Compensation expenses
of the war with Spain.
The entire appropriations made by
the Fifty fifth congress aggregate ST.
566 S90,0l6 %, of which amount the
sum OF 1882 So, Os3 AZ IS directly charge.
able or incident to the war with Spain.
Deducting the latter from the former
sum, the remainder, $1,0S4, 1927 1872 81,
represents the ordinary appropriations
made during the whole congress for the
nominal requirements of the govern
ment.
The appropriations made by the pre-
ceding congress. the Fifty fourth, which
adjourned March 3. 1897, amounted to
ST. ,044. $50, 273 81, or only 500, 747.65S "a
less than the ordinary appropriations
OF this congress after deducting the
sums required for the war.
1t is eminently proper to compare the
appropriations made by this congress
J with those made by its immediate pre-
! decessor, for the reason that the latter.
composed of numerically strong re-
publican house of representatives and
nonpartisan senate, appropriated, as
stated, l,Q44, 5SO273,S7 on estimates
! submitted by democratic administra-
ton, amounting to ST. ,O64, $50. 24l. 90, or
nearly $40, 000, 200 more than was grant
, ed by that congress for public expendi-
ture.
} No fair criticism was ever made OF
! attempted OF the aggregate appropria-
. tions made by the Fifty fourth con
gress, and none can be sustained
, against the appropriations made by the
Fifty fifth congress when they are
\ analyzed and compared. The whole
: apparent excess in ordinary appropria-
d lions $39. 747, 65s 94-made by this con.
= gress over those OF Fifty-fourth con
, gress is more than accounted for under
D eight titles of expenditure. namely:
: For payment of pension. So, S75 200 OF
For the postal service in order to
meet the increased demands of
\ our commerce.. 16 6lg, 5S1. b
4 For river and harbor Improvement
~ including work under contracts.
some of which were authorized
by previous congresses. -........ 2,401, 1873 s.
= For constructing new ships for the
navy and for their armour and
=, armament. Observation-Disclosures. 6,OsO, 1880
-. For beginning the work of taking
-. the Twelfth census. ............ 600 OOo %
% For participation by our country
n. and the exhibition of it's great
s.. industries at the Paris EXPOSE
.. tion to be held in 1900 .... 1.21O,O0OO
81, For new public buildings to ac-
%. commodate the business of the
80 government in various cities, in
"a. Guiding buildings for the depart
se. ment of justice and for the gov
%. eminent printing Office, about. 5,OOOOoOO
;. For payment ofjudgments against
s.. the government under the Bow
-. man Act and for the French
%. spol1ations. 8, 100 76S
-. Total. AZ, %, 5l65
-. Thus 1T is seen that the whole actua
.. increase in ordinary appropriations b.
-. this congress over its Immediate pre-
-. dscessor is more than accounted for il
.. a few items that are beyond criticism
-. and that were advocated and passe,
y. without party division in either brancl
-. of congress.
-. In addition TO the aggregate of speci
y. tic appropriations made at this session
-. OF congress, contracts are authorized
y. -. subject 10 appropriations to be supplied
=. hereafter by future congresses, amount
-, -. ing to about 10000 600, of which sun
: about $4,000 600 is for the construction
of additional ships for the navy and TO
their armor and armament; about 500,
= 5000 tor work on river and harbo
= improvements, and something over So,
: 100000 for the construction of public
: buildings. The contract system is o
necessity applied to the construction O
: our new warships, some of which re
: quire years for building and equipment
for service. In the case of river ant
harbOr improvements and the erection
of public buildings, experience ha,
: demonstrated that the authorization O
: contracts tends materially to expedit,
=. and cheaper the same.
'.. No two years of our national history
). since the close OF the civil war have
:. been so big with great events or hav,