The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-02
: he River and Harbor Bill.

The war with Spain unquestionablv
dnaugurated an era of extravaganza.
When congress can vote away $780,
OGO'O00 as an emergency fund, and when
a president can call for 5000, OOO, 900 or
500 100000 bond subscriptions. the ma
tlonal idea becomes somewhat exalted.
The most seductive form of extract
Ing money from the public treasury
has been by means of the annual river
and harbor bill. In past years few
executives have really felt it incum-
bent upon them to check this system
OF lavish appropriation. Perhaps the
sternest rebuke given to legislators on
this point occurred in 1882, when Ches-
Ter A. Arthur vetoed the river and har-
Dor bill passed by the congress Of that
year. 1t was a bold stroke, and there
are many who believe that it cost him
the nomination for the presidency in
1854. But generally he was commended
for his courage in clearly stating his
objection to the bill because it. as he
expressed it, contained Representations
for purposes not for the common de-
tense or general welfare, and which
do not promote commerce among the
states"
AS president Arthur pointed out in
that message the river and harbor an
preparations had increased annually
from say $S,975, 900 in 1870, to $6,64s. 517
In 1873; in $780, to IS, SIG, 800; In 1881. to
$11, 451 600, While the act Of 1882 made
the tremendous leap to s1S,743,S75.
Mr.. Arthur was probably as liberal
a minded executive, so far as dollars
and cents were concerned, as any who
occupied the presidents chair But
President Cleveland was likewise an
executive who looked closely into the
volume of expenditures provided for bv
congress. In May 1895. Mr.. Cleveland
vetoed the river and harbor bill. which
provided for an expenditure of about
SlI ,OOO,O goo. One feature of that meas
IRE was the authorization which it con-
tanned of contracts for river and har-
Dor work amounting to more than So =
o,0eO; but, of course, these contracts
were distributive over a series of wears
In closing his message vetoing this bill
Mr.. Cleveland said: IT hope I may be
permitted to suggest, at a time when
the issue of government bonds to main
tain the credit and financial standing
OF the country is subject of criticism.
that the contracts provided for in this
bill would create obligations of the
United States amounting to So. OOO. 900
no less binding than its bonds for that
sum-"
ne Dill of the present session of con-
gress appropriates approximately $780,.
0OOO0O. VIII President Mckinley. in
the event of the passage of this bill
display the courage of Chester A Ar.
thur in 1882. in the middle of his term
as president. or of Grover Cleveland at
the close of his second term?
Aside from the Improvement of tho
water way connecting Lake Superior
with the lower lakes by the Saulte
Ste. Marie canal much of the money
that has been appropriated under the
river and harbor acts has been pure
waste. Millions upon millions of dol
lars have been thrown upon the banks
of the Mississippi river in the form of
mattresses ana leVees and in attempts
to change the current of that great
stream, which might better have re-
NAMED uneXpended SO far as the adj
VaEtages accruing to the states Whosa
shores the Mississippi washes are con-
cerned. The river and harbor bill. as
1t has come annually before congress
has never been more than a blind pig
politically speaking. Everybody knows
it, Mr.. Mckinley knows it. Speaker
Reed knows it; and the last mentioned
official has been most consistently op-
posed to the whole business ever since
he has been in congress. Concessions
have been constantly made to the poll
dcians, not only on the Mississippi.
but IN all parts of the country, until
this particular bill has become the most
inalcdorous OF any that passes sthrough