The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-04-19
STEVENSON ON The SITUATION
He Gives His Views on
Present Conditions.
From the Philadelphia Record.

From the Philadelphia Record.
That the new century witnesses a
grave departure from our govern
mental policies in the past no sane
man can doubt. 1t will be the pur-
pose of this article to indicate in
some measure wherein this depar-
ture consists.
Jeffersons maxim, economy in
public expenditul es once t h e
shibboleth of great party-excites
only the derision Of those now in
control of the government. The dis
lance we have drifted from the land
marks established by the fathers can
in some degree be measured by the
startling increase in our public ex-
penditures. Possibly the most SER
ious charge against Buchanan's ad-
ministration was the expenditure in
it's last year of nearly $50, 900, 900 of
the public money. just forty years
have passed and what was then
fiercely denounced by republicans as
gross extravaganza is but a baga-
telle to the enormous sums, the dis
bursement of which now scarcely
eXcites comment. Even the extrav-
agance of the ''billion dollar con-
gress" of a decade ago was modera-
ton itself compared with the lavish
appropriations made by the 56th
congress. The attempt by the min
GRITTY in that body to keep expendi-
lures within reasonable bounds
ayailed nothing. After the discus
sion was ended and the protests re-
corded the sum total of appropria-
tions exceeded those of the 18th
congress by many millions. Unless
halt shall be called, no prophet is
needed to tell us that the ''two bill
lion dollar congress" will soon be a
reality.
The military and naval budgets
alone for the next fiscal year, inciud-
ing, the payment OF pensions, amount
to nearly $400, 200, 900. Much has
been written Of the heavy war ex.
penditIres Of foreign governments
the vast military camps Of Eu.
rope. I" But the fact is significant
that the sum last given is almost
double that expended for like pur.
pose by any foreign country, except
ing one.
Thrust be borne in mind that
great as are our national resour, es
they are not without limit. The
burdens of individual taxation arc
already grevious and they will, O.
necessity grow with increased ma
tional expenditures. We are grad
ually but surely becoming acquaint
ed with methods Of taxation thai
were unknown to the former gener
ations Of our countrymen. Under
the new dispensation Of expendi
lures revenue laws will be formulat
ed and schemes Of taxation devised
which weregnever dreamed Of by the
founders of this government.
Can thoughtful men be Indifferent
to the fact that the appropriations
Of the present year very closely ap,
proximatc those Of the most expen.
siye year of the great civil war, when
with one million armed men In the
field the government, was engaged
! in the most stupendous struggle
known II history Il
The appropriations Of the late
short session Of congress approx:
mated 1900. 0OO, OOOl This, II will 81
notice., was an increase 81 three
hundred millions over those Of the
Hast democratic House 81 Represent
atives. OF necessity, With the
growth Of the country, It's increase
IA population and its vast commer.
Dial development, there Is an In
crease IA national expenditures, but
the enormous Increase with which
Ne are now onfron = u wholly out
sof proportion TO these changed con-