The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1901-02-07
A POLITICAL P0RTENT.
Era Of Profligacy Marked Out
by Republicans.
STAGGERING OF THE MAJORITY.

duced - Expenditures of Govern
ment Will Reach $1,000, 100000.
Rapacity on the part of the appro-
priation grabbers is rapidly writing "a
billion and half" across the history Of
the Fifty-sixth congress.
The political economists who have
been worrying themselves about the
little matter Of an $S0OOO.O0O surplus
lying idle in the treasury may rest
easy. There is not likely to be any
surplus when the Flfty-sixth congress
gets through with it, writes the Wash.
ington correspondent of the New York
Herald.
Indeed, SO extravagant are these rep
resentatives of the American people
becoming, so importunate is the lobby,
so exacting are the demands Of the
great navy and the still greater army
and so outrageous have been the con-
cessions made, demanded and won by
the river and harbor statesmen that
within the last few days there has been
serious talk of abandoning all effort to
cut off any Of the special war taxes
this year In order that congress may
have money enough to go round.
This may be mere idle gossip, al
though no one can tell what are the in
nermost thoughts Of that adroit and
austere body known as the finance
committee of the senate until 1t makes
them known through final action. The
course of the senate committee in
bringing in revenue reduction bill al
most Numerically opposed to that
passed by the house would lend color TO
the belief that the war taxes are likely
to remain.
All portents In the Washington sky
point to an almost unexampled era OF
profigacy. When there was billion
dollar congress ten years ago. the flip
pant remark was made that this was
"a billion dollar country"
When there was n one and half
billion dollar congress. two years ago.
the excuse was that there had been a
half billion dollar war with Spain, and
the enormous expenditure was explain
ed on the ground Of the needs Of a
billion dollar country plus half bill
lion dollar war.
But there Is no war with Spain now.
1t Is all over and paid for. According
to the reports OF the Taft commission
and the secretary Of war and the mes
sage Of the president. order has been
restored in the Philippines, and the is
lands are ready for civil government
According to the policy adopted by
the senator's In control, there is to be
no Nicaraguan canal bill this year, and
there Is to be no Pacific cable. Not
withstanding all this. the Fifty-sixth
congress Is to be one and half billion
dollar congress all the same. and here
are some details to show how this po-
sition Of distinction is being reached:
The appropriations for the fiscal year
made by the present congress at its
first session amounted to $71O.150,-
S62.SS. This Is the record Of the first
session of the present congress. The
appropriations included an allowance
Of $114,220,000 for the army, $65. .l4O.-
900 for the navy, $145. 100000 for pen
sions, $113,O0O,000 for postottice, while
$65,0OO.0O0 was expended under the
sundry civil bill.
No man can yet predict what the to-
tai appropriations Of congress at the
present session will amount to. The
session began with every incentive to
extravaganza. The Republican men,
bers came staggering back here from
successful elections at home imbued
with the Idea that the crushing deftat
OF Bryan meant a glorious Endorsement
of Imperialism, large standing army
and the previous one and half billion
dollar congress.
They saw the $S0.0O0.00O surplus. and
their mouths watered. Instead of map
ping out scheme by which they could
reduce the war revenue taxes just that
amount they set about providing a re-
ductlon of only $30,OO0.00O.
They broke all legislative records by
tanning through raw and badly con-
sidered bill for large standing army
and then passed with a shout river
and harbor bill which carries the palm
for extravaganza in that 1t provides
for the eventual expenditure of $685.
100000.
1t Is interesting to sit down and
study the figures for moment and see
where this policy, II pursued until
March A. will land the country. The
regular annual estimates of appropria-
tions already made amount to $743,-
474,S04. These estimates are all too
small.
For instance. the river and harbor
bill is put at $25.0OO. 900. yet concealed
in sundry civil estimates Is more than
$20OOO,0O0 more for that purpose.
The estimate for the army is put
down at $l13.OO0.0O0. yet everybody
knows this is far too small and. while
that may be the sum total of the APP
preparation made. II is believed that
congress is leaving legacy In the way
OF deficiency In the army amounting
very nearly to the cost OF the army be-
fore the Spanish merican war.
The regular army prior 10 1893 cost
about $23.O0O.O00. War department Of
hcials now say that the cost OF the new
establishment is likely 10 be at least
$l30.000.000. They are even now try
ang to figure out the cost In the war
department
The closest estimates as to what the
philippines are costing the United
Stntes are In the neighborhood OF SeO.-
100000, confined chiefly to the army
and navy.