Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-03-12
A Costly Luxury.

A Costly Luxury.
In his inaugural address President
Mckinley said he had the satisfaction
to announce that the congress just
closed had reduced taxation in the
sum Of s41, 900, oo0." He was careful
not to say anything about the extent
to which, since his first Inauguration,
public expenditures and taxes have
been increased. His omission in this
respect is supplied by Representative
Livingston, the senior democratic
member of the house committee on
appropriations, in a statement making
a comparison between the appropri-
ations of the congress which has just
expired with those of the Fifty-fourth
congress. Mr.. Livingston says:
s'The LIVth congress was the last
one that made appropriations for the
support of the government, prior to
the beginning of the Spanish-Ameri'
can war. The With congress is the
first congress appropriatlng for the
support of the government since the
close of the so-called Spanish-Amerl-
can war. The difference between the
appropriations made by the LNlth
congress and those made by the L1Vth
congress amount to 1896, 4s2, 272.
During the session just closed the
demands of the people, through thell
representatives, for the construction
of the Nicaragua canal have gone I'm
needed: new public buildings have
been persistently denied: the river ant
harbor bill has been permitted to fall
the payment OF just claims Of homes
people against the government has
not been provided for. tits doubtless
conceived to be wisdom on the part Of
the leadership of the dominant party
in congress and the administration t.
have denied these just demands of the
people in order to provide for this en-
ormous increase in expenditures tina
is almost wholly required in order t.
support the increased military eStab
lishment that has been inauguratet
under the policy of the republican
party. Notwithstanding the heav
taxation OF the people and enormou
sums that are collected each year t
be poured into the federal treasury
the public works and internal i'm
provements of every characte
throughout the country have practi
cally been denied by this congress.
"The most casual examination of tn
table makes comment practically un
necessary. Itshows that the arm.
for each year Of the two prior to tn
Spanish-American war cost littl
more than s23,000,O00, and but littl
more than S46,0OO,O0O for the tw'
years covered by the LIVth congress
while for the army for each Of the tw'
years since the war, 1901 and 1902.
costs nearly sll5 100000, or 1920, 900
600 for the two years, exclusive of dt
ticiencies that have been provided fc
in large sums out of the appropris
lions made for expenses of the Spar
ish war during the LVth congress.
1.-THE navy cost for the two year!
1897 and 1898, 1853, 562 900, while fe
the years 1901 and 1902, these appopr
ations amount to nearly sl44. 900, 90
For the payment of pensions the a
preparations show an increase Of near
0n0 000 for tl,o f,pp
SIN a word, this table shows tn
the price to the people of the poll
of this administration that has be
thrust upon them by the republic
party is in round numbers s4o0, 0O0,C
within period Of two years, and t
half that is contemplated has not y
been put in operation. The ship su
sidy measure, that has been deferre
but not abandoned, will cost $3.50, 90
900 more, to say nothing Of the less
schemes that are proposed"
With the exception Of the compa
lively trivial amount received fir
the sale of public lands, the COVE
ment receives no revenue not derry
from taxation. Even the postal re
nues are the product of stamp t
What it expended previously cole
ed by taxation, and as the Fifty-si,
congress appropriated 1895, 4s2,
more than the Fifty-fourth, and
reduction of taxation, to begin on
first of July next, is but Sal ,000,(
the net increase Of taxation dur
McKinley's four years is 1854, 1872,
Republican rnle is a luxury t
comes high.
Wednesday night Mr.. Hoar prot
ed against the proposition ''to C