The Washington times., 1902-03-16
Makes Reference to Fig
ures of Fifty-first
Congress.
COMPARED WITH PRESENT
ArkaH5as Statesman Also Advocates
Putting Rural Delivery Carriers Under
Contract Systen-Speech as a Cam
paign Document

The Democrats in the House are losing
no opportunity to make material for the
coming Congressional campaign, and
hardly a day passes that some member
does act make a speech which will be
freely circulated by the Congressional
Committee.
OF the speeches thus far delivered none
have been more forceful. clean-cut and to
the point, nor attracted more attention
than the brief talk made in the House
by Representative Stephen Brunddge, jr.,
of Arkansas
One of the Ablest Debaters.
Judge Brundidge is one of the ablest
debaters in the House. and can always
command attention when he talks. II
was during the debate on the rural free
delivery bill that the gentleman from Ar
kansas took occasion to say something
that will be repeated on the stump during
the campaign.
After stating that he believed in plac-
ing the rural mail carriers under the con-
tract system. on the ground that the
service would be just as efficient and at
much less cost than the present plan.
MIR. Brundidge branched off by saying
that more than once during the debate
gentlemen had hooted at the idea of
cheapness in the Government service
had derided the very suggestion of econ
omy. Continuing. he said
"Upcn this line they need have no
fears. for if they have discovered any
thing cheap in what this Congress has
done up to the. present time or proposes
TO do until the end of it, they have OBJ
served something which has not fallen
under my observation. In view of the
fact that 1t is understood that this bill
is TO be followed by the General Post
Office appropriation bill, and as this is
one of the large appropriation bills that
pa5ses this House annually, and. in NV
Judgment, great deal Of the money ap-
proprlated by IL is uselessly and unnec-
essaTily wasted. / deem ii proper time
and place 10 call attention to the grow
ing tendency to higher and increased an
preparations each year, and wastefuI and
almost criminal extravagance. The Fiftv-
hfst Congress startled the entire cnrntry
by e%pending a billion dollars, and vet If
this one. the Ftfty-seventh. keeps up the
pace II is going. and makes the appro-
priatioEs called for and demanded by this
Administration. we will double that sum
and go down into history as the 50 0eO ooo-
000 Congress.
Comparison of Appropriations.
The first session of the Fifty-first Con-
gress. in making the appropriations for
the year of 1891. appropriated for the
army only s24.2o6.471; navy. s24. 1876 OBS;
Postofiice, s72.226. .69S: pensions, S123. 49,
S6S
compare these sums with what We
are now doing. The first session OF this
congress is asked to eNpend for the army
about $4,000 ,00e This is more than
five times the sum expended in 1891. and
one CT the consequences of the increase
OF the army to maintain our foreign pol
1cy. We are expected to appropriate for
the navy about 500 900 nO0, about fo-r
times greater than the usual appropria-
tion. and so great that business associa-
tions and the people are sending their
written and printed petitions to members
OF this Congress protesting against this
enormous increase. To this must be add
ed SlSl 600. 900 for postal expenses. This
has almost doubled in the past ten years
another considerzbic and UNNECESSARY in
crease.
Pensions Reach Elghwate- Mark
The raaor; ol The honorable co-uls-
s-sns- c. Psnsllr. e iast ss4- sla
thai thr total num5ei " pensioners %
tbg -5il. a@s 1.Js-.a2i. or g.Ug5 in excess {
ANY previous year. and adds that 'this /
constitutes high-water mark in the his |
tory of the bureau. requiring about $780, |
100000 to pay them. The Commissioner |
should be reminded that his bureau ia /
only keeping pace with the rapid strides
OF the others. and bear in mind the fact
that under this rule of wild Republican
extravaganza il is still raining. and he
may expect high water and a still greater
rise. and that. too, al an early date These
are only few of the appropriations TO be |
made. When the long list is completed
and then doubled for the next session of
the present Congress. you get the grand
total of money to be spent in the way of
ordinary governmental expenses.
High as these figures are we are given
to understand that they do not represent
all, for this Congress is expected to pass
the ship subsidy bill. by which between
sls9, ,G00, 900 and $500 0O0.0C0 shall be paid
out OF the Treasury. In other words
$500 0o0. 900 is to be taken from the tax
payers of the country and turned over 20
the shipowners in order that they may De
able to carry on their own private bus-
ness for their own private gain to bet
ter advantage. Every unprejudced mind
will condemn such an act as unfair and
unjust. for II Government aid is to be
extended to build up one business. why
il from another Today we are
building and exporting into foreign coun-
tries railway locomotives. Pass this bill
and in short while you may expect those
in the construction thereof 10
discover that they cannot build these in
with other countries withour
being paid bounty from the United
States Treasury. And so it will be with
every other concern that feels like it is
strong enough 10 hold up the Govera1lsHt
and claim Sc So
THIS r. fhe frS ~raeeh delivered aiuee
is= opening ~ Fhe zresioa ffai aaz dealt
v b tal -'l 'esi 7r s-FF1fl ,
t!.EG -r uFt rrre.y1 a. tEa fffH
11a resr 3l.s Democratic Con
l1ai ~omHisie zee st -iry,is-e sko
rs csml.sier \. L-lept ia gg.Iy 1
l.7.r5l IL tbs cuEliTy.