The St. Louis Republic., 1902-03-17
Committee Will Circulate Speeches
Bearing on Enormous Expendi-
lures of This Congress.
SPEECH OF JUDGE BRUNDIDGE.
He Estimates Appropriations Will
Reach the Two-Billion-Do
Mark-Iniquity Of the Ship
Subsidy Bill.
Republic Bureau.
ilsh St. and Pennsylvania Ave.

HeDubIO
I4sh St and Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington. March 16.-The Democrats
In the House are losing no opportunity to
make material for the coming congression-
al campaign. and hardly day passes that
some member does not make a speech
which will be freely circulated by the Con-
gressional Committee.
OF tho speeches thus far delivered. few
have been more forceful than the brief
talk made in the House by Representative
Brundidge Of Arkansas. Judge Brunddge
IN one Of the prominent members OF the
House and can always command attention.
1t 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.
Judge BrundidEe's Speech.
After stating that he believed in placing
the rural mail carriers under the contracts
system on the ground that the service
would be Just as eflcient and at a much
less cost than the present plan. Mr.. Brun-
didge branched OF by saying that more
than once during the debate gentlemen had
hooted at the idea OF cheapness in the Gov
ernment service-had derided the very sug-
gestion Of economy. Continuing. he said:
Upon this line they need have no fears.
for IL they have discovered anything cheap
in what this Congress has done up to the
present time or proposes to do until the
end of It. they have observed something
which has not fallen under my observation.
In view Of the fact that It is understood
this bill is to be followed by the general
post office appropriation bill. and as this
is one Of the large appropriation bills that
judgment. great deal of the money ap-
propriated by II Is uselessly and unneces-
sarily wasted. deem 1t a proper time and
place to call attention to the growing ten.
dency to higher and increased approprfa-
tions each year and wasteful and almost
criminal extravaganza.
Billion-Dollar Congress-.
THE Fifty-frst Congress startled the en-
tire country by expending $1,000. 900. and
vet IL this one, the Fifty-seventh. keeps
up the pace 1t Is going and makes the ap-
propriations called for and demanded by
this administration. We will double that
sum and go down into history as the g. 900, :.
00o.OO0 Congress.
THE first session Of the Fifty first Con.
gress. in making the appropriations for the
year 1891. appropriated for the army only
A2S,4 al; navy. i2t: :lss: :oss: post office. ST.
226.6SS; pensions. $123- 77s. 3ss
Compare these sums with what we arc
now doing. The first session OF this Con-
gress is asked to expend for the army
about $130O00.000 This Is more than five
times the sum expended in 1891. and one of
the consequences of the increase of the
army to maintain our foreign policy
Ship-Subsidy Bill.
High these figures are We are giyen
to understand that they do not represent
all, for this Congress is expected to pass
the ship-subsidy bill. by which between
S160.0Qo.00O and $200.000000 Is to be taken
from the taxpayers of the country and
turned over to the ship owners in order that
they may be able to carry on their private
business for their own private gain to .