The aegis & intelligencer., 1903-01-02

Congress considered an appropriate
ton of $7O,OOO,OOO as sufficient to
spend upon the army and the navy,
while the outlay the last fscaf year
stood at $165, 100000. An im-
partial observer would infer from
these figures that the appropriations
have been on the warpath for some
time. At any rate the additional
cost for the paint and feathers now
amount to nearly 500, 100000 more
than what was formerly levied.
For twenty years after the close of
the Civil War a continued reduction
of the national debt brought about
gradual decrease ofFederalexpendi-
lures, until in 1856 the per capita
cost of running the Government had
fallen to $422. In that day, the
entire outlay was only $242, 100000
of which sum $50, O,5S2, ,OOOrepresent-
ed the annual interest charge. But
all of that has since changed. The
rapid growth of the immense surplus
revenue stimulated the desire for
more reckless spending, and Congress
proceeded to intuse some of the war
like spirit in its estimates. Pension
legislation proved to be the most
convenient means and within seven
years 500, 100000 had been added
to expenditures for military pensions.
By 1913 the total cost drumming the
Government had advanced to $685.
AT 900, while the per capita outlay
had risen to $5.77. Then came sew
eral lean years and i'll 1897 the ap-
preparations were considerably less.
In the meantime the per capita had
fallen to $50.
1t will thus be seen that the people
were losing some Of the "ironin their
blood" which however was restored
by the Spanish War. tits impossible
to form an estimate ofthe permanent
burdens, which the policy of c>pan
sion will entail, but a comparison as
between 1897 and 1902 shows t!.at
in the former year there was levied for
war purposes 1866, 74+,000, while
in 1902 this was increased to SILL
100000. These figures have j thor
oughly warlike look. Expenditures
for Indians, pensions and interest
have actually decreased; miscellan-
eous civil items have risen by only
twenty per cent. while the outlay for
the army and navy has more than
doubled
Mr.. Carroll D. Wright in some of
his efforts to Justify the ways of the
Republican party to men, has con-
tended that prosperity is responsible
for the increased cost of running the
National Government. He explains
that Uncle Sam like any prudent head
of a family raised his standard ofliv-
ing as fast as his income has risen.
The fact, however, is that the growth
of expenditures from 1886 to 1898
was due chiefly to extravagant PEN
sion legislation, while that Of the last
five or six years is charged almost
wholly to the account ofwar. twill
be noticed that the increase in ex-
penditures. shown by the above
figures, was during the periods in
which the Republican party was in
power and is but the fulflll1nent of
the prophesy that has always been
held out by prudent statesmen that
this party was entirely of an ex-
travagant nature and therefore not
fit to be in charge of every branch of
our Government The restraining
check of the Democratic administra-
tion shows forth plainly that it lived
up to every promise which had been
made Our party has the interest of
the majority more at heart and we
believe that the time is not far dis
tant when that majority will show
its appreciation at the polls.