Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-07
[BY H, J.. MAHIN.l

** X #*** a. ~ 80
IBY H. j. MAHIN.1
Washington Bureau of the Courier.
Washington. D. c., May 5.
Much is being said by the democrats
about the expenses and appropriations
of the session just concluded. They
are charging everything from extrava-
gance to stealing Senator Allison,
Iowa's grand old man, and the deep
ly respected chairman Of the senate
appropriations committee, has made a
statements of few facts along that
line and other charges made by the
democrats. He gives a clear and con-
else defense of the republican party
that IS convincing.
II was very much interested" said
Senator Allison, "as l always am, in
the plausible statements made by SEN
ator German the last day of the ses-
sion. was rather surprised to learn
from him that we close the session I'M
der some sort of compulsion. and that
we are refraining from attending to the
necessary business of the country.
II do not know what further import
ant business there is to be transacted.
If the senator from Maryland or any
of his colleagues have presented inn
portant bills that ought to have been
passed and pressed them at the ses-
sion, l am not aware of it.
81 think the session dealt with most,
If not all, of the important questions
that ought to be dealt with at this ses-
sion. Being long session, and anoth-
er session coming later this year, SUBJ
jects considered go over on the calen-
dar until the next session. l have
been here good many years, and
do not know an instance where all the
bills that were presented by commit
tees have been considered and passed
during the first session Of a congress-.
Many, of them go over for want of
time, whatever the length of the ses-
sion, as many of them fall at the close
of g congress.
Now, wish to say only few words
on the question of appropriations.
First, let me call attention to some
tables introduced by Senator Culber-
son. These are old and WORKOUT ta-
bles comparing the administration of
Mr.. Cleveland in 1885 to 1889 with the
administration beginning in 1897.
HE went as far back as 1893, and
compared the four years Of President
Cleveland, beginning in 1893, with the
four years of President Mckinley, be-
ginning in 1897, and he compared the
expenditures for those first four years
with the expenditures under President
Mckinley, when the situation and con.
dition Of our country was wholly differ.
ent.
81 am surprised that the senator
| from Texas made no allusion whatever
to the conditions and the inheritance
of President, Mckinley after foul
years of President Cleveland. l do no
speak now of that Inheritance which
| spread disaster and distress in ou
country, but speak of that inheri
lance which was derived from the sit
uation in Cuba when President Mckin
| ley came into power.
''The situation there was left in sucl
! a condition = will not undertake t,
describe it = as made it necessary 70
President Mckinley to deal with it OF
! the very threshold OF his adminlstra
4 ton. That he dealt with it in a con
I servative way and sought to avoid tn
/ expenditures were brought upon on
4 country not by the administration d
President Mckinley but by tie pres
sure that was made upon him in thi
body and IN the other that he shout
enter upon war with Spain unles
they yielded to conditions that the
would not yield to-
If you go back to the debates @
that period you will see that the pres
sure upon President Mckinley was S
great that the situation as respect
that war was a situation that wa
claimed for the democrats and by tina
party as a part of their policy.
"The senator from Texas also under
takes to show that our expenditure
for war purposes are far beyond tn
expenditures of the great powers {
Europe, Germany, France and tn
United Kingdom He says that our e,
penditures for this current year an
for the last year for war purpose
; amount to $332,0OO,OO0 if understood
the tables ne brought forth.
He also said, THE expenses Of th
: military establishment for 1910
amounted to $3.50 900, 900 in the Unite
States.
: THE military establishment! what
: the military establishment? 1t is th
] army and the navy. The senate
I speaks of military establishment an
then includes a matter which is g
foreign to our present military estal
lishment as anything can possibly b,
4 Is it possible that he charges the mil
tary establishment with the pension
that are granted to the survivors {
the war Of 1872 to the survivors Of th
war with Mexico, to the survivors {
the great civil war of 1851 to 1855, fc
which we are still paying pensions
That can not be regarded as a ia
| statement of what the military esta
lishment is.
so, in order to show the great e.
travagance in our military establish
ment the senator from Texas include