Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1904-10-07

amounted to S2I4.OOO.UO0-a situation
which, in the opinion of majority OF
our people. justified an imperative de-
mand for reform in the administration
of public affairs. AS the expenditures
of the last fiscal year amounted TO the
enormous total of $3.50. 600, 900. II Is evil
dent that a thorough investigation OF
the public service and the immediate
abandonment of useless and extrava-
CANT expenditures are more necessary
now than they were then. This as
founding increase is out of all proper
ton to the increase of our population,
and finds no excuse from whatever as
pect we view the situation. The Ma
tional Democratic platform declares
that large reductions can easily be
made i'll the annual expenditures OF
the Government without impairiDg the
efficiency of any branch of the public
service?' Can there be any doubt of
the accuracy of this statement? Be
tween the expenditures of the year
1886, amounting to 1912, 100000, and
those of the last fiscal year-the sew
enth after Grover Cleveland ceased TO
be President aggregating S5S2,OOO,-
600, there is a difference so great as TO
excite alarm in the breasts of all
thoughtful men. Even excluding the
sum of S50,000,000 paid for the Pan
anna Canal rights and to the State OF
Panama. the expenditures of the last
fiscal year exceeded the sum of 1882.
900, 600. being more than double the
expenditures of the Government for all
purposes during the first year of Mr..
Cleveland's administration.
The expenses of the first four years
succeeding the last Democratic Adj
ministration amounted to the enormous
average of S511 100000 per year. This
large expenditure was due to a consid-
cradle extent to the cost of the Span
| ish-American War, which occurred
during that period, but the termination
of that war brought no relief to the
| Treasury, for the average annual eX-
penses of the Government during the
| three subsequent years ending June 30.
1904. were about S519, 100000. which is
the largest sum hitherto reached, dur
ing like period, since the close of the
Civil War.
CONCEALMENT OF CONDITIONS.
This draft upon the revenues of the
country has had the effect which might
have been anticipated, and now we
have presented the reverse of the Stu
alton, which led to the famous obser-
walton, at is q condition. and not
theory, which confronts u.s." for, al
though the present incumbent found at
the close of the first fiscal year, dur
ing which he assumed control of the
administration, a surplus of receipts
over expenditures of more than Sol,-
600 200, there was an excess OF eXpen-
ditures over receipts at the close of the
last fiscal year of Sal 100000, and the
official monthly reports made by the
Treasury Department show that the
expenditures are continuously ana
rapidly increasing, while the receipts
are diminishing.
In this connection it is interesting
to note the recent Administrative or
ders forbidding Government officers
from making public any statement of
estimates on which future appropria-
tons are to be based.
If q man of ordinary intelligence
and prudence should find in the operat-
ing expenses of his business such
tremendous percentage of increase,
would he not promptly set on foot an
inquiry for the cause of the waste, and
take immediate steps to stop it, espe-
cially when trusted employees have
been found dishonest and convicted,
and widespread impression exists
that a thorough investigation may dis
cover other cases Of malfeaSInce?
When the Chief Executive reports 10
Congress that. through fraud, forgeT-
les and perjuries, and by shameless
briberies the law relating to the proper
conduct of the public service in gen
eral, and to the due administration of
the Postoffice Department have been
VIGOROUSLY violated ;" there
was a general popular demand for n
rigid, sweeping investigation by Con-
gress, in addition to that undertaken
by the Executive himself. Such an
investigation the Republican majority
in Congress would not permit, al
though the minority insisted that the
interest of good government demanded
it. And the minority was right. The
liherality. patriotism and National
pride of the people should not be made
an excuse for waste of the public
funds. Official extravaganza is official
crime.
There is not a sentence in the Repub-
lican platform recommending a reduc-
ton in the expenditure of the Govern
ment; not a line suggesting that the
increase in the cost of the War Depart
ment from S34.0o0,0o in 1886 to S115,-
100000 in 1904, should be inquired into:
and not paragraph calling for a thor
ough investigation of those depart
ments of the Government i'll which dis
| honesty has been recently disclosed.
The people, however, can by their
votes, if they desire it, order such an
| investigation and inaugurate a policy
of economy and retrenchment. 1t is
safe to say that this will not be ac-
! cOmplished by endorsing at the polls
the Republican majority of the House
of Representatives which refused the
/ investigation and made the appropria-
| tons, nor by continuing in power the
Administration which made the dis
| bursements.
Reform in expenditures must be had
in the Civil, Military and Naval es-
adjustments in order that the National
expenditures may be brought TO a
basis of peace and the Government
maintained without recourse to the
taxes Of war.