The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-06
FRIDAY. MAY 6, 1904.
THE PARTY OF ExrRAvAeANcE.

THE PARTY OF EXTRAVAGANCE
The record made by the Republican
party at the last session of congress
is one of phenomenal prodigality in
appropriations. Let it be remembered
that every effort was made by the
leaders to cut down expenditure with
a view to the coming election. Every
necessary expense that could be post
poned was put over, like tariff reform,
until after November. Members who
had axes to grind and jobs to get
through were told that they must re-
strain their appetites for one session
longer. The river and harbor bill was
sent to the rear, and all the enormous
power given by the strict Republican
system of discipline to the party lead
ers was exercised to keep appropria-
lions down. 1t is only fair to assume
that, with big river and harbor bill,
heavy deficiencies already in sight,
probable ship subsidy appropriations,
which were also deferred for a few
months, the deficit created by the pres
ident's pension order and few other
trif1es of this sort, the appropriations
of the next session of congress will
exceed those of this session by at least
$1OO,OOO,OOO.
Let us see now where the country
stands financially. This economical
session, this session in which rational
members we're constantly pressing
down on the brakes, this session which
was adjourned three months earlier
than usual in order to put check on
expenditure, made appropriations near
ly $6OOOO,OOO greater than those of
the extravagant session which preceded
it. Every effort toward economy has
been in vain. The records of past
extravaganza have been broken. The
grand total of appropriations made for
the fiscal year about to begin is only a
little short Of sSOO,OOO,OOO. This is more
than $75,O0o,O0O in excess of the esti-
mated income. 1t is open to demon
stration that at the present rate of
growth in expense, and with the meas
ures to which the Republican party al
ready stands pledged. the next congress
will put us upon a basis of outgo of a
billion dollars a year.
There is no end to this sort of
thing and no salvation from bankruptcy
except by turning out a party through
whose fingers money constantly runs
like water. A Republican administra-
ton has grown constitutionally incapa-
BILE of an economical conduct of ma
tional affairs. 1t has learned to deal
in sums of eight and nine figures only.
The trusts have taught it their sys-
tenn of Enumeration. Tariff robbery has
magnif1ed the proportions of its in
come until it believes that there ia
no bottom to the treasury. The fasten-
Ing upon 1t of every 1eech in the coun-
try, the incorporation into 1t of meth
DDS Of graft such. as have been dis
closed in the postoffice and interior
departments, have so deteriorated its
moral tone that a little bill to take
from one to ten millions unnecessarily
from the treasury is regarded as
scarcely worth the trouble of opnos-
ing. Beyond question this country
is on the way to national bankruptcy
or to the imposition of heavy direct
taxes unless halt Is called.
There would be little complaint were
the enormous amounts now used ex-
pended honestly. but that every need
of cur government and our people can
be met by the use of S500.0O0 900
year is plain and demonstFable
truth. This, then. should be one of the
foremost issues of Democracy. Eveu
though we be so rich that our re-
sources and our credit cannot be en-