The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-10-08

expenditures for the year 1919, which
amounted to 274,O0O, ,000-a situation
which, in the opinion of a ma jority 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 $5S2, 100000, it 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 in the annual expenditures of
the Government without impairing 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 S242, 100000, and
those of the last fiscal year-the sew
enth after Grover Cleveland ceased to
be President - aggregating $5S2,OOO,-
900, there is a difference so great as to
excite alarm in the breasts of all
thoughtful men. Even excluding the
sum of $50,0O0,000 paid for the Pan
ANA Canal rights and to the State or
Panama. the expenditures of the last
fiscal wear exceeded the sum of S532.-
100000. being more than double the
expenditures of the Government for all
purposes during the first year of Mr..
Clevelands administration.
The expenses of the first four years
succeeding the last Democratic Ad-
ministration amounted to the enormous
average of $511. 100000 per year. This
large expenditure was due to consid-
erable extent TO the cost of the Span
! isl-American War. which occurred
during that period, but the termination
| of that war brought no relief to the
Treasury. for the average annual eX-
Denses of the Government during the
| three subsequent years ending June 3O,
1904, were about $519, 100000, which is
| the largest sum hitherto reached, dur
| ing Il 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. 'It is Il condition. and not a
! theory. which confrOnts us" for. al
| though the present incumbent found al
! the close of the first fiscal year, dur
| ing which he assumed control or the
! administration, Il surplus of receipts
| over expenditures of more than S9l.-
| ON0. OO0 there was an excess of eXpen-
| ditureS over receipts at the close OF the
| last fiscal year of $41, 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 OF
! dcrs forbdding Government ofhcers
| from making public any statement OF
estimates on which future approprla'
/ tiOns are TO be based.
If n man of ordinary intelligence
| and prudence should find in the operat
! ing expenses of his business such a
tremendous percentage of increase
would he not promptly set on foot al
| inquiry for the cause of the waste, ano
take immediate steps TO stop 1t, espe
cialIy when trusted employees have
been found dishonest and convicted
and widespread impression exists
that Il thorough investigation may dls
cover other cases of malfeasance
| When the Chief Executive reports tt
Congress that, Through fraud, forger
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 beel
| nOtoriously violated -, theft
was Il general popular demand for
rigid, sweeping investigation by Con
rress. in addition to that undertaken
by the Executive himself. Such al
investigation the Republican majority
in Congress would not permit, al
though the minority insisted that the
interest of good government demanded
ii. And the minority was right. Inc
liberaIity. patriotism and Nationa
pride of the people should not be made
an excuse for waste of the public
funds. Official extravaganza is otf1cla
crime.
There is not sentence in the Repub
lican platform recommending q reduc
ton in the expenditure of the Govern
ment: not line suggesting that tht
increase in the cost of the War Depart
ment from S34,0OO,0O0 in 1886 to $115,
OC0, 900 in 1904, should be inquired into
and not paragraph calling for thor
ough investigation of those depart
ments of the Government in which dis
honesty has been recently disclosed.
The people, however, can by theil
votes, if they desire it, order such al
investigation and inaugurate policy
of economy and retrenchment. 1t il
| safe to say that this will not be nc
complished by endorsing at the poll;
the Republican majority of the House
of Representatives which refused the
investigation and made the appropria
tions, nor by continuing in power thu
Administration which made the dis
bursements.
Reform in expenditures must be hat
in the Civil, Military and Naval es
Establishments in order that the Nationa
expenditures may be brought to
basis of peace and the Government
maintained without recourse to the
| taxes of war.
CONCLUSION.