The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-26
REFORM IN COST
OF GOVERNMENT

Twenty eight years have passed since
the Democratic party OF the. state OF. New
mended to the national Democracy the
nomination of Samuel J. Tllden as ITS
candidate for the presidency, and declared
it to be their settled CONVICTION that
return to the constitutional principles,
frugal expenses and administrative pur-
ity of the founders Of the republic is the
first and most impeTloass DUTY OF the
the people Of the Union. Ehis stropg. ex; ;
preston was called forth by the national
expenditures for the year .Il875 which
amounted to $274, O00, AQ0.a situation
which, in the opinion Of 81 malqrity of our
people, justified an imperative demand
for reform in the administration of public
affairs. AS the expenditures of the last
fiscal year amounted toathe enormous to-
tai of $582, 100000, it Is evident that a thor
ough investigation of the public service
and the immediate abandonment of-use-
less and extrayagant. expenditures 81 are
This astounding increase Is tout Of all
proportion to the increased of tour popu-
lation, and finds no excuse from whatever
ASPECT we view. the :sltna ton The nazz
tional Democratic platform, declares that
large reductions can easily be made in
the annual expenditures of the govern
any branch of the public Service . Can
there be. any doubt OF the accuracy of
this statement? Between the expendi-
lures of the year 1886, amounting to $242,.
the seventh after Grover Cleveland ceased
to be president aggregating $5S2. 000, 600.
there is difference so great as to excite
alarm in the breasts of all thoughtful
men. Even excluding the sum of s50,O00.-
600 paid for the Panama canal rights
and to the state of Panama, the. expendf-
lures of the last fiscal year exceeded the
sum of $500, 100000, being more than do,i-
BILE the expenditures of the government
fol-. all purposes during the first year. of
Mr.. Cleveland's administration. sers
The expenses of the first four years
succeeding yfhe last Democratic admin
isration amounted to the enormous aver
age Of $511, 000,0 69 per syear. This large
expenditure was due to d considerable ex-
tent to the cost of the. Spanish4American
but the terminat ton .of THAI, swars brought
no. relief to the treasury, for the aver
age annual expenses Of The government
during the three subsequent years ending
June 80, 1904 were about $519, 100000.
which is the largest sum hitherto reached
during like period since the CLOSE of the
Civil war -.
This draft upon the revenues. of the
country has had the effect Which might
have anticipated. and now We have
which led 10 the, famous observation. at
is a condition. and not "a theory which
confronts u.s. for although the present
incumbent found at the close siof the, first
fiscal year. during which he assumed con-
troll of the administration. al surplus of
receipts over expenditures Of more than
S91, 600 600, there was an excess of ex-
pendituress over receipts at the close OF
the last fiscal year of S41, 100000 and
the official monthly reports made blythe
treasury department show that the .exs
penditures are continuously and rapidly
ishing.
In this connection it is Interesting to
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