The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-09-26

and the immediate aband onment OF USE
less and extEayagant expenditures are
more necessary now than they were
then. This astounding increase Is out
OF all proportion TO the increase Of our
population. and finds no excuse from
whatever aspect we view the situation.
The national democratic platform de-
clares that "lafge 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 $242,0O0,OOO and those of
the last fiscal year-the seventh after
Grover Cleveland ceased to be President
-aggregating 5s2,OO0.0OO, there is diff
ference so great as to excite alarm in
the breasts of all thoughtful men. Even
excluding the sum Of s5O,OOO.000 paid for
the Panama canal rights and to the
state of Panama, the expenditures OF
the last fiscal year exceeded the sum OF
S532, 0OO, 900, being more than double the
expenditures of the government for all
purposes during the first year OF Mr..
CIeveland's administration.
The expenses of the first four years
succeeding the last democratic admins
tration amounted to the enormous aver
age of ssh, 100000 per year. This large
expenditure was due to a considerable
extent to the cost of the Spanish-Amer-
lean war, which occurred during that
period; but the termination of that war
brought no relief to the treasury, for
the average annual expenses of the gov
eminent, during the three subsequent
years ending June 80, 1904, were about
s519, 00O, 900, which is the largest sum
hitherto reached, during a like period,
since the close of the civil war.
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 situation,
which led to the famous observation,
1T is condition, and not theory,
which confronts us; for, although the
present incumbent found at the close
of the first fiscal year, during which he
assumed control Of the administration,
surplus of receipts over expenditures
of more than $91, 100000, there was an
excess Of expenditures over receipts at
the close Of the last fiscal year of SILL
100000, and the official monthly reports
made by the treasury department show
that the expenditures are continuously
and rapidly increasing, while the re-
ceipts are diminishing.
In this connection It is interesting to
note the recent administrative orders
forbidding government officers from
making public any statement Of esti-
mates on which future appropriations
are to be based.
If man of ordinary intelligence and
prudence should find In the operating
expenses Of his business such a tremen-
dous percentage of increase, would he
not promptly set on foot an inquiry for
the cause of the waste. and take imme-
date measures to stop it, especially
when trusted employees have been found
dishonest and convicted, and a wide-
spread impression exists that thor
ough investigation may discover other
cases Of malfeasance? When the Chief
Executive reported to congress that,
through frauds, forgeries and PERU
les, and by shameless briberies the laws
relating to the proper conduct of the
public service In general, and to the due
administration Of the post-office depart-
ment have been VIGOROUSLY violated
J. there was a general and popular
demand for a rigid, sweeping investiga-
10 h on
dertaken by the Executive himself.
Such an investigation the republican
majority in congress would not permit,
although the minority insisted that the
interests Of good government demanded
1T. And the minority was right The
liberality, patriotism and national pride
of the people should not be made an ex-
cise for waste Of the public funds. Of
fetal extravaganza is official crime,
There is not sentence in the repub-
lican platform recommending q reduc-
ton In the expenditures Of the govern
ment; not line suggesting that the in
crease in the cost of the war DEPART
ment from $34,000,oo0 In 1886 to $115,000,-
600 in 1904, should be inquired into; and
not paragraph calling for a thorough
investigation Of those departments of
the government in which dishonestty
has been recently disclosed.
The people, however, can by their
votes, If they desire it, order such an in
vestigation and inaugurate policy of
economy and retrenchment. 1t is safe
to say that this will not be accom-
plished BY endorsing at the polls the re-
publican majority of the house Of rep
resentatives which refused the investi-
cation and made the appropriations, nor
BY continuing in power the administra-
ton which made the disbursements.
Reform in expenditures must be had
in the civil, military and naval es-
Establishments in order that the national
expenditures may be brought to a basis
OF peace and the government MAIN
tanned without recourse to the taxes of
war.
Conclusion.
\ / have put aside a eongenial work, to
which had expected to devote my life,
in order to assume, as best I can, the
responsibilities your convention put
upon me.
/ solicit the cordial cooperation and
generous assistance of every man who
believes that change of measures and
of men at this time would be wise, and