The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-01-19
EXPENDITURES.
mo. l.,

The weakest point in American
character is it's lack of judgment
in matters of expenditure, and this
weakness permeates both public
and private life. The average
American is an injudicious spender
of money. Countless individuals
show the most acute wisdom In
making money and the most con-
sumate folly in spendingit. Legis-
lative bodies often manifest remark
able foresight and conservatism in
raising revenue and the greatest
imbecility in spending it. In al
most every home in the land more
is spent for ornament than utility.
At every banquet more is expended
for wines, flowers and music than
for eatables. l have known many
a man to walk down town to save
nickel car fare and then buy him.
self fifteen-cent cigar as reward
for his economy. A man will jour
with his wife because she wants five
cents worth of kid hair curriers' and
then buy half-dozen ten-cent drinks
for himself and friends to get him.
self in good humor with himself.
Much more money is spent in
political campaigns for cigars and
other unnecessaries than is spent in
hotel and livery expenses. In
every department of the govern
ment as much or more is spent
every year for unnecessaries as for
necessaries. l have listened to
Congressman rave over the ex-
travagance of an extra negro janitor
at dollar and a half a day and
have seen them vote an appropria-
ton of hundred thousand dollars
for an absolutely useless purpose
with as little urging as it takes to
get an urchin to 60 to base ball
game when his favorite is going to
pitch for the home team. Citizens
and legislatures are subject to fits
of economy when economy is ex-
travagance, and at times are reck-
lessly extravagant when economy
would be virtue. Puck must
have been listening to congress
sional debate on expenditures when
he exclaimed, "What fools these
mortals be-"
The legitimate expenses of the
government are:
The Civil Service,
Military and Naval Service,
Improvement of Rivers and Har.
bors,
Erection and Maintenance of
Public Buildings,
Postal Service,
Government Printing.
By Civil Service / mean the
salaries of the civil officers of the
government and the incidental ex.
pense of maintaining the Executive,
Judicial and Legislative. depart
ments of the government. The
salaries of these officers as a general
proposition are not too high, but
as "a rule they are high enough.
The salary of an elective Office
should be placed at such a figure
as to fairly pay for the services
rendered but never high enough to
induce men to run for office, and
especially legislative offices, fol-
the: salary alone. When a man
becomes a lawmaker for the sole
object of making money he will
not be circumscribed by his salary
no matter how large it may be.
Much has been said about the
insuficiency of the Presidents
salary and the salaries of governors
of the different states, but we have
always been able to fill these offices
with fairly creditable men at the
price paid and l never heard of one
being obliged to borrow money
to get his shirts out of the laundry
1t is no doubt true that the
Judges of the Supreme Court could
make more practicing their profes
sion than acting as judges, but they
were not compelled to become
judges; they could have remained
in the practice of law had they
preferred doing so. There is not q