The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-02-26
PRESENT SESSION OF CONGRESS
WILL EXCEED ALL FORMER.
ENORMOUS APPROPRIATIONS
One Hundred Million Dollars More
Than any Previous session-Next
Year 1t is Expected to be
Two Billion Dollar One.
Ardmoreite Special.

| ArdmOrelte special.
Washington, ID. c., Feb. 26.-Char.
les Foster of Ohio, when secretary
of the treasury, once replied to a
criticism of the democratic opposi
tion to the effect that the appropria
tions of congress 1.-TWO sessions)
had aggregated nearly a billion dol
lars, saying:
This is a billion dollar country"
Were Charles Foster now secreta.
ry of the treasury he probably would
answer similar criticism by say.
ing:
This is a two billion dollar coun.
try"
In any event that is substantially
what it amounts to- The appropria
tions of the present session of con
gress will exceed by more than $780,.
100000 those of any previous session
in the history of the country. II they
should be as great next year as they
are this, the two billion dollar mark
practically will have been reached.
The appropriation bills have pro-
lgressed sufficiently to indicate that
every one of them will exceed in the
aggregate Of the money appropriate
ed in any similar measure that ever
was enacted into law. This Is due, as
is explained by members of congress
and as must be evident to any oh.
SERVER who follows the trend of the
times, not to extravaganza ON the
part of congress, but to the phenomi.
nal growth of the country
America really has become two
billion dollar country. In the past ten
years the country has expanded in
a wonderful degree. Not only have
the needs of the people increased,
in governmental lway, but their
capacity to supply these needs also
has increased correspondingly. Enor.
nous appropriations have been made
by congress at the present session,
but they are no larger than the lie.
ceipts of the government fully war
rant. Speaker Cannon, who, of all
men. could not be charged justly
with extravaganza said a day or two
ago that the government was a great
and growing business, the expense OF
which naturally increased as the bus
mess increased.
That was his way for accounting
for the increased appropriations au-
thorized by congress. OF course, the
present congress has authorized ex-
penditures that really cannot be
charged to the development of the
lcountry, such as the fifty per cent
increase in the salaries of senators
iNd representatives, the $4,000, 600
increase in the pension roll, and
some items in the river and harbor
bill; but, as Senator Cannon express
ed it. They all make for the bet
Iterment of the condition of the peo-
Iple." The appropriations for the ma
ivy this year are exceptionally large,
the expenditure of about 0,000, 900
for additional great war vessels be.
ing authorized. This money will be
spent directly among the American
people and will be a factor in their
prosperity.
The usual apprehension is being
felt that congress will not be able
in the few days left of this session
to complete its necessary work; but
here again Speaker Cannon interpos-
es word which indicates that no
difficulty of that kind need be anti
cipated.
I'VE will finish our work" said
he, "and when we get through ad.
journment time will be here
Among the leaders of both the SEN
ate and the house there is no thought
of an extraordinary session to at
tend to work that may remain un-
finished when the congress shall eX-
lpire by limitation on the 4th of
March. A deal of talk usually is eX-
pended in the early part of any ses-
sion OF congress, but when adjourn
ment time approaches business is
disposed of at an astonishing rate of
speed, particularly by the senate.
When full account of the work is
taken, it will be found that the Fiji
ty.Ninth congress is one Of the most
memorable in the history of the
country. Lines of precedent have
been broken and results have been
achieved that, few years ago, would
have been impossible. This, in the
opinion of. members of congress them
selves, has been due in considerable
part to change in the spirit of the
people, but no small portion OF the