Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-31
SPEAKS AT STATE FAIR
Discusses Appropriations by Con.
gress.
SOME NEW OFFICES CREATED
Criticises Increase Of Expenditures
Of the Military Estab-
lishment.


the day at the state fair grounds was an
address by Mr.. Bryan. his theme being
governmental extravaganza. The weather
had cleared by this time and vast
throng assembled to hear the democratic
candidate. who was cheered continuously
He spoke from a platform erected espe-
cially for the occasion at the corner OF
Smelling and Langford avenues. outside
the fair grounds gates. b. F. Nelson OF
the State Fair Association presided over
the meeting and introduced Gov Johnson.
who in turn introduced Mr.. Bryan. On
the platform were a number of distiu-
guished Minnesotans.
Republican Extravagance.
Mr.. Bryan said: 1.-The democratic plat
form makes republican extravagance one
Of the issues of the present campaign.
The republican platform is silent on the
subject. and naturally so; to have prom
Used economy would have been a mock
cry. and to have defended the appropria-
tons made by the last Congress would
have been impossible. The Fifty-frst
Dollar Congress The appropriations made
by that Congress covered two years.
amounting for the first time to a billion
dollars. or five hundred million dollars q
year. The extravaganza Of that Con-
gress contributed to the overwhelming
victory won by the democrats In the cam
paign of 1890. The last Congress. how
ever. has made a new record i'm extrava-
gance. In spite of a deficit of more than
sixty millions in the last fiscal year. the
appropriations made during the last ses-
sion amount to more than billion dol
lars. or twice as much as the appropria-
lions for a single session Of the Fifty
first Congress. The increase over the
hofo ,,ivo vv,f1l Ant
showing a growth in expenditures far In
excess of the growth of the population.
While this tendency to extravaganza
manifests itself in nearly all departments,
1t Is especially noticeable in the army de-
partment and the navy department. The
army is more than twice as large as in
1896 and the appropriations for the army
more than three times as great as they
were eleven years ago. The expenses OF
the navy are also about three times what
they were a decade ago. The increase in
the appropriations for the army and navy
alone are $120.OO0.OOO year in excess OF
what they were in 1897. ihe imperialis-
tic policy for which the republican party
is responsible is the only excuse for this
enormous and increasing drain upon the
taxpayers
"Our platform also calls attention to
the fact that $4,000 new Offices have been
created at an expense of $IO.OOOOOO
year. as against an increase of 10000 new
Offices with salaries amounting to $1,000
600 in the Cleveland and Mckinley ad-
ministrations.
Grievances Of Farmers.
while every element Of our population
suffers to greater or less extent because
Of the unnecessary expenditures OF the
government, the farmers have special
reason for complaint. because they Day
more than their share of taxes collected
and receive less than their share OF the
benefits which flow from the expenditure
OF the corporation. Nearly all OF our fed
erai revenues. excepting postal receipts.
are collected from internal revenue taxes
and import duties, and these are taxes
upon consumption. Taxes upon consump.
ton always overburden those OF moderate
means and underburden the rich. II the
federal taxes could be separated from the
price OF the article in which they are con-
cealed and each persons per capita tax
be shown it would be found that the fed
eral tax now collected would be In effect
a graduated income tax. the largest per
comes and the least per cent upon the
large incomes. And to aggravate the case
still more the appropriations which UNI
fairly Cypress the farmers are spent in
cities. SO that the farmer enjoys few indi-
rect benefits from the appropriations and
scarcely any direct benefits.
Causes Of Extravagance.
why Is lt tnat the republican party 10
so much more extravagant than the demo-
cratic party in the expenditure OF public
money? There are two reasons: First.
because republican leaders are more in
timately associated with the tax eaters
than with the tax payers. They hear the
hungry clamor of the men who spend
money more than they do the protests Of
the masses who contribute revenues.
But there is second reason: The re-
publican leaders have taught the doctrine
that taxation Is an unalloyed good. They
have tried to cultivate a public opinion to
support the idea that tariff taxes on the
theory that even when not needed for
revenue are direct advantage to the pro-
tected interests and an indirect advan-
tage to the whole country. 1t is not
strange that people who consider taxation
a blessing would be inclined to make the
blessing as large as possible.
THE democratic party Is In q position
to bring reform in the matter Of expen-
ditures. 1t believes that tax Is defensi-
BILE only when necessary, and that IL
should be reduced to the lowest limits
consistent with good government. Our
party Is pledged to reduction in appro-
priations and to economy in every depart
ment Of government and our position
ought to appeal with special force to
those Of our population who are engaged