The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-31
BRYAN POINTS OUT
EXTRAvAGANCE Of
REPUBLICAN PARTY
Tells Farmers at State Fair in
Minnesota of Vast Sum
for Army.
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
HAS ECONOMY PLANK
Quotes Figures to Show That
Last Congress Has Record
for Expenditures.

ST. PAUL, Mimi, Aug. 31.-William
j. Bryan is Minnesota's guest today.
He was met at the station by Governor
Johnson, former Governor John Lind,
National Committeeman f. Il. Lynch,
Mayor Daniel Lawlor and other notable
Democrats. He was entertained at
breakfast at the Minnesota Club. At
moo Mr.. Bryan was the guest of honor
at a luncheon given by MIR. Lynch at
the Merchants Hotel, the interval be-
tween breakfast and luncheon being
occupied by Mr.. Bryan, Governor John
son and other party leaders in a con-
ference over the political situation in
the State as affecting the interests of
Governor Johnson and the national
ticket.
Speaking at the Minnesota State fair
he said in part:
Republicans silent on Subject.
The Democratic platform makes Re-
publican extravaganza one of the is
sues of the present campaign. The
Republican platform is silent on the
subject and naturally so. to have
promised economy would have been a
mockery, and to nave defended the APP
preparations made by the last Congress
would have been impossible. The
Fifty-first Congress was commonly
called the Billion Dollar Congress, the
appropriations made by that Congress
during two years, amounting for the
first time to a billion dollars, or five
hundred million dollars a year.. The
extravaganza Of that Congress con-
tributed to the overwhelming victory
/ won by the Democrats in the campaign
of 1890. The last Congress, however,
has made a new record in eXtrGva-
gance. In spite of a deficit of more
than sixty millions in the last fiscal
year the appropriations made during
the last session amount to more than
a billion dollars, or twice as much as
the appropriations for a single session
of the Fifty-first Congress.
While this tendency to extravaganza
manifests itself in nearly all depart
ments, it is especially noticeable in the
army department and the navy de-
partment. The army is more than
twice as large as in 1896 and the appro-
priations for the army more thar 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.
Our platform also calls attention to
the fact that $4,000 new offices have
been created at an expense of $40, 900, coo
a year, as against an increase of 10, 900
new offices, with salaries amounting to
So, 900, 900 in the Cleveland and Mckinley
administrations.
Why is it that the Republican party
is so much more -eXtravagant than the
Democratic party in the expenditure
of public money? First, because Re-
publican leaders are more Intimately
associated with the ~taX-eaters than
with the taxpayers.
Platform Pledges Economy.
The Republican leaders have taught
the doctrine that taxation is an unal-
loyed good. They nave tried to cult
vate a public opinion to support the
idea that tariff taxes on the theory
that even when not needed for reve-
nue. are a direct advantage to the pro-
tected interests and an indirect adj
vantage 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 pos
sible.
The Democratic party is in a position
to bring reform in tho matter of ex-
p~enditures. 1t believes that a tax is
defensible only when necessary and
that 1t should be reduced to the lowest
limits consistent with good govern
ment. Our party is pledged to reduc-
ton in appropriations and to economy
in every department of government,
and our position ought to appeal with
special force to those Of our population
who are engaged in agriculture.