The Globe-republican., 1908-09-17
FALSE CHARGE OF
| EXTRAVAGANCE.
Scrutinizing with Microscope to
Pick Flaws in Republican
Record.
Actual Figures Show Increased Ex-
penditures Of Government Con-
sistent with Growth Of
Country.

Dramatically corked uD on the old Is
sues Of free silver, Imperialism and
government ownership of railways, Mr..
Bryan Is scrutinizing the record of Re-
publican administration during the
past twelve years with microscope to
find some peg on which to hang an at
tack. 1t would not be altogether sur
prising II party which had done so
much in this period to advance the
glory and economic progress of the
country had made casual error here
and there. These twelve years have
witnessed the war with Spain, which
gave freedom to Cuba and Porto Rico
and brought the Philippines under
American authority. They have wit
messed the emergence of the country
from depression and financial uncer-'
tainty upon the firm ground of the gold
standard, enacted into law by Re-
puviican Congress They have Witness
ed the erection Of a navy which Is car
rying orr flag with honor around the
world. They have witnessed the ex-
tension of the strong hand over the
railways and the great corporations In
behalf of equality of treatment for all
citizens. In sum and substance, these
twelve years have witnessed for the
average man degree of prosperity and
comfort never before equaled under
any flag in any country since the world
began.
COrte1yOu Punctured Charges.
In picking flaws in this record Mr..
Bryan has taken upon himself to criti-
else the appropriations of the last Con-
gress and to make the declaration that
there was deficit Of some $6000O,000
in the last fiscal year" If Mr.. Bryan
knows what he is talking about. this
reference to deficit is amazingly dis
ingenious. Secretary Cortelyou pune
tured this particular Bryan gas-bag eff
fectively soon after the fiscal year
closed on June 30. He issued a state
ment showing that when the proceeds
Of bonds sold were added to the re-
ceipts from taxation and miscellaneous
sources, and allowance was made for
the reduction Of the public debt, there
was no deficit, but surplus. The ap-
pearance Of deficit was only arrived
at by counting all expenditures for the
Panama Canal and other public works
and failing to count on the side of the
receipts the proceeds Of the bonds sold
for the construction Of the canal. Il
is the custom In nearly every other CIV
ilized government to issue bonds for
all public works, but so large have
been the receipts Of the treasury of the
United States that 1t has been the Gus
tom to pay for these permanent invest
ments Of capital out of current receipts.
1t Is bad system of bookkeeping and
Secretary Cortelyou has announced
that he proposes to correct it. 1t
might have been pardonable for "the
man in the street. to be misled by the
present form of treasury statement. It
is not pardonable on the part of man
who pretends to be a student of public
questions. Mr.. Bryan must either con-
fess himself stupid novice in regard
to public finance or as deliberately
seeking to mislead the people as to
the facts.
General Economic Activity.
The tremendous expansion of mill.
tary and economic activity throughout
the world has undoubtedly led to a
volume of expenditures which calls
for serious consideration In Germany
1t became necessary last spring to issue
a large loan to cover ordinary expendi.
lures and to consider every possible
means of increasing taxation. In
France the ministry even pressed
through the Chambers the dishonest
to tax the coupons of the
public debt, thereby taking back from
he citizen in taxes what it bad prom.
sed to pay him in interest when he
oaned his capital. In Great Britain
'hanges in the rate Of the income tax
lfforded a ready means of adjusting
ncome to expenditures, but the burden
alls heavily first upon the small shop
,eeper and is shifted by him largely to
he masses whom he supplies with
laily necessities. In all these countries
all public works of a per.
nanent character, whether great or
mall, are charged to special accounts
nd are not permitted to cucumber the
tatement of operating expenses or to
id to the weight of taxation on ac-
cunt of their principal.
What Would Bryan Wipe out.
Secretary Cortelyou has already an
ounced that he is having the system
bookkeeping at the Treasury ever.
auled and modernized. All admins.
'ations in the United States are pre-
ented from applying the pruning knife
to expenditures, because
lere is not the complete control of the
ldget by single minister which pre-
ails in Europe. Some steps in this
rection should undoubtedly be taken,
1t few voters are likely to be misled
! to the relative efficiency and inteln.
nee In taking such steps which weuld
, shown by a Bryan administrator