Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-06-03
THE CLOSE OF CONGRESS.

unprecedented for extravaganza and
profligacy. The appropriations for
the fiscal year amount to over one
billion dollars-in round figures,
1,O0S,S04,S94 What will the peo-
pie Of this country answer this fall
to the unprecedented expenditure OF
their funds?
Unquestionably this will have it's
political bearing, and justly so, for
our government has long since
ceased to be government by the
people, save in so far as 1t conforms
in outward appearance to the time
honored, but almost forgotten, re-
quirements Of the Constitution,
which established our government as
one "of the people, for the people,
and by the people" Extreme parti-
sanship has long since changed this
to be "of the party, for the party,
and by the party" and to-day the
Republican party has staring it In
the face, on the very eve Of election,
a record Of profligacy, waste and
"ohtoh SSli dGuhCS
in our whole history.
Are the people to blame for this
extreme to which their chosen repre-
sentatives have gone? Is it their
wish that the Federal pension pay
roll shall Systematically increase as
the number Of legal pensioners de-
creases? That the army and navy ap-
preparations must be made a drain
on the country, doubling and treb-
ling as the years go by? This has
been the case for years, until this
year the limit seems to have been
reached.
The remarks of Mr.. Fitzgerald, Of
New York, Democratic member of
til, Appropriations Committee, just
before the close Of the sixtieth ses-
sion of Congress, show in a very
concise manner something Of the po-
litical bearing Of the results OF the
session. After arraigning merciless-
ly the Republican party for what he
stigmatized as shameful squander-
ing OF the public funds" he predicted
n staggering deficit impending. and
denounced the executive department
of the Republican Congress. Con-
cluding, he said:
THE Congress- is now about to
adjourn. This session has been the
most profligate IN our history. En-
traVagance has run riot; the trea-
sury has been deple ted; the public
money has been shamefully squan-
dered.
1.-The responsibility rests with the
Republican party. 1t cannot evade
the issue.
''The appropriations for the next
fiscal year aggr. gate the enormous
sum OF $1,0OS, S,S04,S94, as against
aggregate estimates by departments
Of S1,077, ,449,2S8. Never but once
in our history did the expenditures
OF our government reach the thou
sand-million-dollar mark.
After the war with Spain, under
the Presidency of Theodore Roose-
welt, the cost Of maintaining the
government for the four following
years was 10 per cent greater than
during the same period when the war
waged. Evidently, Mr.. Speaker,
some things are expensive and come
high.
Under Cleveland the per capita
appropriations for the army for four
years were $l.35; for the navy
S1.54; for Notifications 20 cents;
the average per capita for three
years was $500.
"Under Roosevelt, In his second
administration. per capita appropria-
tions for the army for the four year
period are 1886, more than two and
a half times the amount under Cleve-
land; for the navy, $4.91, more than
three times the amount under Cleve-
land; for Notifications 80 cents,
more than 80 per cent increase over
Cleveland; and the average per
capita cost for the three services un-
der Roosevelt is $500, two and one
fourth times as great as under Cleve-
land"
These facts and figures present
forcible appeal to the people OF the
United States to stop ard think.
What does the future hold in store?
Certainly We can expect nothing at
the hands of the Republican party.
Year after year since the last Demo-
cratic administration the Republi-
cans have held, unfcttered and un-
restrained, the rcins OF government,
and year after year expenditures and
extravaganza have increased.
The Republican party stands for
extravaganza for the simple reason
that it is the party of the eXtrava-
giant, and few men rise above their
party. Neither Of the Republican
Presidential possibilities is capable
Of rising above his party as did the
lamcnted Mckinley, and the people