La Junta tribune., 1908-09-19
false clv|ReE Of
H1FlIAeAAct
SerstisIzlss witA MleresesSs to
PSek Flaws h ReDGblIeaa
Actual Figures 1hev Increased Ex.
psnditurss u 0ovsrnMsat Con-
sistsnt With Growth q
Country.

(Troa Gov. HugheS Ysussstow1 Speech,
HermetIcally corked up on the old is.
sues OF free silver. Imperialism and
government ownership Of railways, Mr..
Bryan II scrutinixing 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 wltS
messed the emergence OF the country
from depression and financial uncer.
tninty upon the firm ground Of the gold
standard. enacted Into law by q Re
publican Congress. They have withess-
ed the erection Of a navy which Is car.
ryIng or dag with honor around the
world. They have witnessed the ex.
tension OF the strong hand over the
railways ard 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 a degree OF prosperity and
comfort never before equaled under
any Gag in any country since the world
began.
COrtelyoa PsnctareA Charges.
In picking fiawsrin this record Mr..
Bryan has taken upon himself to crit-
else the appropriations Of the last Con
gress and to make the declaration THAT
there was deficit OF some $GOOOQ.0o0
In the last fiscal year." II Mr.. Bryan
knows what he In talking about. this
reference to a deficit In amasingly dis
Ingenious. Secretary Cortelyou pune
tured this particular Bryan gas-bag ef-
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 dencit, but surplus. The ap-
pearance Of deficit was only arrived
nt 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 1t
Is the custom in nearly every other civ
Hlxed government to issue bonds for
all public works. but 20 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 a bad system OF bookkeeping and
Secretary COrtelyou has announced
that he proposes 10 correct 1t. II
might have been pardonable for "the
man In the street. to be misled by the
present form Of treasury statement. 1t
is not pardonable ON the part Of man
who pretends to be a student OF public
questions. Mr.. Bryan must either con
fess himself a stupid novice in regard
to public finance or as deliberately
seeking to mislead the people as to
the facts.
General Ecoaenis 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 apring 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
proposition to tax the coupons of the
public debt, thereby taking back from
the citizen in taxss what It bad prom
ised to pay him In interest when he
loaned his capital. In Great Britain
changes in the rate Of the income tax
Afforded ready means Of adjusting
income to expenditures, but the burden
falls heavily first upon the saall shop
keeper and il shifted BY him largely to
the masses whom he supplies with
daily necessities- In all thsss countries
substantially all public WORKS of per
manent character. whether great or
small. are charged to speeial accounts
and ars not permitted 10 sncumber the
statement Of opezating expsnses or te
add 10 tAs weight Il taxGtjon on ac
count u their principal
wAas wsusA Ds5aa Wis out'
Secretary Costelyoa hss already an
nounced NAT he = haying tne syster
Of bookkeeping at tas Tfeasufy over
hauled and modexnise1. An admins
trations In The United 0tatn are pre-
vented fro0 applying IT, peuning knife
resolutely to expenditures. because