Bisbee daily review., 1908-06-13
What. the First Session of the 60th Congress Did and What It Failed to Do Equally
 Instructive.
APPROPRIATION BIG;
 TREASURY DEPLETED
Passage of the Currency Bill Was a SCandalouS Piece
 of Legislation at Best.
(SDecial to Review


 WASHINGTON, D. C., June 12.- What the first session of the Six tieth Congress did, and what it failed to do, are equally instructive. Its ac- tiyities resulted in the expenditure of enc billion, eight million dollars of the the peoples money, and in the pass age q the Vreeland-Aldich currency bill, the most scandalous piece of leg islation in our history. Its other achievements are, In comparison with these, too trifiing to merit attention.
 Notwithstanding the depleted con dition of the treasury, the appropria- tions made at the session just ended exceeded those of the previous ses- sion to the extent of 90 million dol lars, and saddled the country with a deficit of nearly 70 millions. Since 1893, there has been an increase in annual expenditures of 40 per cent, while the population of the country has increased only r. per cent. Is it any wonder that the government is practically bankrupt
 But the extent of this increase is not so disquieting as the nature of it, for it is largely due to the growth of militarism, the hans of free govern ments. Within six years the expendi. lures for the army have increased 416 millions. and those of the navy 42s millions; being 137 per cent. Increase for the army. and 236 per cent. for 1 the navy. In other words, the Re pubicans have squandered upon mili tarism within six years over one bill lion, three hundred million dollars.
 For the development of bureaucracy the increase of expense has been pro portionately great This year 23,7S4 new offices were created at a cost oi 16,165,000 Since 1903, the total l number of new offices created, ex elusive of commissions, has been 99, 319. requiring an increase in the gov 1 ernment's pay roll amounting to 7C millions.
 In all these matters the majority in congress have acted under the | whip and spur of President RoOse l velt. Indeed, congress has not gone as far as he would nave had it gt | "a the direction Of expenditures foI militarism and bureaucracy. Tho presidents policies. which are un
 fortunately, praised by Mir. Bryan II the hope of falling heir to the presI | dents power and salary, have beer | very expensive luxuries: But so lons 1 as these policies meet with the ap 1 proval of the leading candidates | for the presidential office, the people who pay the bills. will hardly com plain of vastly greater waste of theil money.
 Mir. Tawney and Senator Hale have
 warned their, partisans against tht evil consequences of such extrava gance, but in vain. Large appropria 1 tionsmean fat campaign budgets, anC | therein lies the worst feature o hem. The people not only contribute 1 the money with which the dominan | party buys the influence of corpor l ations and mercenaTy party leaders 1 but are themselves demoralized as { 1 result oE large corruption fundi which corporations give in exchangt | for fayOTs.
 1 Now, as to waat congress failed tC | To. It did not pass any law compell ing publicity in campaign contribu | ions. It did not revise the tariff. I
 lid not pass any act affecting the is
 suance of injunctions in labor dis putes or against officers acting in i pursuance of state laws. In fine, il
 Tespised the petitions of the people asking for redress of grievances, a1G l vet it sought to cajole the petitioner! l oy promising to do everything they | demanded at some, more convenient ] 5Cssion after the presidential cleo
 ion These derelictiOHs of duty
 would not have happened had not the | Republicans expected the nomina ton of Mir. Bryan, at Denver, and be iieved that he could be easily de | feated.