The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-05
Where WIN It Ends

New Orleans Times Democrat.
Mr.. Jefferson, enumerating In his
were needed to make us "a happy and
prosperous people," reminded his fell
low citizens that "a wise and frugal
government Is necessary Ito close the
In his first inaugural message he re-
counted the efforts he had made to-
ward economy. "Other reformations
Of the same kind" he added, will be
pursued with that caution which Is re-
to injure what is retained. .
Considering the general tendency to
multiply Offices and dependencies and
to increase expense to the ultimate
term of burden which the citizen can
Of every occasion which presents itself
for taking of the surcharge." And
in his second inaugural he was able
to report that "the suppression of un-
ments and expenses, enabled US to dis
continue our internal taxes" That
the great Democrat made wise discrim-
nation between necessary and unnec-
essary expense, between true and false
economy, Is we'll enough shown by his
advocacy Of the Louisiana purchase, In
volving public outlay accounted huge
In his day. We have gone far since
the Sage of Monticello preached the
necessity of wise and frugal govern
ment." Many of the Federal expendi.
lures of today he would. approve as
wise and necessary. no doubt. But
does anyone believe that he would sane.
ton that amendment to the urgent de-
fciency bill adopted yesterday by the
Senate without comment. appropriate
ing $4,000 for the maintenance of au-
tomobiles for the President and
Speaker of the House?
The theory Of economy in public ex-
penditures is still popular enough In
the abstract. but 1t is consistently ig-
nored by the Congress in practice. Nor
Is Congress solely to blame for the
tremendous increase of Government ex-
penses of late years. Voters who de-
nounce congressional extravaganza
clamor with the next breath for appro-
priations on the grand scale, and the
popular approval Of allotments in mill
lions naturally encourages congress
sional liberality in the matter of such
trifiing allowances as this $4,000 for
the benefit of the Vice-President and
wise regard for the public welfare which
counsels immense outlays In beneficent
public works ought for that very rea-
son to compel the elimination of I'M
necessary expense against which JEFF
ferson set his face. Multiplicity of
petty allowances for useless things
will increase expense to the ultima to
term OF burden which the citizen can
bear" quite as surely as would the in
sensate squandering of the public
trea ARE In lump sum.
Because 1t emphasizes the prevalent
tendency to extravaganza, and opens
the way to further and almost unlim-
tied excesses. the appropriation of a
sum otherwise unimportant for the BEN
eft of the two presiding officers de-
mands public attention. No obligation
whatever rests upon the nation to sup
ply them with autom obiles for their
personal use or to maintain a garage
for their benefit. If Congress Is Jus.
titled in voting an appropriation of that
sort for its presiding officers, 1t would
be equally Justified In providing the
same establishment for each Of its
members. and. when that is done, for
all and several of the Federal officers,
of whatever degree, who fancy that
means of transit. II the precedent be
now established, where can the line be
drawn? The economies to be effected
by the Presidents reported insistence
upon retrenchment In departmental ex.
penditures will be useless II the Ma
tional Legislature is encouraged TO
endless multiplication OF these useless
petty drains upon the public purse
and. unless the tendency is sharply re-
buked by the public. the allowance for
useless things" may very soon in
crease the government expense to the
ultimate term of burden which the
citizen can bear"