The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-27
DEFENDS TARIFF.
Continued from Page one,

($265, 10000 to help out the revenues
and meet the ordinary expenditures of
the FEDERAL government. That Demo-
cratic tariff law failed to produce the
necessary revenue for even Democratic
simplicity in administration.
President Mckinley was heralded as
the advance agent of prosperity, and
the F1fty-hfth congress that enacted
the Dingley law twelve years ago was
called upon to provide for the extra
ordinary expenditures of the war with
Spain. 1t had to appropriate nearly
half a billion dollars to support our
army and navy in that war; apply war
taxes to meet part of the expenditures
and provide for the government CT
Porto Rico and the Philippines. 1t did
so, and the government also issued
bonds, as it has always done for war
expenditures: but the Dingley law
proved to be the best revenue producer
we have ever had, as the Wilson-Gor-
man law proved to be the poorest. The
Dingley law, which was protective,
brought the total net ordinary revenues
of the federal government from three
hundred and forty-eight million dollars
($34S. 000, 000) in the last year of the Demo-
cratic administration to four hundred
and five million dollars ($405. 000,0 00) in
the first year of the Republican admin
1stration, and notwithstanding the re-
peal of the war taxes in 1901. cutting off
the stamp taxes and reducing the taxes
on tobacco and beer, the total net ordi-
nary revenues under the Dingley law
in 1907 mounted up to six hundred and
sixty-three million dollars 1858 000.O00),
or the greatest revenues ever brought
into th~ federal treasury.
What was the cause? That law gave
protection produced prosperity Mt
home. expanded our foreign commerce,
and enabled the government to extend
its operations to meet many of the
aspirations of the people who clamoreG
for internal improvements. expansion
OF the army undermining of the navy,
protecting the forests and developing
the waste places in the arid region.
Twelve Years of Development.
So the development has gone forward
for twelve years. and the Republican
Sixtieth congress appropriated two bill
lion $4,000, O00. OOO) where the Demo-
cratic Fifty-third congress appropriated
less than one billion dollars ($1,000,000,-
O00).
How did we spend it? Rebuilt tn
navy and reorganized the army at Il
cost of two billion dollars (s2,0000 00,
000): doubled the appropriation for the
naval academies; diverted $50.000,000 for
the revenues for the reclamation of arid
lands: quadrupled the appropriations
for the department of agriculture;
doubled the appropriations for the
diplomatic service; appropriated two
hundred million dollars $500 900 000) for
the construction of the Panama canal;
more than doubled the appropriations
for the postoffice department, with
forty million dollars $40 900 000) a year
for rural free delivery and reduced tho
national debt to less than 1t was before
the election of Mckinley and the war
with Spain.
We have enacted new laws that were
denounced as revolutionary when they
we're under consideration. but which are
now looked upon as falling short OF ex-
pectations. We have enacted rail-
road rate law; a pure food law; secur-
ed the denunciation of the Clayton |
Bulwer treaty which stood in the way
of the Panama canal: and more than
half constructed that great waterway
created the department of commerce
and labor and in that established bu-
reau of corporations which has great
power IN the investigation of corpora
tons; begun rational system of irri-
cation; passed an employers liability
law, a safety appliance law, law lin
iting the working hours of railway en-
pioyes. a meat inspection law, the de-
natured alcohol law. Il law creating |
permanent census bureau, law for
the proper administration of the ma |
tional forestry service. an emergency |
currency law. admitted Oklahoma as |
state. established rural free delivery. |
authorized more public buildings than |
had been constructed by the govern |
ment in all It's previous history, and |
finally enacted a new tariff law, which |
some critics 9erounce because the re- |
auctions are not great enough.
Singularly the critics who insisted |
that the tariff should be further lowered |
are the same critics who are dissatis- |
fed because we have not gone faster |
and farther and appropriated more |
money. Gentlemen. we cannot eat our
cake and have it. If we want to re-
turn to the tariff of 1894. known as the |
Wilson law, we must also return to
the Democratic simplicity of expending
less than five hundred million dollars
$500 900 000) year, or go bankrupt.
Estimates and Appropriations.
Since the enactment of the Dingley
law in 1897 the estimates furnished by
the executive departments have oeen
greater than the appropriations by more
than 4S1 million dollars (S4S1 900 000).
For the fiscal year 1909 the estimates
were IL million dollars (s71000 00o)
greater than the appropriations, and the
treasury deficit was more than go mil
lion dollars $3.50, 000. 000); and for the
present fiscal year the estimates were
50 million dollars Cs59. 000, 00o) greater
than the appropriations while there is
still deficit in the treasury, or great
er expenditures than we have revenues
to meet.
The federal government, with it's ap-
preparations of one billion dollars 81
O00,00000e) a year, is a tremendous or
ganization, with many able, energetic
and enthusiastic men at the head of
the departments and bureaus They all
desire to forward the work they have
IN hand with the utmost expedition,
just as the heads of department in any
great business corporation are energetic
in their efforts. But there must be some
power of adjustment of the revenues to
meet expenditures in the government
well as in every business organiza-
tion, ard the constitution places that
responsibility on congress. Congress
lad not had light task to perform
in adjusting the revenues and making
the necessary cuts in the estimates of
the various departments so as not to
cripple any part of the government and
at the same time conserve the credit
OF the nation.
But in addition to the estimates pre-
scented by the departments under the
mandate of law. every one of the 391
members of the house and the 90 sena-