The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-09-29

second place. Hence the cost of gov
ernment, federal and state, has
grown with startling rapidity. 1t is
but a little while since the people
were startled with billion dollar
congress Now we have a two bill
lion dollar congress. President Ar
thur vetoed river and harbor ap-
preparation bill OF about eighteen
millions. President Taft signed one
of fifty-two millions. 1t is popularly
known as the pork bill" The pres
ident hopes that congress will stop
making it pork bill, but his party
in congress flout his advice, and
well, he signs it under protest. But
his signature answers the purpose of
his pork loving organization.
The total regular annual appro-
priations for the four years of Pres
ident Cleyeland's last term were ST.
S7I ,509,I5S. During President Roose-
velts last term, $3,S42, ,203,577. More
than double, with only eight years
intervening the two terms. In Pres.
ident Roosevelt's term the Office
holding army was increased nearly
one hundred thousand. to be exact,
1925. The added cost was seventy
millions a year.
Put the country is growing, do
YOU say? True but at about the
same rate as during the preceding
eight years under President Cleve-
land and President Mckinley. One
tenth as many office holders sufficed
for both their terms. The added cost
was six millions, instead of seventy
millions.
Senator Aldrich used these words
very recently: If | were a business
man. and could be permitted to do
so, | would run this government
for $3O0,O00,000 less tnan it is Op-
Grated for at present
In the states it is the same way.
Here and there, however, a man
by accident comes into office to
whom country is first and party
second. Governor Hughes will serve
rs an illustration. He makes an hon
est uphill fight for the things he
believes in, and passes on, but his
need OF accomplishment is not at
all satisfactory to him.
The organization finds it each
year more difficult to meet the de-
mands upon it for patronage, place
| and money. Directly or indirectly,
! the ultimate source of supply is
| the state. Hence the annual cost
| of operation increases by leaps that
have no bounds.
with the close of Governor Flow
ev5' administration, December 31st,
/ 1894, the democratic party passed
| from power. Never since has it elect
ed either majority of the legis.
| latute or a governor. Then the gen
eral expenses of the state were $15,.
/ 713,57S.20 This year they were $780,
| l0l,22426, after the governor had
disapproved items aggregating sl,-
| 7l3,7l767.
I'VE see then that after more
than a century OF statehood the
cost of administration was some
thing over fifteen millions, but fif-
teen years of exclusive republican
administration neaI.y doubled the
cost 1t is not surprising that the
governor in his message to the spe-
cial session of the legislature sharp
ly pointed out that the state is rap
idly drifting upon financial rocks
from which it can be reduced only
by direct taxation. Indeed the stu
alton on its face demands retrench-
ment and reform of the Tilden va
riety.
THE millions wasted are beyond
recall, but the future is within the
control of the people. They can
command, if they VIII, a halting
place making TO aid machine con
struction; a reorganization of the
state forces on pracucal lines; the
looping off of useless employees; the
abolition of the present policy OF
a deputy to do the work OF the
chief, then an assistant to do the
work of the deputy, then a chief
clerk to relieve the assistant and
finally clerk TO do all the work
and return generally TO the method
OF 'other days, of conducting affairs
OF the state on economical and prac
teal lines.
The work must not stop there,
however. The people have suffered
in other ways than through the loss
of funds. This has been accomplish
ed in part through the amendments
to statutes to favor special inter