Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-25
Tuesday, February IS, 1918.
A RefuddIed Democracy.

promise to be so large. That is
matter of political moment. II mas
been figured that. as the SITUATION
now stands. the appropriations VIII
amount IN about s1,100, 100000 or
something over a hundred million
dollars more than Congress has ever
before appropriated during any one o.
ire sessions. The Democratic chagrin
is all the keener because of the
economy plank in the Baltimore plat
form. AS to promises of economy in
government Democratic professions
have broken down. That is more or
less serious and must be reckoned
with when another campaign comes
around.
OF course there is this outlet: The
Republican Senate can be blamed for
the Republican, Senate has to share
responsibility for the moneys voted
out of the treasury go Then before
there is another general campaign
(Which will be in 1910 Democrat
will have had a session of Congress 81
their own and they can make mp a
record of appropriations then with
which To go before the country
will be more important to the Demo-
cratic party to keep down appro-
pfiations during the session, which
begins next December and ends year
from next summer, because that IS
what the country will be noticing
chiefly in the connection with econ
omy.
The list of plans for spending money
could be multiplied. II is now set
tied. or as good as that. that the next
Congress at its extra session will en-
act an income tax law. The states
have recently ratified the income tax
amendment Roughly speaking, II is
expected To raise about s100,000,000
from that source. But ambitious
Democrats (outside the galaxy OF
leaders, are already anticipating that
by promoting their schemes for get
ting into the Federal treasury. The
ease with which an income tax can be
levied and the popularity of taking
money out of the pockets of the rich
and well 10 do furnish splenditf arga
ment for raising funds and enactine
otherwise accomplishing reforms that
the people want.
Chairman Fitzgerald. of Appro-
priations. and Chairman Underwood.
of Ways and Means. haze been flying
at each other a little now and then
which enhances end of-the- session
gayety but, on the whole. they are
cooperating over this very proposition
of economy on which the Democratic
party has been falling down.
Chairman Underwood came a little re-
luctantly to the work because he had
plenty TO do in framing those tariff
bills in the Ways and Means Com
mittee. But the situation had really
become little alarming. House
Democrats were running wild and Mr..
Fitzgerald was speaking right out in
meeting. He. told the House and the
country blantly that expenditures We're
becoming larger than ever before in
history and unless some check We're
imposed tariff, revision talk would be
come IA hollow mockery."
Ii looks as though the outcome in
the Democratic House eventually
would be a steering committee. Some
body there must have a semblance of
authority TO use curb upon ambi-
tions schemes for taking money out of
the treasury. The Democratic plan
of selecting committees, inaugurated
two years ago. is substantially the
same plan that is followed in the
Senate. The Senate has long had a
steering committee of the dominant
party, although a periods, the steer
ing committee lapses into an inactive
state.
All this indicates some of the trials
that Democrats are having in the at
tempted fulfillment of their promises
10 run the House better than Re-
publicans did. 1t seems not an alto
gether easy job to improve upon the
old Republican regime, and the Demo-
Gratis themselves are now realizing it.
The time has come when all theories
and promises are being put to the Sc
we're test of practically. Democrats
are awakening TO these facts and that
is why uneasincss prevails in the head
of Democratic affairs at the National
capital.