The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-10-01
DEMOCRATIC BILLION DOLLAR
CONGRESS.

As a maker Of platforms for expedi-
ency the democratic party is a marvel;
as an ignorer of platform obligations,
the democratic partyi a world beater.
In its platform upon which Mr.. Wilson
and the present democratic congress
were elected, the aforesaid democratic
party declared for the purpose Of secur-
ing votes:
1--WE denounce the profligate
waste of the money wrung from the
people by oppressive taxation
through lavish appropriations of
recent republican congresses, which
have kept taxes high and reduced
the purchasing power Of the peoples
toll. We demand a return to that
simplicity and economy which be-
fits democratic government and
reduction of the number of use
less offices, the salaries of which
drain the substance of the people"
The "billion dollar republican congress
was denounced In unmeasured terms by
Mr. Wilson and all other democratic
orators and newspapers during the en-
tire campaign, and pledges were made
to voters that the expenses Of the
national government should be reduced
far below those of the republican par
ty If the people would only put Mr.. VIII
son and his party in power. They We're
put in power, and what have they done
to make good on their promise of re-
ducing governmental expenditures and
cutting down the number of useless
offices" which they charged the repub-
licans with having created? Let the
records. answer. They have already ex-
pended during this year 500, 900, 900 more
than any republican congress ever ex
pended duding the entire year, and
there are millions yet to be appropri-
ated before the close Of congress. In
addition 500 100000 is to be raised by
means OF extraordinary taxation ION
account of the European war; emer
gencies. Before the European war was be
gun, or was even thought of. democratic
simplicity" about which so much Is
heard from the 'unterrified'' orators
and editors, had far outstripped "plut-
ocratic repubicanism'' In it's vast ex-
penditures and the number of addition
al offices 1t had created Tor the pur-
pose of giving jobs to- the hungry
democratic hordes." In April, long be-
fore the ALARMS of war; had been
sounded. John j. Fitzgerald, democratic
congressman from New York, and one
of the ablest democrats in congress, in
futile endeavor to halt his party in It's
profligate and spendthrift career, and
have 1t give heed to Its platform de-
clarations for economy, said
In few months / shall be call
ed upon In the discharge of my Of
fetal duties to review the record
that this Democratic House shall
have made in its authorization of
the expenditure of the public moneys
Whenever l think of the horrible
mess that / shall be called upon to
present to the country on behalf of
the democratic party I am tempted
to quit my place"
He also said the democratic house OF
representatives seemed to take II to
be a huge joke not to obey Its platform
a fact that has come to be pretty gen
orally accepted by the public as true.
In regard to the declaration of the
democrats in favor of doing away with
useless Offices, they only think of.
fices are useless when they are filled
by republicans, as evidenced by their
actions In failing to dispense with any
che republicans had created but in
stead creating many hundred additional
'soft snaps" for their unsuitable
place seekers. Senator Borah in his
efforts Jointly with Senator Burton, OF
Ohio and Kenyon, of Iowa, to "cut the
fat out of the rivers and harbors "port
barrel" in which they were so success
full had occasion in a debate with Sen
ator Lewis, of Illinois, to say, In refer
ring to democratic extravaganza and
profligacy:
"Mr. President / assert without
fear of successful contradiction
that this Congress has created more
offices and provided for more SAL
aries than have been created In any 5
years in the history of this Govern
ment. / assert, without fear OF sue
cessful contradiction that 1t has
created more offices and provided
for more salaries by half than any
single Congress in the history of the
republican party II you look at the
figures which ! have here In refer
ence to the departments you wiz
see that the statement is substan-
tiated and supported by the expend
itures of the different departments.
Now, let us go over some of those
figures. During the month of Aug
ust, 1914. the appropriations for. the
legislative department were $6i7,TS6:
for the Executive office, $685. for
the State department. $1761 ITO. The
amounts provided for the same
month in the year 1915 are: Legis-
lative department, s6s6.325: Execu-
tive office, $4,000; State department
$SsS,9S0. The sum total of the ex-
penses of the different departments
per month exceeds by s3,000,000 the
amount appropriated for the same
departments last year -
And this is the sample of democratic
simplicity and economy the people are
asked to endorse aid say they like 1t.