Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-02
SPENDING LAV|SHLY
AND P|L|NC UP TAXES
FOR PEOPLE TO PAY
Congressman Kreider Delivers Re-
markable Economy Speech
on Floor of House
.Steeial to Tie Telegraph

Washington, d. c., Oct .. - Congress-
man Kreider made remarkable speech
on the floor of Congress in opposition
to the expenditure of $2O,000.000 for
river and harbor improvements, while
there is still S1S,00O,000 set aside for
this purpose and while the Democrats
are preparing to tax the people S105,-
100000 to make up for their tartm
losses and extravaeances. In part he
said:
"The Democratic party has been
preaching economy through its plat
form, through its press and from the
stump, and yet when they come into
power, the appropriations OF a Demo-
cratic Congress exceed those of the
most extravagant Republican Congress
by over 500, 0,0000 900.
"I commend the action of the Senate,
which was brought about by the Re
publican members of that body. In cut
ting the appropriations of $4,000. 600,
which this bill carries with its amend
ments, to 10000, 900, and If this House
will now adopt the amendment offered
committee. Mr.. Huro hries. and cut this
$40, ,000 600 to S5,000,000. which is ample
to maintain and preserve existing i'm
provements.. It viii be at least one
honest effort to economiZe. and viii be
an example, which If it had been fol-
lowed by the Democrats months ago,
would have obviated the need of addl-
when 1 advocate this cutting out of
appropriations. l only advocate that
which is pract1ced by every successful
not call your attention to the savings
which the railroads of the country has
been obliged to make, nor those of
other large corporations and the busi-
ness men, and for that matter, the pri-
vate citizen; when the revenues are de-
creased, ths sensible thing to do, the
proper thing to do, is to cut out un-
necessary expenses.
"And furthermore. am only advocat-
ing the course htat mas always been
followed by the Republican party when
when the Spanish War was going on in
1898, the Republicans passed war reve-
and appropriate 100000 900 for river and
harbor improvements? 40, they did
not pass any river and harbor bill at all
in 1898, during the continuance of the
war. but in 1899 they passed u very mod
est river and harbor bill, wilich carried
an appropriation of $4,000. 900 with no
river and harbor bill at all the year
before; and for this modest appropria-
tion, what did our Democratic friends
say? 1 will quote from the Democratic
platform of 1909:
tions of recent Republican Congresses,
which have kept taxes high and which
threaten the perpetuation of the pres
ent war levies. We favor the reduc
ton and speedy repeal of the war taxes
and a return to the time-honored
Democratic policy OF strict economy in
governmental expenditures
INF. Speaker, the Republicans passed
no river ana harbor bii during the
Fifty-siXth Congress, the next river and
harbor bill after 1899 was passed in
1902, three years passed by without the
passage of a river and narbor bill, and
1t seems the country was not suffering
anywhere because of river and harbor
Improvements. To repeat, in 1898, we
made no apropriation; in 1899, we ap-
propriated S16,000,000. In 1900, nothing;
in 1901, nothing; in 1902 we appropri-
ated $26. 600. goo. and we had made no
further appropriations up to the time
the Democratic convention met in 1904,
and then what does the Democratic
Large reductions can easily be
made in the annual expenditures of the
Government without impairing the erfi-
vice and We shall insist upon the
strictest economy and frugality com
patible with vigorous and efficient
civil, military, naval administration as
a right of the people too clear to be
denied or withheld
'Is it any surprise that the people of
the country are dumbfounded at these
extravagant appropriations in the face
of these declarations of economy con-
tanned in the Democratic platforms? Is
1t any surprise that the people of the
Democratic platform as a joke?
Think of it. a Democratic national
convention said that Sl6,OOO'OOO in two
years was gross extravaganza; that
$26,000,00 in four years was a wanton
expenditure, and now, last year, this
Democratic Congress appropriated SAL
600, 900, almost as much as much as the
Republican Congress had appropriated
in six years, and this House had passed
another bill appropriating, with amend
ments, S53,000,000. but which has been
cut to $20,000000 by the Senate, but
you now insist upon appropriating this
$20.00O,00 in the face of the fact that
there are about S1S,00OO00 of the ap-
propriation made last year still uneX-
pended and are refusing to let go of
these $20,OOO,0O0, which you seem de-
termined to raise by direct taxation
For fear you may have forgotten it, let
me again call your attention to the
last Democratic national convention,
held in Baltimore, when you nominated
Woodrow Wilson. and compare your
course with your pledge to the peo-
pie:
"'We denounce prohigate waste of
the money wrung from tie people by
appropriations of recent Republican
Congresses which have kept taxes high
and reduced the purchasing power of
the peoples toll
plicity and economy which BELTS a
Democratic government and a reduction
in the number of useless offices. the sal
aries of which drain the substance of
the people,
Does that sound consistent with
your actions here and now? when you
are in power? Do you think that vour
extra taxation which you have laid up-
on the people will drain the subs stance
of the people| and this after you have
plunged the country into an Industrial
depression through the enactment of
the Underwood tariff bill, which law
destroyed to large extent, the oppor-
tunities of the wage-earners of the
country who. in the last analysis, are
compelled to pay these taxes"
Burgomqster and German