Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-08-23
Senator Smoot Leads Re-
pEblican Attack on EX-
travagant Measure.
PARTISAN BATTLE
ROYAL is PROMISED
Simmons Presents Mass of
Figures to Defend APP
preparations.
WAstINGToN, Aug. %. with

NI ASH MUTTON, Aug. %. - With
w Senator simmons. chairman of
the finance committee. submitting
figures designed to disprove Repub-
lican charges OF Democratic extrava-
gance and Senator Smoot, Republic
an finance expert asserting that the
Democratic party should be convicted
of attempting to procure votes under
IA Sc pretenses, general de bate on the
F2O5.OOO,0OO emergency revenue bill
began today i'm the senate There
were indications on every hand of a
partisan battle royal to be waeeu for
several days
Insisting that national defense. pre-
paredness and the Mexican situation
were altogether responsible for the
necessity of special revenue legisla-
ton and "A proposed bond issue. Sena-
tortor simmons declared Republicans
In congress had clamored for even
greater expenditures for defense and
having done this, were seeking parti-
sal advantage by making false
charges of Democratic eXtravagance
TO the public.
Senator Smoot. opening the Pepub-
lean assault on the revenue hill said
II the Democratic party were to be re-
tanned II control of the government
the country would suffer an era OF
unequalled extravaganza combined
with inefilciency unsurpassed" IIis
attack was supported bv Senator Cur
It's who asserted that the burden of
taxation should not he placed on the
American people and that revenues
should be raised by "A protective tar
,ff
Offers Testimony
To prove his contention that normal
appropriations of this session are not
excessive. Senator Smulons submitted
treasury department estimates for the
year 1917 showing that excluding
postal appropriations bond issues al
ready authorized and amounts that
will not be expended, revenue must be
provided for disbursements of $1,126,-
$4,000. OF this amount the total
apT ropriation for national defense
would aggregate about 1854 900. 900
and the senator submitted other fig
hrcs to prove that this extraordinary
amount. due to preparedness and the
Mexican emergency, exceeded normal
defense appropriations by about $372.-
2S0, 900. This amount" said Senator
Simmons, deducted from the total
estimated disbursements for the fis-
ca year 1917, would leave $753.963. 900
rs the amount required to meet the
total normal disbursements for that
=
for the year 1917 under existing laws is
S162. 100000 or SS.037.00O more than
the estimated normal disbursements
making it clear that bat for the ex-
tfaordiHdry increase in the appropria-
tion for the naval and military estab-
lishment vhich have been thought GX-
pedent and necessary, the normal re-
ceipts would be sufficient to pay the
expenses of the government for the
year and leave a surplus Of over
$4,000. 600 in the treasury, Just as the
receipts for the year 1916 (hefcre we
entered this preparedness program
and before the Mexican situation de-
veloped) actually yielded d sufficient
revenue to pay the expenses of the
government and left a surplus in the
treasury Of S55.2i0,000."
Suhtractng from the estimated dis
bursemcnts the estimated receipts for
1917 the senator showed that the bal
ance TO be provided for is 1854. .243.-
600 To meet this amount he sub
mitted that the pending bill would
raise S205. 100000, the bond issue
$3.50. .000,009. leaving a balance OF
S29,243.000 to be taken care of by
the general fund Of the treasury,
which he said amounted TO $l34.337.-
S95 on August l6 last.
referring TO the proposed $780,
00O, 000 bond issue for Mexican ex-
penditures, Senator simmons said
Panama bonds could be used to re-
imburse the treasury and added that
up to this time the Democratic party
had issued no Panama canal bonds,
whereas the Republicans during the
Roosevelt and Taft administrations
sold s134,00O,000 worth.
Didn't Keep Pledges.
Senator SmOot asserted that the
Democratic Marty had NOT kqpt
pledges Of retrenchment and economy.
and charged 1t with 'wasteful and
useless expenditures too long for
enumeration"
"If we could bring the Democratic
party into a court Of Justice and IN
dict and try that party under the
rules of law" said the Utah senator"
the evidence that could be submitted
would be more than adequate to con-
vict it Of procuring votes under false
preteuses.
unfortunately we can have no trial
under the rules of law. but which is
undoubtedly better, we shall have a
trial before the great tribunal OF the
American people whose verdict will
be given as impartially as ever was
given by a jury of ~ good men and
true. we shall know on the eighth of
November whether in the opinion of
the jury of juries, the Democratic
party has kept its economy pledge in
office as zealously as it relied upon
that pledge during the campaign.'
Just before adjournment Senator
PeurOse introduced a resolution to re-
commit the revenue hill to the finance
committee with instructions that it be
amended to raise an equitable portion
Of required revenue from the protec-
tive tariff No action was taken ON