The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1916-10-05

william II. Wilcox. chairman OF the
Republican National committee. has re
celved from Senator Penrose n brief
but positive summing up OF the cx'
travagnnces Of the Wilson admlnistru.
tlon during the session OF congress JUST
about to close. The senator says:
when the country realizes what this
congress has done In the way Of np
proprlntions II viii be dumfoundcd
Already II has been shown that over
billion. seven or eight hundred mil.
lion dollars have been appropriated
more money than was ever nppropri.
stcd IN any one year In the history Of
the American government The total
will reach nearly s2.O00,OoO,OOO before
the end OF this carnival Of dcbauch
cry IN public expenditures Is reached
because no account has been taken OF
the Sa5 .O0O.OOo Cor the Danish islands
the S3O.OOOlOOO which the government
will probably have 10 refund as n re
suit or the . Ter cent rcbnte allowed
on lmportntions brought ncross the seas
In America. bottoms. aud other mnt
tcrs which nre likely TO come up.
1T rs only too evident thn, THIS bill
which Is expected to bring In some
SaOO.OOOOOO viii absolutely fail u
meet even the requirements fOr the
NJ advised aud certainly not urgent
projects autholized by the present con-
gress.
IL l. now claimed that these pro
Jects are 10 be hnnnced by the lssu'
uuue uf lnnulna canal bonds The
American louple viii regard such q
proceeding us very queer one be
cause the issuing Of bonds by the
Cleveland administration largely help
ed 10 bring about the downfall of the
Democratic party In lSDG \ bond
issue hns ever since been Viewed Win
abhorrcuce hy. the Democracy; now
we hnd the pnrty leaders compelled
by reason ~ their cNtn,uguuce anl
incillcicncy. 90 resort 90 Il.
"'ro defray the expenses uf 70 nitrate
plant and Of shipping board nnd
many other needless projects 10y ihr ls
suing of Panama bonds viii je IN che
last analysis equivalent to paying for
them 10y bond issues, These bonds ARE
lying IA the treasury unissued ms the
result Of the thrift aud economy and
wise administration of the Republican
party
"Only about $l3OOOO.OOO Of bonds
were put out IN the construction or the
Panama canal. The balance OF the
cost NJ that stupendOus undertaking
was paid out OF current revenues aud
now, 10 advance the novel doctrine
that these bonds which represent the
rhrift uf preceding years shall be is
sued Tor these questionable projects Is
to my mind, preposterOus. In fact Il
was expressly provided In the Spoon
or uct rhut Panama canal bonds should !
not be issued for any other purpose
than that OF the construction of the |
canal. and the ingenious theory that |
they can be issued now 10 repay the |
treasury and that then the money can |
be squandered by the party in power
to finance doubtful projects and 10
make good deficit will not alter the !
fact that such deficit exists.
NO amount of reasoning ON the part |
OF the chairman of the committee ou |
finance will alter the fact that outside |
of preparedness there has been at least |
S20OOOO,OOO OF wasteful appropriations /
ana expenditures 10y the present con /
gress. That condition of the treasury |
will absolutely nccessitate the with,
holding Of contracts for hattleships |
ana delay the whole scheme OF pre-
paredness,
"'rhe figures Of the secretary Of the |
treasury may be juggled as they may, |
but when the secretary Is up against
the brute fact of not having money 10 /
pay for these projects he will then find
that figures will not make a surplus
In the treasury