The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-02-20
EDITORIAL COMMENT.

ut is useless for the Government to
urge thrift on the people unless il
first sets the example. The Govern
ment is the agent of the people. 1t
represents them in their collective
! activities. 1t is the hugest single
spender in the country. Why, then,
shouldn't it retrench before it gives
lectures on trenchment-before it
tries to get the cost of living reduc-
ed through individual action? SEN
ator McCumber brought this point
home forclbly the other day when he
said that TIE people as a whole cannot
go back to a normal economic basis
so long as the Government keeps up
its abnormal extravaganza He put
the case somewhat exaggeratedly for
the sake of emphasis, when he told
the Senate: Government extrava-
gances are solely responsible for the
high cost of living today. which, when
analysed, meas nothing maj or lass
than that we are indulging in a wild
orgy VI spendirs borrowed money -
New York Tribune.
''The need of a national budget
system grows constantly more clear
as the financial situation of the coun-
try is unfolded. An official estimate
has just been made of the amount of
money that will be required to run
the Government for the next fiscal
year. This, is piac al at over five bill
lion dollars, and even then this
amount does not include anything for
the Railroad Administration, and it
is certain that financial assistance
will be required along this line. Nor
does it include any new venture that
may be undertaken, nor any new nee
essity that may arise. Without the
consideration at all of these things,
the amount required will be the
equivalent of tax of forty-seven dol
lars upon each and every person in
the United States. Chairman Good,
of the Appropriation Committee of
the House, does we'll at this time to
point out how vital is the need for a
system of appropriating Government
funds that will be based on sound
Judgment and clear perspective
Press.
"A representative in Congress con-
determined to wastes none |
Of his time, for which Uncle Sam pays
him $40 a day, Sundays and holidays |
breathlessly informed the
House that:
If the $4,000, 900, 900 that the
war cost the United States were
counted in silver dollars it would |
take a man counting seventy-two a
minute working eight hours day l.
744 years to count them.
"If the silver dollars were laid
side by side they would stretch $780,
S33 miles.
Their weight would be 6S7,5Oo
short tons.
Loaded in box cars Of forty tons
they would make train OF
17,1S7 cars 1870 miles in length
HAS the industrious statesman
pursued his interesting studies far
enough to arrive at an estimate OF !
how long it would take American tax
payers to pay a national debt of $22,- !
600, 10000 silver, plus the Govern
ment's running expenses, If nothing
is done to lower the cost of admins
tration New York Sun.
Compulsory education for aliens
and illiterate citizens as proposed In
an Americanization bill in Congress is
a good thing, 1t is the public ignor-
ance in which pernicious doctrines
find their nourishing soil, and it was
the terrible illiteracy of Russia which
rendered it such an easy prey, first
to despotism of an autocrat and Their
TO the despotism of Bolshevism. And
Ignorance in a country OF opportunity
like this, is as inexcusable as 1t is
DANGEROUS. "-Baltimor American.