The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-09-29

more money. always moro money. to
maintain the government for the cur
rent year. ~
And during these same days We have
heard from u Democratic candidate. VINO
has announced himself to be In entire
accord with tho head OF this Democratic
adm Ytration, that II he Is elected 10
m, presidency ne will give to the people
OF this country II budget system such ~
the present president. with whom ho
J Snys no liz In accord. rejected only last
June.
Let mo speak for moment OF the
yeurY which are just behind us. Until
the Word war came 1t easy for the
government to make IA good showinG-n
good financial statement l should say
though those In charge gave little at
tcntion to the way money was raised
and even less to the way II was spent.
our country was rich, our people were
generous They did not object to taxa
ton. In fact. the great majority nara,
~ knew they were being taxed at all
because OF our Republican methods OF
Indirect taxation. 1t Was difficult to
get officials In Washington or the pco-
Pile generally TO heed tho trend OF the
times.
When say 1t was difficult to get the
officials IN Washington TO take notice.
| must make an exception. President
tai efficiency, appoincd commission on
efficiency and economy to study means
Of increaslnE the efficiency or the gov
ornmcnt ana reducing ltb cost 10 tho
taxpayers. This t,mmisslon reported at
IA time when thu JunlTy WAS III state
II polite. tu.rn".I Its report. trench
dUualy ,u.,... ., Ia tho information IL
rontaIuC, "a 90 ne buEEohtlOns II put
forth. wa CoInrI,jrly lost nlght OF dur-
Ing the ntr..a OF ono of The blltei"at
100. 1T AL
America. Mr.. TAN went out Of oli''o.
lila AuCCossOr was pledged by hln party
platform 10 return 10 simplicity la H"v-
uTnment aud To reduction Ia tho "h
psndllufoh OF tho government. but he
promptly 0ast nAido tho r"r"'i OF tho
Iun efflGIonuy aud o"0no'ny '"Inhhlh
al"n aH vol aa the IIonO"i Iaii"i"'
whl,h pledged s'"n"Iny "nh uIil"l"n"y.
' !"VoI nIuoniaI oApandl IuIoA cont ih""d I"
r"unI upWaId iassn continued !" !"
Iuaao, unlll No enlaIod ia" W"Ild Wa
nnI IhaI waI onauIfud 40 /" ilhnn' l"l
'aIa"l yam such aa tho would had n"V'i
a""n b"f"Ta
A Financial Orgy
A two billion duilur '"ugI"ra wnG Tot
luwod by p,furty billion dpllaT c"upr""n
FROM - hdbt at practically nnIhing, ~"
went 10 nsil"nal debt Of twenty Nv"
billion dollars. IN" lnieroat "n which
nlunn In greater than our aggregate an
history Of our government up 10 that
immediately preceding our entrance into
tho World war. | need not outer into \
detailed description or IN" Financial Orgy
which wax staged In Washington during
tho war Tho nOCCSRlllCs Of the wnr are
pnHi Hut wc must Tind means To pnY
tho oxpouHcs OF our government aud re-
duCo our great national d"nt. without
undue or Improper burd"na Of inNntinn,
and we must Increase IN" busincsa ciJi-
cheney OF our government
A casual study Of our financial history
Indicates that while our population now
~ but slightly moro than three times
what II was at tho close Of the civil war.
our debt has Increased more than ten
fold. A review OF the history ut stat.
county and municipal taxation shows
that the incrodso In the tax ratio through
out tho country for tho purposes or
these various units Of EOvornmGnt han
been greater even than tho incrcaHo II,
the federal tax rate. There has boon no
proper proportion between increase In
population and wealth and tho Increase
In tho cost OF government, whether.
whether local. state federal w"
must establish il promptly II W. ARC TO
avoid governmental bankruptcy.
Blochsd by President.
II soino ono should nSk why haH con-
ErcsB not dono no. l answer thRt con-
gross tried but tho president OF tho
Unitod States blocked tho reform.
mont OF tho United states thcr has never
been an administration which has asked
from congress less money FOR the con-
duct OF government In one year than
tho aggregate amount II received from
congress in the preceding year. In tho
whole history OF our government tho
only economy which has been effected
has been effected by congress ana
through congrcssi onal committees. l do
not assert that the congress has always
L., - H. ~
IN reducing departmental estimates. No
one will claim that but do Insist tina
those who aye ready to crltic!Ee con-
gress for It's handling Of expenditures
should take note OF these facts. l do
assert that. but for congress, our taxes
today would be vastly greater than they
are.
For q Sound Basis
| Now, as | have told you, the last con-
gress a Republican congress, souSht
| TO take steps which would put our gov
| crnmcnt on business footing. II SUP
mltted to tho president measure which
| would have placed the United states
government on q Sounder business basis
than any other government In inc
world today enjoys. In addition TO this.
II set up an Independent cStabllshmeht
and by Independent. l mean free from
| the Influence other or the executive or
| the Legislative brnnch--to audit tho &C
| counts OF the various spending Rgen-
| cies OF the government. This agency
was 10 ascertain: nrst. whether tho
| monion appropriated were expended an
| directed by tho congress-; second whetn
err the renults OF tho expenditures )uatI-
| ned their appropriation by conErosh;
and third. whether in the opinion OF tho
| comptroller general tho head or IN
| accounting office. conErohs should IN
rTnnuo or decrease or eliminate l"rtlC"-
| lar expenditures for tho ensuing yonr
! Wo have no such Hya,om todny although
! II In Ia operation In every great huh' :
| nenn, - ~
our budget hin virtually would hay"
| compelled IN" prrhld"nt not Inn pro-
an, ..ccutly. nlnno. but each Of his sue
| Cpnuurr --boforO tho beginning OF ohoi
nHcaI yohr. 1" call hiH cabinet Int" con
| suItht Ion, ngrco upon program or I'M
| unciRl policy. nnd' then carry u iht" "p-
| sTntlOn. ~
rho hin Inndo tho I'rcHldrnt ToHp"h