Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1882 — THE APPROPRIATIONS. [ARTICLE]

THE APPROPRIATIONS.

A Comparison Between Demo* eratic and Republican Expenses. The Charge of Republican. Extravagance Refuted. (From the Detroit Post and Tribune.! The party of Southern frauds and the “Chinese letter forgery” open the campaign of this year in their usual way. This time they have selected the appropriations made by Congress for the expenses of the Government, and by a process of deceptive and very thinly-disguised figuring they attempt to prove that the Republican Congress of the present year has been wasteful and extravagant of the public moneys as compared with the Democratic Congress of last year. That this statement has no foundation in fact, they know. And we here give the figures to prove that the charge is conceived in the same falseness and wickedness which conceived the Morey letter, and continued to publish it to injure the lamented Garfield, after its fraudulent character was fully established. The following table gives the appropriations of the Democratic Congress of 1881, made to cover the expenses of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, and also the appropriations of the Republican Congress made to cover the expenses of the fiscal year ending June 80. 1883. The figures are those given by Mr. John D. C. Atkins, a Democratic Congressman from Tennessee, and Chairman of the Appropriation Committee'in the last Democratic House, and we print them as he gives them, except as to one item, “Miscellaneous accounts for 1883,” which he places at $5,520,385, but which other and better authority places at $5,342,700, a difference of about SIBO,OOO. As to the other items all authorities, Republican and Democratic, agree.

§if4 OBJECTS OF o£| " t 6 ~ g'e APPROPRIATION. S»2S~. Be.* 5*9. v : SN>2‘2 Legislative $ 17,797, 97$ 2 >,210,090 Military Academy 322,'35 33 ,557 Army 2',687,800 27,258,000 Navy 14,566,037 1 4,816,176 Indian 4,587,866 5,229,374 Postoffice service 40,95',432 44,643,900 Cohsular and diplomatic. 1,192,435 1,256,055 Sundry civil 22, 92, 94 25,589,358 Fortifications 575,000 375,000 Rivers and harbors 11,547,800 18,743,875 Miscellaneous and reliefs 1,128,006 6,342,700 District of Columbia.... 1,689,008 1,695,008 Agricultural 335,500 427,280 Total $143,478,910 $165,923,063

It -will be seen from the foregoing that the appropriations for pensions and deficiencies are excluded from both years. And, exclusive of these, the appropriations stand: Republican, year 1882 $168,923,083 Democratic, year 1881 143,478,910 Excess of Republican appropriations $22,444,153 In 1881 the Democratic Congress appropriated $5,124,046 for deficiencies of the preceding year, and we have not charged it to that Congress because it belonged to the previous Congress. In the like manner the late Republican Congress appropriated $13,248,193 for other than pension deficiencies in the appropriations made by the last Democratic Congress, and we have not charged it to the Republican Congress. All that deficiency was for work, services or material of some character furnished under existing laws and for which the Democratic Congress of 1881 ought to have made appropriations. It was rendered necessary by the insufficient appropriations which the Democrats made for las\ year’s public service. The United States courts cost $253,056 for witness’ fees and mileage, Marshals’ fees and the like, more than was appropriated for them, a sum over which Congress has no discretion or control whatever. And the Republican Congress was bound to pay the bill because the Democratic Congress failed to provide for it. There was another deficiency of $865,000 iu Government printing. The last Congress only appropriated $1,700,000 for this purpose,' though the previous Congress had appropriated $2,100,000. And all the work done through which the deficiency was created was by direction of the last Congress. Another deficiency of SBO,OOO was caused by the failure of the Democratic Congress to carry out treaty stipulations with the Cheyenne, Arapahoe and other Indians. The total of these deficiencies, as already stated, exclusive of pensions amounted to $13,248,193, and they were all equally binding on the Government, and equally necessary with these items mentioned. The following are the principal deficiencies which the democratic Congress were bound to provide for, but which they left to be paid bv their Republican successors, Evidently they hoped by this action ta secure a cheap reputation and unmerited for economy: DEMOCRATIC DEFICIENCIES. ■ Amount Object. deficient. Pay and mileage of Congrewi $ 138,592 Internal revenue, Including salaries..... 380,000

Mints and assay offices 55.51 S Land office 25,n00 P'->Hion ‘■’ffice. . 73,'XiO Patent office 44,911 Department of Justice 11,‘.m Public printing and binding 865,000 State Department 32,328 Public buildings 32,970 Revenue cutter service. 25,001 Expenses United States courts. 255,056 Fish and fisheries. 82.000 Current expenses of public buildings... 172,216 Public lands service. 26,129 Interior Department.. 9,530 Expenses tenth census 620,000 Departments of Postoffice, Agriculture and Justice 281,056 Compensation of Postmasters 1,192,206 Transportation of postal matter 1,120,000 Military establishment. 620,600 Naval establishment 426,407 Indians 1,040,781 Consular and diplomatic 38.000 Agriculture and District of Columbia.. 34,377 Charging to each Congress the expenses made by it exclusive of pensions the account stands thus—as stated by Mr. Hiscock, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee of the House: Democratic Republican Congress. Congress. 1881-2. 1882-3. Legislative, executive and judicial $18,565,554.16 $20,210,090.65 Sundry civil 24,715,492.75 25,589,458.06 Postal service 43,350,783.23 44,643,900.00 Military establishment 25,207,800.00 27,258,000.00 Naval establishment. 14,991,444.59 14,816,176.70 Rivers and harbors... 11,441,300.00 18,743,875.00 Forts and fortifications 575,000.00 375,000.00 Military academy.... 322,435.37 335,567.04 Indians 5,627,648.47 6,229,874.01 Consular and diplomatic 1,229,435.00 11,256,655.00 Department of Agriculture 335,500.00 427,280.00 District of Columbia, 50 per cent 1,724,163.22 1.695,098.04 Miscellaneous and reliefs 3,280,426.59 5,342,700.59 Total Republican Congress $165,923,005.00 Total Democratic Congress 153,367,983.00 Difference .$12,555,082.00 By comparing the expenses of these two years it can be seen that the Republican expenses for 1883 exceed the Democratic expenses for 1882 in the following items and amounts. Amount , of Excess. Legislative, executive and judicial... .$ 1,644,536 Sundry civil 873,866 Postal service 1,293,117 Military establishment. .... 50,200 Rivers and harbors 7,302,575 Military Academy 13,122 Consular and diplomatic 27,182 Department of Agriculture 91,780 Miscellaneous and reliefs 2,062,274 Total. $13,358,652

The River and Harbor bill was in no sense a party measure. We have already explained that it was vetoed by a Republican President and was afterward passed by Democratic votes. And whether people agree that it was all entirely wise or not the Republicans are no more responsible for it than Democrats are. The appropriation should therefore be deducted from the general excess. Deducting this the account will stand thus: Total Republican excess $13,358,659 Deduct river and harbor excess 7,302,575 Net Republican excess $ 6,058,077 The Republican appropriations enacted for 1883 were less than the actual Democratic expenses for 1882 on the following items: Amount A ccoun 1. of B'av inff. Naval service $175,268 Indian service 399,274 District of Columbia. 29,065 Forts and fortifications 200,000 Republican saving $803,507 The items for which the Republican appropriations for 1883 are in excess of the Democratic expenses for 1882 are every one of them made necessary by the growth and development of the country or to carry out the laws now in force. Of the $1,644,536 excess for legislative, executive and judicial expenses, $1,264,620 goes to pay the extra force of clerks which are necessary to dear off the applications for pensions in the pension office. Another item is $34,000 added to the patent appropriation. This was necessary to pay for additional clerks in the office required, by press of business. But this addition of help benefits the treasury', because the Patent Office is self-sustaining, and the more work it does the more money the Government receives from it. 'This'* addition is, therefore, a gain to the treasury instead of a loss. The Department of Justice takes about $130,000 of this excess, and the Treasury Department $168,000. Both of these items are made necessary by the increased business of the Government. The Adjutant General’s office receives $140,000 of this excess to employ additional clerks to hunt up the records of pensioners and expedite pension business through that office. The Surgeon General’s office receives $253,000 for the same purpose. Thus it is seen that a very large part of the excess found in this appropriation goes to pay the clerical force necessary to clear off the immense number of pension applications, and so remove the complaints of delay that many who are entitled under previous legislation to pensions or pensions arrears have justly made. In the sundry civil list the Republican Congress made great savings over the Democratic Congress in many items. Republican economy in Sundry Civil bill: Democratto Republican Subject of Ap- expense, appropriapropriation. 1882. KCm, 1888. Botanical garden $ 19,627 $ io.CoO Public printing and binding %579,<»Q 2,377,650 State Department 120,8 M 106,500 Revenue cutter service...... 1,050,000 966,000 Fish and fisheries 316,001 229,000 Washington buildings and grounds ' 973,000 658,000 Signal Service . 47<um 320.000 Navy yards and stations.. 870,000 650,800 Public-land service. ....... 1,170,929 403,800 _ $7,574,204 $5,722,400 Democratic expenses, 1882...... A...... 7,574,206 Republican appropriation, 1883, ... A m} . 5,722,400 Republican Haring on the above .$1,861,805 There was also a Republican addition of $1,433,531 made to erect public buildings in Detroit and other in

the oountry. The Republicans made another increase of $76,600 to build new lighthouses and repair old onee, and another increase of $35,000 to keep up lighthouses and provide them with improved lighting apparatus; and there was another increase of $17,000 for coast surveying, every dollar of which helps to cheapen transportation of Western products to the markets of the world and so directly benefits every farmer in Michigan. An examination of these items shows that the Republicans saved where it was possible to save, and only extended appropriations where patriotism, humanity aud public interest required it. The postal service excess of $1,293,117 is really a measure of economy as well as being necessary to meet the growing wants of the oountry. Growing cities and towns and new villages arising all over the land require extension of the postal service. This the appropriation meets. Last year the postal department came within a little over $2,000,060 of paying expenses. And, though $44,000,000 is appropriated for the present year, the service will turn that much money into the treasury, at least such is the present estimate," and that service will cost the Government nothing. In each of the last three years of Democratic administration the expenses of the Postoffice Department exceeded the revenue as follows: In 1858 the excess of expenditures over receipts was ; $ 5,235,678 In 1859 the excess of expenditures over receipts was 3,489,599 In iB6O the excess of expenditures over receipts was 10,652,542 During the last year of administration the Democrats ran the department $lO,000,000 in debt. During the present year, under Republican administration the receipts will equal expenditures. There is where the economy of wise expenditure nnder Republican administration comes in. Among the appropiations of the present year is one of $1,485,279 to the District of Columbia. One-half of this is a loan to the District at 3 per cent, and is for the purpose of enlarging the water works of the city, which is absolutely necessary both for the protection of the property of the United States and for the preservation of its inhabitants. Of the excess in the River and Harbor bill over $6,000,000 goes to the Mississippi river and its tributaries. This the President recommended. And more Democrats than Republicans voted for it. The increase of expenses in the miscellaneous and reliefs includes the following items: The public buildings in Detroit and elsewhere for which new appropriations were made. The expenses of President Garfield’s sickness and funeral. Relief to President Garfield’s widow. Relief to the widow of Abraham Lincoln.

Compensation to soldiers for private property destroyed by fire. One year’s salary to widow of Gen. Kilpatrick. A large number of drawbacks to importers who were compelled to pay duties which the courts afterward held they were not bound to pay. Refunding internal-revenue taxes illegally collected from Detroit House of Correction. Another item is for the relief of the Mississippi flood sufferers, amounting to $400,000. Printing report of Commissioner of Agriculture for the benefit of farmers. It also includes all the private claims and relief bills passed by Congress. In addition to other appropriations the last Democratic Congress appropriated $50,000,000 for pensions. And the Republicans found a deficiency in the Democratic appropriation of $ 6,000,000. This was the amount of pensions and pension arrears due to applicants under existing laws, which had been awarded by the Pension Bureau and for which the Democrats failed to make an appropriation. The Republican Congress also appropriated $100,000,000 for pensions, which was $50,000,000 more than the Democrats appropriated, and $36,000,000 over the Democratic appropriation and deficiency. They took the law as they found it. And after examining the pension applications on file and the estimates made by the Commissioner of Pensions they made the appropriation. These estimates were made from the laws as the Commissioner found them on the statute book., And after his estimates were examined by Congress the appropriation Vas passed by unanimous consent. No Democrat nor Republican voted against it. They could do nothing else. They appropriated to pay all the arrears of pensions that will be adjusted, and they made appropriations for sufficient clerical force to adjudicate these claims in a reasonable time. After a careful examination of all these appropriations, seeing where the Republican Congress has saved and where it has overrun the expenses of its Democratic peedecessor, we are bound to say the Republican Congress has made the most judicious and economical appropriations, and in the language of Democratic Congressman Blackburn, speaking of the principal appropriation bill: “It is a clean bill, and not open to objection.” And putting aside the River and Harbor bill, which was not a party measure, and a few of the appropriations for public buildings, about winch there is and always will be difference of opinion, it can safely be said of all the other appropriates, as to every dollar of them, they ire justified by public necessity and thOy aAas economical as the wages and currenKJirioes of the country will admit. ,No‘man who respects the obligations of the Government can pick out one single item in the list to which an exception can be made.