Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-04-01

sury is DO fault Of the present or past
administration. Il has been so before,
and the causes which produced it then
have produced like results now. In
1886, when the country was prosperous,
and business, trade, aud speculation had
reached their eliminating point, the inn
ports from foreign countries, from which
we derive most of our revenue, were, in
value, $3.50 $50, C55. This furnished
an ample amount Of revenue to defray
the expenses Of the Government and
leave a surplus in the Treasury In
1887 the country was visited by none
tary crisis which caused the importations
to fall oil $4,000, goo in that year
And in 1888 the imports were S7G, 1885,
63l less than in 1886 AS the imports
decreased, SO did the revenue. The
Treasury was depleted, and the Govern
ment was compelled to borrow money to
carry on its operations. 4 similar state
Of things now exists. When the present
Administration came into power there
was a surplus in the Treasury, to reduce
which Congress, a few days before, had
rcipccd the tariff Trade and specula-
ton had again reached their highest
point Another financial revulsion came
upon the country; business was to o great
extent susPended a large number Of
tho banks broke, and the balance stopped
payment. Under those circumstances
the imports from foreign countries fell
of in single year SIS, 276, 1871. The
surplus in the Treasury soon disappear
ed under the double effect Of reduced
tariff and largely reduced importations,
and again the Government was under
the necessity Of borrowing money to de-
fray its legitimate expenses What
statesman can say this was the fault Of
the Administration The tariff was re-
duccd before it had an existence, and no
human power could have prevented the
reduction Of imports into the country.
Economy in the public expenditures
has Of late days become a favorile hobby
with a certain class Of politicians in this
country; and, in a majority Of cases,
those who talk economy most practice It
least lrvilious comparisons have been
instituted between Us and orr fathers on
this subject, and between tho oxpeudi-
lures Of the Government now and in the
early days Of The Republic. Sir while
I am ia favor Of strict economy and ac-
couutability in every department Of the
Government, yet / would strike down no
arm Of the public service, that might
60 home and tell my constituents that l
had by my vote saved so much Of the
peoples money.
There is no branch of the public ser
vice that can be dispensed with; neither
10 | expect to be able to support a grown
up man as cheaplY as a new born infant.
] intend to show, not in the spirit of
egotism, but in viudication Of the truth
of hiatory that, rs a people, we are as
wise, as honest, and as economical as
were our fathers. Sir, we have lived to
but little purpose if we have degeneratcd
either as 4 people Or as a nation There
are, no doubt, plenty Of corrupt men
but | hope the time may never come
when | shall be made to believe that the
Government is corrupt, either in the lo-
gslative, executive, or Judicial depart.
ment
And here Mr.. Chairman Imust take
occasion to observe that I am not one If
those who believe that all that is in the
past is good and qll in the present is
cyil-that as we 60 forward decay pro-
crosses, and as we turn back we are then,
and then only, rcfrcshened with wide
spread examples Of purity, integrity,
and patriotism, and the whole body poll
tic leavencd with a spirit Of both public
aud private economy From the early
days Of Greece aud Rome down to the
times in which we now live, II mas been
the practice Of croakers in private and
demagogues in public TO rcvile and be-
little contcmporanoous men aud things
by insulting comparisons with the cxag-
gerated past. We are told by English
men Of the good old days Of Queen Bcs.
those good old days when men and
women were burnt at the stalk. for using
their tongues too freely; Of tie palmy
days Of England under the George
those palmy days when Prime Ministers
stood at the doors Of the House Of Com
mons with money in hand openly and
unblushingly purchasing the votes Of
members. The truth is. human nature
is the Same now as it was at the com
mencemcnt Of the world, only to be re
strained, influenced, and improved BY
wise teachings, good examples, and The
light Of our Gospel revelations. We
had judas lscariot in the time Of our
Saviour, and Benedict Arnold in the
time Of our own glorious Revolution
but neither the betrayal Of the one nor
the perfdy Of the other interrupted the
march Of christianity or the spread oil
free principles and free institutions. /
believe that as a people we are just as
honest, just as economical, just as patri-
otie, and fully as wise as the people who
sent their Representatives to the first
Continental Congress. | say that we
are as wise as our fathers and GRANDPA /
Tiers; and we ought to be wiser, because
We have the benefit of their experience,
with our own added TO it.
| believe that we are living in an age
Of wholesome and substantial progress
progress untainted by that corruption .
which many Of our journalists and pub 1
lie men would haze US believe peryades I
every branch Of our Federal and State
Government J believe that VIC arc