Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-09-18
FINANCIAL QUESTION.

uet ~ -e1 rr-e.I -fe SEQ 2
- FINANCIAL QUESTION. 81
There are some questions not special.
ly involved in the canvass, but which
are very important. / can only sllude
to some of them very briefly. aud chief.
y in reply to what Judge Ranney said
70 you the other day. They are fnan-
cial questions growing out Of the war.
You will observe that these doctors do
not agree at all. Judge Thurman,
Judge R2nney and Mr.. Vallandigham,
and no doubt many others, talk about
debt and taxes and banks, merely to
excite opposition. bat the Democratic
party have not, and dare not, take def
mite positions in any of them. Un-
til the last "niggerV ID exhausted, they
viii not meet fairly these great ques.
tiops. Judge Ranney is opposed to an
increase of paper money while Thur.
man wants TO pay off our bonds in
mere greenbacks, or mere rags as he
calls them, and Vallsndigham is in
favor of paying the whole debt BY an
issue of greenbacks. The question
with you will be whether the Union
party, which is entitled TO the credit
of theiwonderful success Of our finan-
cial measures, can best solve ali new
problems as they rise, or. whether the
public credit can be safely committed
toa party that, during the war, did all
they could 70 destroy our credit. Let
us look AZ some of these matters
They talk of our large public debt
Very well, our debt is large, but what
caused.it A Democratic rebellion
We had to choose between great war,
with its inevitable incidents, debt and
taxation, or, on the other hand, the
otetthro1 Of the National Government.
The Union party preferred war, debt
and taxes, to disunion. Did the Union
party unnecessarily increase the debt,
or impose UNEQUAL or unjust taxes {? On
the contrary, our financial measures
were as successful as our military mea-
sures, while all the efforts of the DEM
ocratic party impaired our credit, made
il difficult to negotiate loans, prolong-
ed the war and increased the debt
Ask, now the war is oyer, what party
is likely TO increase the debt? We have
the fact beforelus that the Union par
ty has not only prevented an increase
Of the debt, but its reduction has been
steady and rapid. On the 3lst day of
1865, it was s., 757, sos, ,5S6.-I
On the lst day Of November, 1866, it
was $206, ,379, SOS. On the first day of
August, 1867, it was $,5Il, 800, ,436. or a
total reduction of $246, ,497, $50 in less
than two years And during these two
years We paid of besides an immense
amount of floating debt, the debris of
the var Suppose the Democratic par
" nov IN power, who does not know
that the debt would be largely increas-
ed., The only Democratic States, Ken
lucky. Maryland and Delaware, are
now demanding untold millions as pay
tor their slaves. Every Democrat is
to their payment. All over
.he South they are pressing claims for
INJURIES during the war. A Democrats
c Congress would grant them ALL
Nearly every Democrats Senator and
member has committed himself to |
principles, which, if once adopted,
viii add 70 your debt FIVE hundred 70
me thousand millions of dollars. For
his reason they constantly exaggerate
he amount of the public debt Let
Is see what it is. 1t is audited and we
ZnoW 10 dollar the amount. ] read
rom the last official statement of the
secretary of the Treasury. The aggre-
ate debt, less cash in hand, August l,
Eas S2,5ll ,306, 4S6, but of this SS97,-
06, as is in greenbacks and fractional
not paying interest, leaving
be interest bearing debt 81, IL, ,000,-
09: Now, if have my way, this debt
I'LL not be increased one dollar, on any
retext whatever, but will surely and
radually paid of. Il