The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-02
FINANCE AND TAXATION.
A FEWPLAIHRACTs FORTHE PEO-
DIE
.DenoeratIcLaes NaIIsd 20 The Counter
speecn OF Gen. GarneId, Of ONO.

men in Congress, dellVereo sPeS"
Orwell, Ashtabula county, Ohio, last
Friday, from which we take the follow
ing:
In order that L may exhibit the char
acter of the charges which that party
makes against MS. will read SEN
fence from the speech of Horatio Sey-
mour made at the Cooper Institute, in
New York, few days before he was
nominated for President
Hesays: "Since the war closed in
1865. the Government has spent in adj
dItion to payment on principal and
Interest, more than one thousand mil
lions OF dollars. OF this sum, nearly
eight hundred millions have been ex-
pended on the army and navy, for mil
itary purposes, aid all thisexpenditure
was made in time OF peace" -
Now, there is nothing, tellow-citiZans
more surprising than the fact that
man occupying the responsible and re.
spectacle position Governor Seymour
Is supposed 10 occupy, should make
such u statement as this. He would
have you believe that the Republican
party has expended eight hundred mil
lions of dOlIRTS on the peace establish
ment OF the army and navy, In a time
OF profound peace, and during period
of three years. Task your cheerful and
character OF this statement: Witness
how plain tail shall put him down:
When the war closed by the surren-
der of Lee, in April, 1855, there were
one million of men on the muster. rolls
OF the army. There were fifty thou
sand sailors In the navy, and nearly
i've hundred vessels in the service.
There was due every soldier and sailor
at that time from one to six months
pay, and 10 nearly every soldier there
was due the bounty which had been
promised him at the date of his enlist
meDt, but not to be paid until he was
mustered out of the service. Within
one hundred and seventy four days
after the last victory of General Grant
over the rebel army, there were paid
out of the National Treasury six hum
dred aud twenty five millions of dol
lars to the army and navy, in the way
OF back pay and bounty due at the
time of their muster out. Every man
OF ordinary intelligence must readily
see. that every dollar of this money
constituted part of the ex penses OF the
war, and not what Governor Seymour
asserts. the expense of the peace estab-
lishment. 1891
Governor Seymour takes this six
hundred and twenty-five millions and
adds all the money expended on the
army and navy since, and gravely sets
1t down to the credit of the peace esLab-
lishment, and holds 1t up as an exhibi-
ton of the extravaganza of the Repnb-
licau party.
Again, ii is charged by the leaders of
the Democratic party that the expen-
diLures OF the Republican administra.
ton are enormous, when compared
with the expenses of President Blu
chanan's administration. They tell us
the expenses of the Government under
Buchanan's administration amounted
TO only ninety millions per annum,
while our annual expenditures reach
more than three hundred millions OF
dollars.
Permit me hero, fellow.citizens, to
state briefly the history of our expen-
dItures. During the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1865, the expenses of the Gov
eminent amounted to 81 200. 000, 600;
during the fiscal year ending June 80,
1866, we reduced the expenses to $780,
600 600. less than one-half that OF the
preceding year. During the fiscal year
ending june 30, 1867. the expenses had
been reduced to 1920, 600; and dur.
ing the fiscal year which closed on the
3Oth of June last, our total expenses
amounted to 1871, O00, 900.
Thus, after the fret year OF the war,
our expenses were reduced sixty per
cent; during the second year the re-
duction reached seventy per cent, and
during the third year eighty per cent.
During this year. we have every reason
10 believe, still further reduction
may be reached.
Now, fellow-citizens, desire to call
your atteutionto the details of the ex.
pendiLnres OF the last fiscal year.
There was paid into the Federal Treas
ury during the last year S406, 600, 900.
One hundred and sixty-three and a
half millions were received from Gus.
toms-irOm duties on imported goods |;
one hundred and ninety three millions
were received from the internal reVe-
nue.; fOrty-seven millions were received
from miscellaneous sources, such as the
sale OF war material; nearly three mill
lions were received from the public
lands and direct tax on lands. Now
what was done with this money? You,
tho people. have a right to ask. IL
would not be fair and Just to charge all
the expenses arising out of the war to
the ordinary expenses of the Govern.
menL. shall, therefore, classify the
expenses into extraordinary, growing
out of the war, and ordinary expenses,
required to mRintain tho Government
IN lime of peace. Then first, of the ex-
IraOTdinary expenses, We paid interest
on the public uebt amounting in all to
one hundred and ioTty-one and half
millions of dollars. A large amount OF
This was on the compound interest
notes becoming due, and which, once
paid, the expense can not occur again.
Next we paid In the way OF pensions
TO disabled soldiers. and TO the widows
and orphans of dead soldiers, twenty
three aud a half millions of dollars.
BouptIes due TO soldiers during the
war and not paid before. thirty. eight
millions. Freedmen's Bureau, three
aud quarter millions. ReconsIruc.
ton expenses, one and three.fourths
million. ReimburslnR States for war
expenses, ten and quarter millions,
For property lost and destroyed through
military operations, i've millions. Snb.
sistunce for starving Indians on the
frontier one million. For purchase and
OF National cemeteries,
thrse-uuarIers of a million. Forcommu
tatiOn 10 persons losing horses in theser.
Vice, one. sixth of a million. Thus
making u total over and above the or
binary expenses of the Government of
two hundred and twenty five millions
of dollars.
Now, when The Democratic party
accuse us OF extravAgance, let them say
make any Of these expenditures.
Let Ihem say whether they would
have refused 10 pay the debts due the
public creditors of the Government.
Would they have refused to pay the pen.
sions promised the soldier who had
been crippled and disabled for life in
the service of his country 2 Would
they have refused the poor pIttance al
lowed his Impoverished widow or or
phan2 Would they have refused food
10 The starving poor of the South
whites and blRcks2 Would they have
opposed the Government appropriats
ing money for the purpose OF picking
up the scattered bones OF our brave
boys who bad fallen in the South, and
deposIting them in neat, respectable
cemeteries3 call upon them to say
whether they would have refused any
of these expenditures.