The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-08-14

Make our money good by an honest
and wise course, and when this is done,
it will be worth twenty-five per cent.
more than it is now, which will be e.
quail to an increase of One-quarter in
the amount of currency. Business
will be strengthened, industry will be
encouraged, prices will be regular, and
men will then dare to go on with use
ful enterprises.
The Cause Of Our Disgrace Official
Statements.
We find right here the cause of our
troubles, perplexities, and national dis
grace. Our credit is tainted. But for
that we could borrow money, as Bri-
tain does, at three per cent, and cut
down taxation. But for that our paper
money would be good, and gold and
silver would glitter in the hands of la
Dor. But for that fact there would be
no question how the bonds are to be
paid, and we never should have heard
of the greenback issue. But for the
national discredit, business men would
not be perplexed, and the disquiet and
fears which now disturb the public
mind would not exist. Now, if this
dishOnor cannot be helped, we must
bear it in the best way we can, and we
must get on with the sectional, and So
cial, and political troubles growing out
of it until time and events shall bring
some cure. But if it can be shown to
be the work of those in power, then all
sections, all classes, and all interests
should unite and turn them out. For
tunately we have official statements to
guide us in our inquiries. We take
the showing of the very parties under
impeachment to show where the guilt
lies. To show the waste of those in
power let us compare the cost of Gov
ernment during the four years of peace
before 1861, and the four years of peace
following the 1st of July, 1865. For
the fiscal year ending July /, 1869, /
will take the estimate just made by the
Committee of Ways and Means. Bear
in mind that this is the best promise
the Republicans can make on the eve
of a Presidential election 1t will
prove to be many millions short of
what they will spend, but we will give
them the benefit of their own state
ments. After the close Of the war, and
up to the 1st of July, 1868, the War
Department paid $4,000, 600; which
is $40, 900, 900 more than was spent by
the same department in four years of
Mr.. POlk's administration, and which
included the cost of the Mexican war.
1t took nearly twice as much to stop a
war under Republican policy as it did
to carry on war under the Democrat
ic management. But | will not take
this Sl95, 900, 900 into account. Let us
close the war. Since July /, 1865, a.
bout three months after the surrender
of Lee, up to July /, ISgs, the cost of
Government will be by official reports
and estimates $500, 800, DOS. Up to Ju-
ly /, 1869, by the estimate of the Chair
man Of the Committee of Ways and
Means, it will be $197, ,973, 1866, making
the cost of government for four years
LOIS, 1868, ,574 This does not include
one cent paid or to be paid for interest
or principal ofthe debt. he cost of
during the four years be-
fore the war leaving out interest on
debit was S256, ,246,4I4. This shows
that the Republicans have spent in
time of peace four dollars where the |
Democrats spent one. But the cost of /
grows greater, and we /.
will allow them to spend two dollars /
where the Democrats spent one. This |
will make $5l2, 4G2, 1913. But they spent
$505, ,9l0,GiG beyond this. What did !
they do with the money? During the /
four years CT Mr.. Polk's term, which /
included the Mexican war, the cost of /
the War Department was only 800, ,540, |
1885, We find that the cost of the /
War Department, taking their own
and estimates, will be in |
those four years of peace, S5ll ,Gl3,6l9. |
And this follows an expenditure of |
more than s3,000,OOO,0OO during the
war.
The cost of the Navy Department in
the four years ending July l, 1869, will .
be, by Republican statements and esti-
mates, $ll7, ,S02; and this follows
an expenditure Of $3l4, 742 during I
the war. In the four years before the
war the navy cost only 62,9l0,534,
We then stood in the front rank Of |
commercial powers. Our ships were |
on every sea and were to be found in
every port. American shipping is now
by our tariff policy swept from the
ocean, but the cost of the navy is near
ly doubled. The year ending July 1,
1868, is the third year of peace.
But the War Department cost Si28,-
SIS, ,49i, which is more than its cost |
during the four years Of Mr.. Polk's
term, which covered the expenses Of
the Mexican war. Not only does one
year of peace cost more than four years /
Of war then did, but the third year of
peace cost more than the second. for in
the year ending July /, 1867, the War
spent only $95, ,4l5. In
these statements we have given the
the full benefit of their
promises for the fiscal year ending Ju-
ly /, 1869, but we should like to ask a
few questions. If$3S,O8l ,0l3 is enough
for the War Department in that year,
why and how did you spend $l23, ,858,- |
400 this year? If SIT ,5OO,OOO is enough
for the navy in 1863, why did YOU