The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-10-03
SATURDAY, MORNING. OCT. 8.
rue SUBSTANTIAL FACTS.

rhe rebel papers all over the country,
Register included, have published a
itement of the financial condition of
nation prepared by Mr.. Delmar,
rmerly connected with the Treasury
apartment. That plant tool of lie
emocracy undertook TO show that as
people we are bankrupt, and we pre-
lme tho rebel prints give it such
Ide publicity, because "the wish is
Their TO the thought" The New York
Post in recent issue, ventilates Mr..
belmar aud his financial statement
thusly:"
There has never been political strug-
10 which has brought before the people
prominently the financial condition
nd prospects of the country as that
low going on. Tho benefits or this dis
ussIon cannot fail to be important in
preparing the people to take an intelli-
cent part in settling the great questions
81 finance which will come before the
7uext administration.
Efforts are still made, for partisan
purposes, to obscure and confuse the
flrchives OF our financial history for
the last seven years; but they are utter
4iy vain. The substantial facts are IA
well Informed, and the absurd mlsFep.
RESERVATIONS In which some political
papers and speakers still indulge can
have no effect. The careful statements
made up by Mr.. Wells three months
ago, and more fully by Mr.. Edward
Atkinson In his Worcester speech, have
been attacked and tested in every pos
sible way, and the result has only been
10 confirm their accuracy.
Certain partisans interested In i'm
pairing the credit of the nation, and
unable to get from any source entitled
To confidence a statement OF the facts
essentially different from that of
ployed Mr.. Alexander Delmar to work
up the Treasury figures into n form
which might encourage the enemies of
the Union. He has done his worst with
them, in a recent letter, to prove the
country bankrupt. This letter some of
the Democratic papers print and dis
cusa with jubilee cry, as IL the ruin
OF this nation were the only thing now
wanting to complete their happiness
and bring on the Democratic golden
age.
Readers of tho Evening Post do not
need to be informed now of Mr.. Del
mars standing as a stRtistioian. He is
u mere blunderer with little informR-
ton and less capacity. We have been
at the trouble at various times to ex-
pose the assumptions and misstate-
meuts which he has printed as director
Of the Bureau OF Statistics.
The simple fact that his reports as d.
rector have been intolerable by Mr..
Culloch and by Congress, and that he
has been removed from Office by iegis-
lation in consequence, isl enough to
show tho value of his authority.
II is very unfortunate for those who
have contrived this silly attack upon
the national credit, that they have not
been able to get the signature to it OF u
responsible officer of the Treasury, who,
like Mr.. Wells, has reputation at
stake, or of citizen, who, ike Mr.. At
kinsOn. Is known and Trusted az n sta
tistician. II the figures of Mr.. DelmRr
wore true, Mr.. McCulloch himself, the
most open and earnest supporter of the
Democratic ticket and platform in the
Cabinet, would not refuse to sign them.
As matters now stand, 1t would be suf-
hcient to leave the question as one of
authority; Mr.. DelmAr against Messrs.
Wells and Atkinson.
But on close examination IL seems
that Mr.. DelmRr has not ventured
really to contradict anything which
Mr.. Wells has asserted. The nearest
approach he makes to il is in his as.
count of the appropriations required
by the Treasury for 1859. He has
made a great effort TO mystiiy this and
kindred subjects, but has not been
shrewd enough to do 1t we'll; and the re-
suit is that he involves himself in sucn
open contradictions as edectuRlly pre-
vent his letter from deceiving any one.
For example, he takes the permanent
appropriations for the civil LIST, the
army, and interest, including the
necessary current expenses under these
heads, which are the same from year 10
year, amounting in all to SlS0. 1853, GOO;
then the unexpended appropriations OF
previous years, $85, 664, Az oS; then the
new appropriations asked for by all the
departments of the government this
year, in all Sls2, lS3, 1856 o.. and adds
them all together, making SS9S. SlT, 1873 95
and this Mr.. Delmar Sets down as :he
Ordinary expenses for the fiscal year
1859.
Now this he does, in defiance of no.
torious facts. In the first place, very
OF appropriations was for specific pur-
poses which have been accomplished
by the outlay of less than the amount
appropriated. There Is no authority to
expend, the balance, which 'lapses5 to
the treasury. For example, IL Con-
gress had appropriated ten millions OF
dollars, or so much thereof as NAV be
necessary for Ihesupport OF a tnfiftary-
post on the Indian frontier for the wear
is6I-SI and one million only had
been expended for that purpose, the re-
manning nine millions are an tunsx-
penue1 appropriation Mr.. Delmar
inelndeS all such sums as this, amounts
ing 70 US 600 GOO, among the amounts
~ w expended this year, The fiction
Il 700 weak even To deceive himself,
Again. when the Democratic heads of
departments asked for SIS, 900. COO. Con
gress responded by Insisting On = S;SI5
economy, and granting less than SiI5 :
600, GOO. Mr.. Delmar himself gives th3s
fact, and yet, in the very next san.
tence, includes the expenses of the cur
rent year, just as If Congress had yield.
ed to the extravagant demands OF Mr.
johnson and his advisers. 1t Is by such
disreputable tricks as this that Mr.. Del
mars wild estimate OF the expenses o.
the year is made out.
On the other hand, the same very
shallow ingenuity is applied 10 dimin-
ish the revenues of the year. Without
any Qualification whatever in facts, Mr.,