The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-07-23
THE TRIBUNE.
NATIONAL EXPENDITURE.
What the Republican Party has Done
During Right Years of War and
Strife to Preserve the Union.
=. Maintain the National
Credit, and Pay the
Debt Without Ex.

Credit, and Pay the
Debt Without Elk.
cessiye Taxation.
On the 1st of July, in the House Of
Representatives, Mr.. Blaine, of Maine
an speech on the Appropriation bill
said
Mr.. Blaine. We have entered. Mr..
Chairman, upon new fiscal year. and
: the last appropriation bill tc provide for
Its expenditures has been reported and is
now before the House The occasion
seems a fit one for a brief survey of our
financial situation and for a pertinent
answer to the many misrepresentation SO
industriously set ahoat in regard to gov
ornamental expenditures. A very labored
attempt has been made throughout the
country by certain parties and partizans
to create the impression that the expen-
ditures of this Congress arc on a scale of
needless and reckless extravaganza.
propose to show that such is not the fact,
but that, on the contrary, the expendi-
lures are made with far more regard to
economy than distinguished the last
Democratic administration that was in
power in this country. The question is
one of figures and not of argument. and
hence / proceed at once to the figures.
1t is important at the outset, to a clear
understanding and clear comparison of
Government expenditures at the present
time and the period Immediately proceed
ing the war, to distinguish between those
expenditures which were the inevitable
consequence of the rebellion, and there
fore unavoidable, and those which may
be to certain extent controlled by the
discretion and the fidelity of Congress.
Of those expenditures, which are the
direct outgrowth of rebellion, count the
interest of the war debt and the pensions
and bounties to soldiers and sailors.
These are expenditures which are not
discretionary but are imperatively de-
manded, unless the nation Is prepared OF
the one hand to defraud its creditors, or
on the other to turn its back on the brave
men WHO risked everything that the Re
public might survive.
The annual interest on tie public debt
amounts to one hundred and twenty nine
million six hundred and seyenty-eieht
thousand seventy-eieht dollars and fifty
cents. The pension roll for the year will
be thirty million three hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, and the b0unties due and
payable will require abont thirty million
dollars These three items, which are
not discretionary, amount to the large
aggregate of nearly one-hundred and
ninety million dollars, well nigh two
thirds OF our total outlay for the fiscal
year upon which we have just entered.
The fact that so large proportion Of our
expenditure Is the result of the war, and
is unavoidable unless we repudiate our
obligations to our public creditors and our
heroic soldiers, can not be too often re-
peated or too thoroughly impressed on
the public mind; for it is idle to de-
noupce these expenditures as eXtravagant
unless we are prepared to withhold them;
and whoever proposes to withhold them,
proposes thereby to put the nation at the
same time under the doubly diseracefuI
stigma of Reputation and ingratitude. If
the Democratic party choose to assume
that position it is welcome to all the
glory of 1t.
For the ordinary expenditures Of gov
ernment for the fiscal year which has
lust begun the appropriations are a. fol
lows:
Executive Legislative, and judicial,
embracing all department salaries
and expenses SlifSl-ifHlto
For the army 33,eSi.uli-tu
For the navy 17.5o1o01oo
west Point Military Academy a030o0O9
Councar and diplomatic service 1,2tR,+3fn0
Post Office Department 2,tNLeVtlo
Indian Bureau treaties, etc 2,2tFo'lGo
Rivers and harbors +.tou,uIo."
Collecting the revenue 9,U9o,O@J.oo
Suu,,ry civil expenditures connected
with the various departments 6,020,n0on0
Miscellaneous expenses of all kinds in
Guiding cost of certain public nd
ings throughout the country expenses
of reconstruction, expenses OF closing =.
up Freednens Bureau, etc 9,oOo,ooOo9
Deficiencies of various kinds in the diff -
ferent appropriations -s'''''''-''
MAKING a total of S106S1S, i4710
differ in some items from the recent
s,otamant of the honorable chairman OF
Wavs and Means, for | think he includ
ad IN the EXPENSES of this year deficien
cv Of thirteen million dollars resulting
froo the Indian war of 1861; which
amount was appropriated and spent last
wear and has no proper connection what
.uor w;rb the expenditures OF the current
So, YEAR And he also includes, Moor
rectIv. Ethink, some twenty four nliiilon
congratulations overlapping from the year
which has closed to the present | say
INCORRECTLY because this amount Will be
Offset by a similar amount which oVerlaps
can This wear TO the next, about the
same amount going over each year; ana
This from necessity owing to the mode OF
disbursement. | have also made the
amount for bounties ten millions less than
~ chairman estimates, because large
,ronnrtion which he includes in this year
viii necessarily be paid in the ensuing
wear. when it is hoped the whole matter
win he closed. the last soldier honorably
maid off. and the Treasury relieved from
Further obligations in that direction
Adding together these Ordinary expen-
5;tnras as have above, the sum total Is
fa,nd r. he one hundred and SIX million
a;cht hundred and eighteen thousand
fonr hundred and forty seven dollars Ii
Conrress can be accused of extravaganza,
nh. accusation must be made good Oh
sbese Gcpres. or else abandoned, Tor the
other expenditures, as | have already
-sne,ted lie without the pale OF congress
ss,nsl discretion or control. y cleal
estimate of the character of these eNpen
sd;tures may be gathered by comparing
shnu with the OUTLAWS incurred under tht
last Democratic administration, fo'
cvamnlr. in lS57-5S the same class o
exnenscs in BUCHANAN administrator
- "a ~enty million dollars IN gold
VIZ wv tho -. ."ndred and SIX mllilof
49, WI iundred AMI ,''.ohtcen Thousand '!T
- hundred and t0yty-~eVeh ooi1'''
ahays nsned are in paper. 1t mus ~ y
,t,oorvad narrower. that IN 5000 S'i'
population of this country was ! un wei
thirty millions whereas to-day . u Is ~" ,,n
. a;ah forty millions. Adding forty pc
cent premium on the gold to b ,T r ,l'
e.na,d;tures of the two. cras to the SAM
Standard. aud we find the outlays :, .
Buchanan were at the rate OF over m nlhe 81;
eight millions in paper to-day. 10 IN; I'M
add one third for increase OF pop9I!a.ion
and we find the Blu shanan expenditure
adjusted to the scale OF TO-DAY w ;n;n
omount to one hundred and thirty miiiio