The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-11
WHAT IT COSTS.

only ingredient in this piece of statistical
cookery over which they can pretend to exuit
is the fact, real or apparent, that, IN 1861, the
army, regiment by regiment and man by man.
was maintained at a higher rate of cost than
in the brief period of Gen Grants admins
tration of the war department Grant the
fact for arguments sake. But MIR. Blame
was careful not to compare the aggregate
military expenditures, at any period since the
close of the late war, with what they were at
any former period of equal length, under
either a Wing or Democratic administration,
and during either war or peace. Everybody
who is the least cOnversant with military
maxims in relation to equipping, subsisting
and mobilizing armies, well knows that one
man or one regiment of a small army must
cost more, from the nature Of things, than
one man or one regiment of a large army
The reason of this can not need explanation
to any one who has conducted, successfully
on a large and on a small scale, either mer-
camille, manufacturing or agricultural opera
tons. Other things equal, the prices at
which necessary supplies are obtained dim
inish as the aggregate purchase increases,
and the pro rata cost of providing for the
shelter and transportation of either soldiers
or laborers, as these become more numerous,
naturally becomes less. Now, look at the
shallow cheat which Mr. Blaine and other
radical arithmeticians try, with the aid of
this familiar law of trade, to palm OFF on
public intelligence, which they insult. They
have the efIrontery to suppose that the peo-
ple are so idiotic as to believe that the military
establishment in former periods was more
costly to the country than it has been, under
radical policy and legislation, since the close
of the late war, because the cost OF a single
! soldier or a single regiment was greater then
than it is now. The true questions for all to
| consider who desire economy and retrench-
ment who would relieve tax payers from
ruinous burdens, who would save the credit
and the currency of the government from
being syamped by extravaganza expenditures,
are simply these: How much greater Is the
aggregate cost of the army now, when there
is neither an enemy without nor rebellion
or a rebellious tendency within, than at any
former time during either peace or war, and
what is the cause of this excess of cost? As
to the first question, the people may tind a
startling answer in the following incontro-
vertible array of facts presented by ex-Gov.
Seymour in one of his recent speeches:
We take the showing of the very parties under
impeachment 10 show where guilt lies. 10 SHOW
the waste o. those IN power let "a compare the
cOsttf government during the four years oil peace
before 1851 and the four years OF peace follow
Ing the lst If July, 1865. Fyr the fiscal year END
ipq July l. 1863 Will take the estimate just made
| by he committee OF ways aud means. bear ID
mind that this is the best promise the kePuouc lns
| can make on tie eve OF presldehil4l elec''Ou
/ Ii will prove 10 be many nj lions short OF whA
they will spend, but we will give them the bene
1 f OF their own statements. AIler tue close o.
the war and up 10 the LIST OF July, 1863, the wal
DEPARTMENT paid $3.50 600 GOO, winch rs t'o,OO0 wv
more than was spent by The same department II
the four years Of Mr.. PUlks ad ninlstrauOn, anC
which included the cost OF the Mexican war. i
took nearly twice as much TO stop war unde
Republican policy as IL did TO carry on war IN
der Democratic management. But will not TAKE
this sl65 900 600 into the account Let that Close
the war. Since July l, 1860, about three month;
after the surrender Of Lee. up to July l. 1905 th'
cost of government will be, by official reports an'
estimates $3.50 800, 20S Up to July l, 1863, 0l
the estimate of the chairman of the committee o
ways and means, it will be sl97,973 ,366, maxi
the cost Of government Tor Tour years Si'OIo'
1868 574. This does not include one cent pald o
10 be paid for interest or principal OF the debt
The cost Of government during the four yea
before the war (leavng out interest on ceot
was s256,226 IA. This shows tnat tn
Republicans have spent in time
peace four dollars where the Democrats spen
one. But the cost of government grows greater
end we will allow hem TO spend two dolia'
, where the Democrats spent one. THIS VIII max
! S5l2.45 S2S. But they spent 500 ,9IO 90 Dey0n
this What did they do with the money! Durln
| the four years Of.Mr. Folks term, which include
the Mexican war, the cost of the war department
, was only 500 540,7SS p. We ind that the COS
of the war department, taking their OWN statement
and estimates will be in these four years OF peac
s54l Gl3 Gl9: and this follows an expenditure q
u o than 50 600 coo 600 during the war. Inc COS
Q OF the navy department ia the four years endn
r. ! July / 1863, viii be. by Republican statement
ard estimates sll7. AL ,S02 and this follows .
3 expenditure of s3l4 ls6 742 during the war. |
r the four years before the war the navy cost oni
$50 $40 534 We then stood 10 the front rand q
commercial powers. orr ships were on ever
sea and were TO be found in every port. Amer
: can shipping is now by our tariff policy s~ep
q from he &C an, but the cost OF the navy IS near
doubled. The year ending July /, 1868. u To
}, third year of peace. But the war dep trtme
cost Sl28 s5s 4g4 which is more than its cost du
4 ing the four years of Mr.. Folks term, whlc
covered he expenses Of the Mexican war. N
s only does one year Of peace cost more than iO'
4 wears Of war then did but The third year of pea
costs more than the second, Tor in the year endiu
July / 1867, the war department spent On
r SOS 224 AS.
/. Is there need that any one who has o
: served what has been going on in the Sout
r for three years past, and who has had his ey
s open to the obvious tendency and design
radical policy, should ask the cause Of til
frightful excess and progressive increase
u military expenditures? These expenditur
y constitute only one item in the enormous su
70 Of money, wrung from the tax-paying masse
Il which has been squandered by radical poll
> for the purpose of preventing the spontlneo
return of conditions Of peace and prosperiI
T. and of keeping Southern States out of {
Union until bogus governments, the mo
d. strous production of military duress in leag
-. with partisan fraud and iniquity, should
established in those States to serve as the
st1uments of a central ohgarchy. And 1t
n ! imnossible to foresee the end of the alrea