The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-04
From the National Entelligencer
False Riaures T.E

~ Caiicu upOu Dy MT. AlllSOn, RAUL
cal member from Iowa, to furnish a
statement Of the receipts and expendi-
lures for the fiscal year ending June
80; the reduction or abatement of taxa
tion since July l, 1865; the expendi-
lures, in aggregate and detail, of the War
Department since Lees surrender; the
expenditures of the Navy Department
for the same period, and the expendi-
tures for the Freedmen's Burean, and re-
construction up to July l, 1868.
For want of other employment Mr..
Wells set to work to cook mp these
campaign figures, although he has no
better means of aseertaining the facts
than anybody else, but has partisan
interest in giving them partial color
ing. 1t was labor of love, such as a
Radical office. holder delights to per-
form.
| The value of Mr.. Wells statement
. may be estimated by his confession,
that Sufficient time has not elapsed to
ALLOW of a perfect and exact settlement
on the books of the Treasury Depart
ment of all the accounts for the last
fquarter Of the last fiscal year." Then,
why not have waited until those ac-
counts were closedi The fiscal year
ended on tho 30kh Of June. and the re.
turns are all nearly liquidated. Yet,
Mr.. Wells was in snch haste to rush ints
print and to make mp an imperfect
statement, that he would not delay for
the official figures. The other method
suited his purpose much better than the
trne returns.
He takes the assumed aggregates of
expenditures and receipts for 1868, and
upon that basis makes cut ian estimated
surplus OF receipts over expenditures of
3a, 1871" This surplus would be
very agreeable if it were real, but since
it only depends upon Mr.. Wells "esti-
mate," We have no faith in it whatever.
And for sufficient reason. This same
Mr.. Wells estimated, with elaborate de-
tail, and made out to the satisfaction of
credplous members of Congress, that
the revenue from whisky would pro-
duce at least $50,O00,000 for the year,
whereas it has yielded at the rate of
s13, 100000, or about One-feurth of his
certain calculation" In view of this
exposure, he might at least be little
modest in fabricating estimates which
only serve to render his office ridicu
lous.
In order to furnish IN exhibit of pre-
tended retrenchment, Mr.. Wells COM
pares the actual expenditures of the last
fiscal year with the appropriations made
for the present. Now, lie knows per-
fectly we'll that these appropriations
were arbitrarily cut down for elec-
tioneering effect, while no change was
made in the laws authorizing the exist
ing service, Consequently, the differ
enee between the appropriations and
the laws on the statute book must be
made good by enormous deficiency bills
in December. Among the appropria-
tions at the recent session were two for
"deticiencies," amounting to Sl7 ,46O, $50,
for the provious year, when there was
10 motive for deception. More than
sixty millions will be required next
winter. An idea may he formed of
what sort Of deficiency bills are to be
expected by single illustration. The
cost of the army proper for the last fis-
cal year is stated by Mr.. Wells at $780,
713,4l0, without pensions and the like,
which sum up as much more. The ap-
preparation made for the current year,
which is paraded rs an evidence of
economy, is S33,OSl ,Ol3, being an arbi-
trary suppression of over So, ,000, 900 for
that branch of the public service, The
army has not becn reduced single man,
:. large force is stationed Oh the Indian
frontier, sixteen thousand troops arc
maintained with bayonets at the throats
of the Southern people, and all the eX-
penses of the last year are going on.
Yet for the purpose of deceiving the
country, t,renty-th9e millions are struck
off the regular appropriation, which
must be made good when Congress
meets. And that is put forth by Mr..
Wells rs all evidence of Radical reform!
Such duplicity is an Insult to public in
telligence. What is true of the army
applies to every other department.
Some sixty millions of appropriations
have been postponed for few months,
so as to get up this fraudulent exhibit.
1t is like q man cheating himself ut
solitaire, in order to work ont the
gamc. ...r. ...,
In attempting to show reduction in
taxation, Mr.. Wells makes an admission
which will not fail to impress the f;rp-1
ers and laboring classes, who have to
bear the burden of taxation. Ho says
"all manufactured articles or products of
industry" except distilled spirits, fer
mented liquors, manufactured tobacco,
gas, matches, and playing cards, are
exempt frdia direct and specific taxa
tisn. Congress relieved the manufac
turers of nearly oight millions of taxa
ton, but did not grant one cent of re-
lief to agriculture. They reduced the
tax on whisky, on tobacco, and the
like, and declared that Government
bonds were not subject to taxation. The
whole legislation was for preferred
classes and monopolies, and against the
mass of the people, upon whom the re
sponsibility of supporting the Govern
ment falls in time of peace, and who
are called upon for the profits of shod-
dy contractors and bloated bOndholders
to fight its battles in time Of war.
We recommend Mr.. Wells to turn his
attention to tho duties for which he is
evidently too well paid, and to retrench
his fanciful figures after the manner OF
his Radical friends in Congress. Parti-
san estimates are dear at any price, and
they are not recommended to more ia
yor by stunning capitals, like the
handbills of travelling menagerie, an-
nouneing that they were made to order
in the ''Trcasury Department. Office
Special, Commissioner of the Revenue,
Washington, July Is, 1863" ."
Great Denlnnd for Harvest Hands.
Throughout Minnesota the wheat is
ripening with surprising rapidity, and
as q necessary consequence, the demand
for harvest hands has become suddenly
urgent. Heretofore there has usually
been q great influx of harvest hands
from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa, just
nreyions to- the starting of reapers in