The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-07-07
MR.. RDEN's SPEECH.
(Continued.l
CORRUPTION.

|
the government service. In lSG2, Il leRdin;
republican member OF the lower house 0
congress, stated, in the house of representa-
tives, that, during the first year Of Mr.. Lin
coins administration, the government had
been defrauded of sum Of money, mort
than equal to the annual expenditure of Mr.
| Buchanan's administration. About the samt
time, Senator Hale, Of New llampshire,-a
leading republican, stated, in the United
States senate, that tho government was ~
greater danger Of being destroyed by cor
ruption and rascality than by the armed reb'
els Since that time great Improvement has
been made in the science OF stealing. a
DISTINGUISHED member Of congress from tins
state says that Stealing By radical officials
has become a fine art. The government is
now robbed annually Of more revenue arls.
ing from the whiskey tax than the annual
expense Of the federal government during
Mr.. Buchanan's administration Mr.. Wells,
tho special commissioner Of the revenue
a good republican, estimates that, prior to
| the war, the annual production OF whlskey
| IN the United States was l00,0OO,O00 gal.
! Ions. He now estimates the product avail.
able for assessment at jO,O0O,0OO gallons (;
which | doubt not, ia much below the true
amount, The tax is 81 per gallon, and
| would realize $l0O,O0OO00 revenue Gnnu.
ally; yet the largest revenue from this source,
| il one year, is below $50, OOO, 00O,-g loss to
the tax payers of $7OOO0,0OO annually
| The sum thus lost to the revenue goes into
| the pockets Of dishonest officials and their
partners, composing the whiskey rings. The
estimated receipts Of the whiskey tax for the
present year amount to but Si3,O00,OOO, -
leaving $s7,OOO,O0O for the whiskey ring
| Mr. Wells also shows, ia his report, that the
government is deirauded out of $4,000 OoC
annually on the tobacco tax. When w
take into consideration the fact that tn
whole revenue taxes collected through tn,
the same officials who manipulate 80 sue
cessiully the revenue ON whiskey and tObac
CO.. the estimate may easily be made show
ing that fully one.halt the money paid by tn
pcoRlc in the form Of taxes fails to reach III
treasury.
Is any ono yeriaut enough to suppose tina
all the frauds are perpctrated upon the GOV
crnment without the knowledge OF our vigi
ant and watchiul members of congress 2
! They are doubtless honest, because they ~
| all honorable monl But, admitting the
honesty You necessarily prove their grei
| want of capacity. Our radical congress
men certainly have full confidence in the
own ability 10 carry on the government, an
to protect the revenues from fraudulent prat
tees They have usurped all the executiy
powers and made grent inrOads upon the ia
dicial department Of the government. ALI
gicnce to the president is no longer the tct
Of loyalty. The legislative department In
become omniputpnt And he who woul
bask in the sunshine of pure and unaduIter
atad LOYALTY, and pluck the golden fruit tina
clothes in such rich proiusion the beautiful
fields and gardens surrounding the publ
treasury, must bow down and worship at tn
shrine Of congress. Appropriations are lit
orally made for the benefit Of the faithful
Subsidies, amounting to hundreds Of million
, for aid of innumerable public works, are o
ready demanding the attention Of congress
Some of them nre great works Of public uti
ity. Others are great swindles for priyat
gain.
After the arduous wOIk of Reconstructed
shall have been completed to the the satin
focton of Thad. Stevens ana Charles Sun
ner, and the senators and representatives {
the negro constituencies Of the south sha
have taken their seats, more Of the time {
congress will doubtless be devoted to tn
great work of lavishing the money of tn
people upon schemes for enrichng the fc'
at the expense Of the many. One Of tn
darling objects of the politicians now rulia
the country is to centralIZe all the power
reserved to the stNNoa and the people int
one consolidated governments This accom-
plishcd, and the greatest safeguard Of tn
public treasury ia removed. Under II
simple and frugal form Of our federal 90
:. erument, in time Of peace but little none
l. could be expended, because there were BIT
n few objects to which 1t could be legitlmatel
D., applied. Our fathers in the formation
40 Of our constitution, knowing the corruptin
= influence of money, wisely provided that Il
government should have but few wants.
b. The experience Of the last few years, of
of departure from the principles of goyernmel
v established by them, amply justiGes the wi
49, dom of their course. A rich governme
~ and n poor people make the thrones of kin
le steady and durable. people rich in u
s. trammeled labor and untettered trade q
.. commerce furnishes the best safeguard
liberty.
70 When we call the attention of the peol
re to the extravaganza and corruption Of &
q. men in office, they undertake to shield the
4 selves by throwing the responsibility up
Andrew johnson. The republican pa
IL took him up q fresh recruit in their ran
from the democratic party, and elevated h
al to his high office, before he had worn out
y tho garments with which the democracy h
clothed him. He referred them to his
. cord in the past as to what his future coui
J. would be; and now they seek to throw 1
IF only the responsibility Of his adminlstrau,
"a but also the responsibility OF their own r,
e cally partisans, upon the shoulders OF
-. democratic party. Gentlemen, II you wa
r. to hold the democratic party responsible
n the administration of the federal Cover
.e ment, you must let them select from the
ranks the men 10 hold the Offices OF trust,
u IF YOU choose to take men fresh from t
O. ranks Of the democracy for your president
20 congressman, &C., the people will hold y
is responsible for their acts.
Il. | do not admit that Johnson is respo
sble for the maladministraton Of the 20
&C. eminent to which have called your ate
IN. The radicals have over two-tblrds
." .ue members Of congress. Not dolle ca
be appropriated without an act of ce1gres
.pe Not az officer Of any considerable aux ca
a. be appointed without the advice ed conseI
Of the senate. No man can Il remove
teF from an Office Of responsibility @ithout tn
1ck concurrence ofthe senate. AID the who
on. country knows that the sena. has been u,
sparing in rejecting Nominations where Il
'uS appointees did not agree VIII the maiori
a in political opinion, hat the authority