The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-28
Have We Been Economicals

Have We Been Economical2
IT is the grand keynote Of the Democratic
party to shout in favor of economy, and to
charge the Republican party with extrava-
gance. They know full well that there is
something peculiarly pleasing in the crY o.
"retrenchment and reform" and they do not
hesitate to make what capital they can out of
it, whether they are entitled to it or not. The
fact that they are out Of Office gives them
peculiar opportunities to indulge in this cry.
Let us see, however, how in our own State
the Republican administration have admins.
tered the finances, whether during their con-
tinuance in power the debt has been increased
or diminished, and what sort of an account
we can give the people Of our stewardship.
number of figures are furnished in the State
Guard, which serve as a basis on which to
show how We have managed the finances OF
the Commonwealth. For many years pre-
vious to 1860 the Democratic party had the
control of the State. Neither Wings nor Rs
publicans had been in power. Under these
successive administrations the debt had
amounted to an enormous figure so that on
the 1st of November, 1850, bsfore Governor
Curtin's inauguration, it had reached $37,-
900, ,S47'50. For eight years the state was in
the hands of our political friends, and on the
1st of August, 1868, the debt was reduced to
$33, 65l, ,637'47; or an actual release given to
the peopA of Four MILLIONS THREE HUNDRED
AND EloHTEEN THOUSAND Two HUNDRED AND
Ten DOLLARS. But not only was the
debt reduced but taxation was also.
The following figures show how much:-
The net amount chargeable to the
counties annual y in 1863, 1861 aud
The net amount cuargeaOIe to Ihe
counties annually in 1866. 1867. aud
3ld 222'l9
Annual reduction. III, ,3Ii O02 IA
Add the amount OF deOL reduced,
from November 30, 1861 to August
l. 81 3lS 2I5 O3
Ard we show q reduction of taxa
lion sDd debt in less than eight
years, accomplished by the Repub-
nCan party, oi.... 10. Jul 3OzO1
But highly credtable as this seems, it does
not yet give the full need due to our party.
The circumstances under which this reduction
was accomplished were peculiarly unfavorable.
Through the allies OF the Democracy we were
undergoing a fearful and extensive civil war.
Vast additional burdens, extraordinary with
the occasion which called for them, were in
CURED. The resources of the States were
crippled, and the sources from which profit
flows were cboked up. The war expenses
from December, 1860, to August, 1868, wer,
S., $40, 702'74. Had we not had this war, We
would have reduced the sum of our indebt-
edness that much more. So that in
the eight years we would have paid off and
relieved the people of nine million nine hun
dred and sixty seven thousand nine hundred
and twelve dollars and seventy -seven cents of
debt. Can we not with pride point to this
record of our economy, and ask the shouting
Democrats, hungry for the spoils of Office,
'where can you show such balance sheet?"
If the Republican administration is continued
for eight years longer we can safely promise
that ten millions of the deb. will be dimin-
ished. Shall we, then, now change the hands,
and let loose on the Treasury strong and vo-
racioas crew, who will undo all the good tn at
years of economy have done