The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-04
i The Democratic Party's financial
g. Record.
THE ExTRAvAGANcE OF DEMOCRACY In POWER



wha, 10 expect from a Change.
A Democrat takes substantially this ground:
sit may be that the Republican party is not
responsible for the national debt or for the bur-
dens of taxation; but the people feel the bur-
dens, and they cM 90 an for a chance and run
the risk"
we have it upon the best authority that last
spring, when he was stumpng New Hamp-
shire, Mr.. Pillsbury OF Kingfeld, said in con-
versation that the Democratic talk about the
national finances was all "gammon" but it had
Its effect and event down. with the people.
Mr.. Pillsbury has since denied that he made
such remark, and thus raised a question of
veracity between himself and a gentleman
who is quite as readily to be believed as a man
who every week lies most atrociously in the
Maine Standard in speaking of these very
subjects.
But the people will not ego it blind" as
these demagogues. suppose. They in
teihgent and will look at the facts instead of
being hurried away by blind prejudice. They
will examine the record of the members of the
Democratic party and see how they have made
use of power in every case where they have
gained it. They will see whether as members
of the minority party they have exercised
such influence as they have in favor of re-
trenchment and economy so as to raise a rea-
sonable presumption that if constituting a
majority they would save the peoples money.
we nave been at some pains to investigate
this subject with sincere desire to detect
some evidence of a right purpose among the
minority that would give assurance OF finan-
cial safety in the improbable event of Dem
ocratic success, but from a very wide and i'm
partial induction of facts we have reached
conclusion directly contrary to what we hoped.
The evidence is overwhelming that, whether as
members OF the majority or of the minority,
Democrats have chronic mania for plumber
ing the public treasury, and that where their
influence is felt ever so slightly the public
purse is sure to suffer. We will first consider
their influence on
NATIONAL FINANCES.
When James Buchanan retired from the
Presidency the country had been at peace
ever since 1913. Howell Cobb was Mr. Blu
chanan's Secretary of the Treasury. Under
his management the credit of the country had
become so much impaired that in neg otiating
small loan the government was obliged to dis
pose of its bonds at heavy discount $50
The first year of Mr.. Buchana ans admins
tration the ordinary expenses of the govern
ment, on the basis of our paper currency and
the present population of the country, were
at the rate of TWENTY THREE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS more than the same expenses of the
government for the current fiscal year. ...
Going back even SO far as the admnistra-
ton of Pierce, we find that less economical
ideas prevailed than now in regard to contin-
gent expenses. A comparison of the contin-
gent expenses of the Senate for the years 1855
and 1867 will show how this case stands:
1865, 1867
Appropriations $ssl,6OO s159tsO
deficiency So zoo 653S9
Total, $4,000 S225 O69
1t seems to us that the difference of $685.
S31 in the contingent expenses of the Senate
in favor of Republican Congress is rather
more than an Offset for Mr. Pillsburys pen
knife story.
1t should not be forgotten that this is a DEM
ocratic administration, and that the Democrat
ic party must at least assume joint respon-
slbiilty for whatever of extravaganza there
has been. Mr.. Fessenden well said in his
great speech Of Monday evening that a Re.
publican Congress had not given the Demo-
cratic administration all the money it wanted
emitting to mention, however, that the differ
ence between the Democratic estimates and
the Republican appropriations was NINE
TY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
The funding bill, designed to save FORTY
MILLION ANNUALLY was killed by the
Democratic Congressman and the Democratic
President
When the bill removing the tax on raw
cotton was under consideration in Congress
every Democratic member voted to extend the
exemption to the crop of last year, which had
Already passed into the hands of spectators.
Every Republican voted to have the money
amounting to some FIFTEEN OR TWEEN
TY MILLION DOLLARS, paid into the
Treasury. instead of going into the pockets of
the spectators without helping in the slight
est degree the planter or stimulating the
growth of cotton.
If it be remembered that this is Democrat
ic administration the same party will be held
responsible for the real estate transactions of
the State department The Alaska iceberes
costover SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS in
gold and the st. Thomas earthquakes would
have cost another large sum had not Repub-
lican House vetoed the wild scheme in ad-
vance.
As individuals Democratic congressman
have been especially notibable for their greed
mess. On all questions touching their own
pockets, they have never failed to act in
body in favor of the most extravagant appro-
priation. Every Democratic member voted
the increase of salary to $4,000 year which
has been made matter of reproach to the
Radicals, though very many of them voted
against it, and NOT MEMBER FROM MAINE has
his name recorded in its favor
The mileage question which arose at the
last session affords a still further illustration
OF the personal covetousness Of Democratic
members. As explained in the Press at the
time the question on which the discussion
arose was this: By the law of 1866, 20 cents
per mile is given to members, and it is to be
paid at the commencement of each regular
session. By the law of 1867, an additional
session of each Congress was provided for, to
commence on the 4th of March next following
its election, and it was also provided that no
members of the Congress Immediately pre-
ceding should draw mileage for the addition |
al session. The question before the Judici- |
airy Committee was whether the new mem
bers of the Fortieth Congress were entitled to |
mileage for the three.sessions. IT SOFA large sum
would be drawn from the Treasury for pure
ly constructive traveL"' In the Judiciary /
Committee when the matter was under con-
sideration the seven Republican members were
opposed to paying the extra sum but the three
Democratic members were in favor of paying
it.
When at the beginning of the last session
Of Congress Mr.. Hooper, Republican, propos-
ed that appropriations for the session should
not exceed 100000, 900 the Democrats, as US
nal, placed themselves in opposition, and
Mr.. Pruyn of New York took advantage of
the rules to object to any discussion of the
matter unless members on his side" had an op-
portunity to reply.
This brief resume which is by no means as
complete as it is in our power to marke it if
more evidence is wanted, is amply sufficient to
show that tho Dam 10 ina, IN,