The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-09-03
RAvENNA, @. THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 1865

account of the public debt is $780, O,OOO,-
600, and that ought to save S15.000,-
600 annually in gold, by way of inter-
est. Now, if you look into that report
carefully, you viii find that the actual
reduction of the public debt is but
34,000,000, and that the balance is
made up of an estimated surplus in
the Treasury which is not there, if at
all, for the purpose of paying the pub
lie debt, but for the purpose of being
used for the ordinary expenses of the
Government and if you look at this
S134, ,000,0 you will find that of this
amount S70,000,000 have been reduced
by virtue of the contraction of the
currency and calling in greenbacks,
which pay no interest at all and if
you viii put side by side with these
facts that in three years the increase of
the debt which pays interest in gold
has amounted to S602, 200, 900, you will
see how much your burdens have
been lightened. Then this same Com
missioner tells us that the estimated
surplus in the Treasury on the 1st day
of July, 1868, is $34,O00,000. Where
are they ?They have not been paid on
the public debt; that I have shown
you. They are not in the Treasury !;
that have shown you. have, unfor-
tunateIy for our Republican brethren,
a list of the l1e6eiency bills that were
passed during the last two or three
weeks of the last Congress, and the
list that l have, imperfect as it is,
shows that they have appropriated out
of this S34, 100000 the sum of S27,0O0,-
600 in that way. l hold in my hand
this list. l hate to trouble you so
much with the details of figures, but
as this is fair specimen of the way in
which our Republican fellow-citizens,
when they get invested with power
in Washington. seek to cover up their
doings, you will excuse me if I call
your attention to it for one moment.
The way in which these gentlemen
manage is this. They appropriate very
much less each year, than they know
will be expended, and, toward the end
of the session of the year for which
the appropriations have been made,
they get up what they call deficiency
bills to cover the excess. Then they
go ON in the same session and appro-
| pirate for the next year very much
less amount, and when that year comes
again /; but when they come to tell you
they say, "That is all we have appro-
priated." "These are our appropria-
tions." See how we have cUrtailed
upon last year!" They forget to tell
you about these deficiency bills.
Laughter Listen to me one mo-
ment. l will not detain you long.
Deficiency in expenses of reconstruc-
ton, 1851, 600; second appropriation
for the same object, $287, 600; a further
deficiency in Third District, and $751;
600 for destitute people Chiefly ne
gfoes) in the District of Columbia.
Then we come to the War Depart
ment, and we have deficiency in the
War Department of 81, 100000. Then
comes the Postmastef-Ge Office,
and the Quartermaster-G G GeneraPs Of
flee, and the postoffice Department. and
we have deficiency bills in each; and
the Treasury Department, and we
have deficiency bill there; and COM
ing to the Collectors of customs, we
have deficiency there and coming to
the Construction branch of the Treas
ury, and we have two deficiencies
there. Then comes the Interior De-
partment, and we have deficiency
there ). and then the government OF
Territories, and we have deficiency
there. Then comes the Legislative
Department, and we have a deficiency
of 100000 in the Senate, and $1l5,-
600 in the House. Then we come to
the second legislative deficiency, then
the Pension Office, then two deticien-
cies in Public Buildings and Grounds,
and, lastly, deficiency ON the miscel-
laneous bill. Great Laughter. + When
next your members of Congress tell
you how much money they have ap-
propriated for the next year, ask them
to read how much they appropriated
in deficiency bills. / will notiweary
you with this detail of figures any fur
ther. l mightspeak to youan hour on
this subject. They would afford you
a very instructive lesson. Y ou would
see great many things that you DOM
see now. don't know whether it is
worth your while to see them. 1t Ger.
tainly is not unless you can correct
them. The conclusion of this whole
matter is that we are more than S2,'
100000 in debt, and that year by yeal
the Federal Government collects from
your pockets more than $500, 0,000,000
If you add to that $500OO0,00O, the
amount collected by the various State
Governments, it will run up to $500,
100000, and that is more than six pei
cent. of the value of all the property
in the United States, and more thai
thirty, almost fifty, per cent. of all the
earnings of labor and capital in itht
country. Let me state to youin SHARP
contrast with this Republican extrava
gance, that the whole expense of the
four years of James Buehanan's admin
J; inistration amounted to only $256, 600,
600. Let me state that the expenses o
the whole four years for the War De
partment during the Mexican war, un
der James Il. Polk, amounted only t.
S256, 100000. Now while we hav,
been pulling up this gigantic line til
it rises like a monument on the happi
/ ness and liberties of our people, ever
unto heaven; while we were piling
| up, we were recklessly spending tn
J currency. When payday now begin
to make its approach, we are just a
, industriouslyi occupied in contractin!
r the currency. Suppose a neighbor o
: yours should act upon the same princi
pie. Suppose he should go into tn
} market in the spring and buy whateve
he wanted, and should voluntaril
/, have the price of whatever he waite,
) enhanced, and should promise to pa
S in the fall out of the proceeds of hi
, summers labor, whether agricultura
;, or otherwise; and, suppose when fal
S came, and his notes are coming due, h
4 should voluntarily run down the price
e of everything he had to sell, SO that
t consumed his whole crop to pay hi
b debts and have half. his crops for a SUI
5 plus. Would you not say he was
j fool9 Well, that is exactly what th
: Republican party has been doing fo
e the people of the United States. Whs
d was the result? You see it in Main,
S and from what you see in Maine yo
may judge of what the results are i
j, the rest of the country. Are yo
|, prosperous2 Are you growing ric
C day by day, or are you living off tn
a proceeds of YOUR past labors 2 If vo