The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1868-09-12

Tor loss tnan nearly SlZ3,UUU,UUU
a Year? Gen. Grants own estimate, as
Secretary of War, for the year '6S-69, puts
the expenses of the army at SIT 900, 900, al
lowing nothing for the Freedmen's Bureau;
which is more than double the electioneer-
ing estimate of our opponents.
We come back, then, to the startling fact,
that the expenditure of the Government,
under Republican rule, for little more
than four years of peace following the war,
is 2,110 millions. This il nearly eight
times as much as during the four years
from 1857 to 1861.
Nav. more-and we ask for this the par
ticular attention of all men-it is as much,
within 1924, 100000, as the total cost of gov
for seventy-two years Of wonderful
its foundation, in 1889 TO
June 80, 1S6l-which was but 2,235 mil
lions. This contrast is the more striking,
when you remember that in those seventy
two years the country paid off one national
debt amounting, principal and interest, to
1895 100000, and paid on the next debt
over S240 100000 in all, $685., 00O, 900
of debt and interest-paid for Louisiana,
Florida and California S33 100000, and
waged successfully two wars-One with
Great Britain in 1912, and the other with
Mexico in 1946-and had entered on the
civil war in 1861. After allowing for all
lust increase of expenses, difference of gold
and greenbacks (though our debt interest
is paid in specie), it is very alarming fact
that it costs in dollars nearly as much for
expenses of Government for four years
and quarter of peace, under Radical Re-
publican rule, without charging dollar
paid in reduction of public debt, as during
the entire seventy-two years of war and
peace down to the middle of 1861.
OF this great expenditure OF over 81
100, GOO, 900, in four years of peace, 81 ,05O,-
900, 000 or nearly one-half, are for Army
and Navy, for only part OF the tlme-that
is, the three years and three months ending
June 80, 1868. Onr Radical opponents
would make it appear that of this amount
over seven hundred millions were disbursed
for Army and Navy in the nine months
after Lees surrender. They do not give
us the items so that we may see for our
selves how this large amount went-how
much was for liabilities of the war; and how
much for maintaining a war establishment
in time of peace. Nor, Immediately after
this great expenditure of over seven hun
dred millions, do they explain why three
hundred and fifty millions more should
have been required for Army and Navy
from January 1, 1866, to June 30, 1868, two
and half years of peace.
From the cost OF government for tour
years and quarter OF peace, let us deduct
interest on public debt, five hundred and
forty-five millions. We still have fifteen
hundred and sixty-six millions (or nearly
$40 millions year, as the expenditures
of our opponents; without charging them
with anything paid for interest, or i'll re-
duction of the principal of the debt.
On the other hand, let us also deduct
from the whole cost of government for the
seventy-two years ending with June 81,
1861, the six hundred and thirty-tive mil
lions paid on public debt, principal and in
terest, as we should do to make a fair COM
parison. Then you have fifteen hundred
and sixty-six millions as the cost of gov
ernment for four years by our opponents,
after making them all due allowances;
against sixteen hundred.millions but thirty,
four millions more, cost OF government Tor
the seventy-two years before they began to
rule us, including the heavy expenses OF
two important foreign wars and the pur-
chase of three States, together with over
ninety millions for pensions.
EXPENSES INCREASING IN PEACE.
The worst feature is, that the annual ex-
penditure is increasing, SO that i'll the third
year of peace the cost of government Is
greater than it was in the second. Thus,
III 1861, it was three hundred and forty
six millions; while in 1868 it was, on our
opponents showing, over three hundred
and seventy-one millions-an increase OF
twenty five millions. This is attributable
to an increase Of twenty-eiSht millions in
the War Department, showing that this
branch is extending its expenditures.
Our opponents endeavor to arrange fig
ures and state accounts so as to cover up
tbair aypnesivo aypap6itI1raa on tho pvo Ot
election. Thus they pretend that what
they call "the actual expenditures of the
Army for the year GIGS just ended, were
but titty.six millions. In fact, they were
over one hundred and twenty three mil
lions, as shown by their own figures, which
arc probably rather under than over the
truth.
EXPENDITURES FOR 1868 OVER MILLION
DAY.
Army and Navy show joint expenditure
of over ono hundred and forty-nine mil
lions for GIGS. In the face of these fig
ures, and of the fact that the whole expenses
for the year 1868 are over three hundred
and seventy-one millions-n,oreth than mil
lion q day, IN The third gear Of peace how
idle to talk of retrenchment or economy a
Washington
Appropriations and estimates by thu
mere documents for the election-as tn,
people will find to their sorrow, if the,
shall be misled by them. What is NOR
easy or more common than to bring il
bills after the election to supply deficienie
in these estimates?
The very Appropriation Bill in question
contains appropriations of over twcnty-on
millions to cover deficiencies III last appro
priatien, mostly on account of "Army" AM
Reconstruction"
THE CIVIL LIST--A TEST.
Perhaps no better test can be had of tn
headlong career Of extravaganza at Wash
ington than is furnished by the Civil List
This List includes expenses OF the Execu
tive, Congress, Judiciary, etc. Comparing
two years of war, 1868 and 1864 whel
"greenbacks were low, with the two las
years of peace, 1867 and 1868, when the.
were higher, we find the expenses as fol
lows:
1868 Observation-Disclosures. 1923, 100000
1864. .... ........... 2100O,0 900
1867. Observation-Disclosures. 81 ,000, 600
1868. Observation-Disclosures. $4,000, 900
Thus, in 1868, the Civil List costs thre
millions more than for the two years o
1863 and 1864.
These figures show, like the others,
steady increase of expenditure, for whicl
no sufficient reason can be given. The.
force us to conclude that the extravaganza
which has doubled the cost of tho Civil
List, where we can trace it distinctly, ha
been swelling the expenditures in all othe
| departments.
This is why, in 1868, the Army costs 10
millions-belng 2S millions more than il
lS67-whle the total expenditure is owe
three hundred and seventy-one (371) mil
lions, or twenty-five (25) millions NOR
| than in 1867; and within ninety millions o
the total in 1862 when Army and Navy raj
up to four hundred and thirty-seven (437
| millions.
This is why the total expenditures 70
the four years and a quarter since the wa
have reached the vast total of 2,110 mil
| lions-or, after deductipg interest on tn
debt, over 1866 millions; against an OK
penditure of 261 millions for the fou
years preceding the war, and of but 1.60
millions for the whole u years before 1861
At tho rate of extravaganza shown in tn
"Civil List" fully one-third if not one
half of this great sum of 1866 million