The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1868-08-19
Governor Seymour's Risstatements in
Regard to Army Expenses.

0eB8rd TO army E4p0nSss'
In the House of Representatives, June q,
1868, Blaine of Maine made the following
comments on a misstatement made by
Governor Seymour of New York in his
Cooper Institute speech:
| Mr.. Speaker, desire to call attention to a
statement made By Governor Seymour in his
recent speech at the Cooper Institute in the
city of New York. In arraigning the Re-
publican party for extravaganza he max the
following declaration, as reported in the New
York World, which hold in my hand:
"Since the war closed in 1865 the Govern
ment has spent for its expenses, in addition
to its payment on principal and interest of
public debt, more than one thousand NIL
lion dollars. Of this sum there has been
| nearly eight hundred millions spent on the
army and navy, and for military purposes.
| This is nearly one-third of the national debt.
| This was spent in time of peace"
The charge thus brought by Governor Sev-
mour is that in the three years that have
trans pired since the war closed our army and
navy have cost us $4,000, 900, or at the rate
of nearly $40, 100000 per annum in time of
profound peace. The statement Is cunnln2iy
made with the evident purpose of misleading
the public mind, for while 1t Is quite true that
the military and naval expenses since Il
close of the war have been $500, 100000, il =,
absolutely untrue that they have been S21U,-
600, 900 per annum. When the war closed
by the surrender Of Lee on the 9th of April,
1865, the armies of the Union bore the
names of nearly a million men on the rolls, |
and our navy, in its vast and widely extend |
ed duty of blockading 5000 miles of coast, !
had nearly 800 vessels in service, with a cor |
responding number of men.
The first result Of Grants magnificent |
series of victories and final triumph over tn
re lion was to muster out these countless |
hosts which had borne the >tand,rd With |
such glory on the land and on the sea. !
Months OF pay were due TO more than half |
the army the well earned bounty was due T.
ali. and the sailors, besides their back paw,
were to receive millions of prize m nty
honestly their own. The vast and almost in
calculable amount needed to be provided for
these purposes must be had at once, and /
thanks It. the patriotism and wealth Of our
people, i was had at once. | have tins
morning visited the Treasury Department.,
and bv the official statements which hold IN
my hand it appears that the disbursements
for the army and navy fer the IA DAYS fol-
lowing Grants closing victory amounted TO
S625, 900, 900. Hence it viii be seen that
three-fourthS of the $500. 900, 900 so triumph
dHtlN pdIdutti UN bONtluoI iocN'HOuI d. ilt
War and Navy expenses of the past three
wears, were really disbursed almost III one
sum at the close Of the hoStiiities as the ne
ce>sary expenses Of mastering out our enOr-
nous military and lyal forces. To supply
this vast sum the current receipts OF the
Government were consumed, and the people
directly advanced S53O,UJU,0o9 by subscribing
that amount to the eveT-memorable 80
loan. Do Governor Seymour and his friends
!,
in mastering out the army Do they b. &
rudge the soldiers their back pay and bounty
and the sailors their hard-earned wages
and the prize money: If not, let them
cease to attack the Republicans for promptly ,
discharging the honorary debts of the Repub-
lie, for thus gladly paving the men who ri>ked
their lives to save the life of the nation. i
Six hundred and twenty-five millions of
Governor Seymour's $500, 900 600 Jsing thus ,
expended 10 mastering out the volunteers,
his own figures show that the current and {
legitimate expenses of both army and navy
for the past three years of peace have been |
out Sl75 ,00G, 900, or a little more than sjo,. /
poo, 900 per annum for both branches Of the a
service. The Governors figures thus reduced G
are not far from the truth, and they snow a d
iegree OF economy quite unknown IN Dem c
lcratlc times. Take the year 1898, for eX /
ample, in the administration of Buchanan, u
and we md that the expenses OF the navy 7
we're $4,000 900, and of the army nearly y
so 0O0, 0O0-for the two well nigh $40 000,-
,OO-and that was in gold, and with an army /
and navy Of less numbers than have been L
deemed necessary for the security of the t
public peace during the past three years a
Taking the difference in the amount of force "
md the fact that the expenditures of Buchan- h
ms administration were in coin and the +
present expenditure in paper, it Will be seen
hat the result shows strongly In favor Of the i.
OF army expenses as administered ;
" General Grant The army to-day in fact c
osts much less per regiment in paper than is
t cost per regiment in gold under the last {
Democratic Administration. So much for /,
Seymours figures.
LETTER FROM GENERAL BUTLER. p
D.e-o,- III ISeS