The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-03-17
Grant on Economy.

During the present session of Congress
Mr.. Dawes, Radical member from Massa-
chusetts. made an able and lengthy speech,
in which he exposed with a master hand the
reckless extravaganza of the present admin
ietration in all its departments. 1t was a
scathing and formidable indictment against
the loudly boasted economy Of the Radical
party. The speech created quite commo
tion in Congress, especially amongst the Rad
ical members, and was IL subject of extend
ei newspaper discussion throughout the
country. Butler made vigorous effort, in
his usual domineering and clustering style,
to neutralize the force of Mr. Dawes facts
and figures, but it was simply sound and
fury signfying nothing.
Now for the sequel. An election was held
last Tuesday week in New Hampshire for
Governor and members of the Legislature.
The Radical leaders. fearing the damaging
effect Of Mr.. Dawes arraignmeut Of Grants
administration. induced that gentleman to
take the stump in the Granite State in favor
the people, at Nashua, he proclaimed the
following carefully prepared message fiom
Grant himself to the people Of New Hamp-
Shire:
Assure he people OF New Hampehire that
tAe successful collection and the ecoa omical
expenditure of money curing the present year
is an earnest and Il pledge of what il shall be
IN the year 10 come. Fell the people OF New
Hampshire that during my administration there
shall be no ascending scale of pupiic expcndi
lures but whenever and wherever the closest
scrutiny shall disclose the possibility Of cutting
of collar, il shall be done "
This is modest, to say the least, and it is
the first instance within our knowledge of
President making direct personal appeal
to the people of State to bolster up his
failing political fortunes. If Mr.. Dawes
went to New Hampshire to answer his own
speech, his Efforts to do so must necessarily
have signally failed. In his speech referred
to he proved conclusively that the estimates,
over appropriations for salaries and coutin
gent expenses alone for the present year.
were as follows For the State Department
S38.62O: for the Executive Department,
100000; for the Treasury Department,
$3.50 900; for the Department Of the Inte-
FLOR, SIS ,0A0 for the War Department,
$66 900 for the Navy Department, $780,
60 for the Agricultural Department, $64,-
$50, and for the Psstof1ice Department,
$50 800. The total number Of officers en-
ployed at the Washington Navy Yard he
states to be twenty, with salaries amounting
to S42 ESQ; and, in addition, there are
twenty civil officers who assist to take care Of
the J ard, at an annual cost for salaries of
S48, ,946-making total of S9l .GS5 for sal
aries alone in the Washington Navy Yard.
The AdmiraI'S yachts, he showed, cost $2,-
500 d"y-which is for "mere waste and
useless aummery." The Interior Depart-
ment was asking for an additional appro.
priation of $24S 900 at the very time when
one OF It's bureaus mad an accumulation of
$4,000 surplus which it could not use
There are 500 supernumerary army officers
at Washington, off duty, but on paw. at an
estimated annual expense of ST. $50 OOO.-
Mr. Dawes is responsible for these startling
ASN'SSs o1A NSAltu Il SuCCeSSIuI contradiction
Of their truth. Do these facts and figures
show, in the language of Grant, ''that dur
ing my (irant'a) administration, there shall
be no ascending scale of public expendi
lures" Il is we'll established fact that
he expenses of maintaining the White
House alone since Graut became President.
have amounted to upwards of $50 ,OeO more
than they did under the administration of
either Lincoln or johnson. This is account
ed for from the fact that he keeps three Brio.
adler Generals around him at high salarjes
AZ well as host Of other useless but SNOWY
attendants who were totally unknown to all
oar former Presidents. What then becomes
of his hypocritica! boast. that .wherever
the closest scrutiny shall disclose the posi-
bility of cutting off dollar, it shall be done2n
If Grant is sincere in his professions Of
economy, let him show it by bis acts. Let
him begin the reform at home. and after dis
missing his household Generals and return
Jog them 70 the army where they belone. As