Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-09-16

q
i been able, faithful and successful il
the administration of this government
Z i do not wish to speak as a partisan
I but it is just to the Republican part!
to recall their steady success, anC
their steady support by the people In
every stage they have been opposed
by the Democratic party-the saml
party that now asks you to trust then
with political power. How strang,
now seems the position taken at differ
ent times by the Democratic party. I
was this party that opened. up thS
slavery question by the repeal of tht
Missouri compromise, and with. the
aVoWed purpose of extending slavery
1T was this party that supported thg
frauds and crimes by which slavery
was to be established in Kansas. Il
was this party that elected James Bu.
chanau, whose imbecility made ths
war inevitable. do not care now tC
dwell upon the course of the Demo
cratic party during the war, for all
these matters are too fresh for intelli-
gent men like you to forget. The pol
icy of the Democratic party after the
war was even more injurious than
during the war. for it aimed to des-
troy all the natural results of the war.
Their policy was to restore the rebels
as nearly as possible to their former
dominance, and to restore the enamel
pated slaves as near as possible to
slavery again. They have taken no
political position since the war that
did not look to the restoration of the
old pro-slavery order of things. They
uniformly opposed every meas
ure for the security of loyal people,
white or black, and when sagaciOus
men among them have appealed tC
the party to acknowledge accomplish
ed facts, and take a new departure
the controlling sentiment of the party
rejected such counSels. But in spite
of their opposition in peace and in
war, the Republican party have settled
beyond question the liberty of all citi-
zens, the equal rights of all citizens,
and the strength and power of the Gov
ernment to deal with all its enemies
We are now in that happy condition
where we have only to deal with the
minor topics of peaceful times.
Now, l ask you, fellow citizens, is
this not something to begin with p
Did General Morgan gives US credit
for all these great results? 1t is very
clever in him to charge us with the
sins of JOhnson's administration. but
he might have given us some credit
for the past. But meet him on his
own ground. I am willing TO take the
administration of General Grant, and
the action of the present Congress as a
part of it, and stand or fall by the
Judgment of the people on that. Let
US take the first year of GRANTS ad-
ministration and compare it with the
last year of Johnson's and how does
the record stand?
From March LIST, 1868, 40 March Ist, 1862 this
official statement shows that Johnson
From March ist. 1863, to March 1st, i87e
Grant expended .............. S295, ,633. 81
Showing reduction of eXpendi-
lures ,4S1 Dos
And this reduction has been going
on ever since.
If you take from this expenditure
that which grew out of the war as the
interest of the debt and the pensions,
the civil expenses are less in proper
tion to our population than during
the wear of Buchanan's administration
The whole expenses, including army
and Navy, and including the public
debt, pension list, and other matters
growing out of the war, were $50, ,SS2,
9S5 in currency.
Again, the collection of revenue in
the same years. The taxes and the
rates of them were precisely the same;
but from March 1, 1868, to March l,
1869, the receipts were S156, ,13S, l6S, and
from March 1, 1869, to March 1, 1870,
the receipts were S175, ,467, 141, showing
an increase by the honest collection OF
taxes of SI9. .328. .973, and mostly in the
luxuries of whisky and tobacco. This
increase is still going on, so that in
the first eighteen months of Grants
administration, we are able to increase
the WELD of internal taxes alone, over
thirty millions, without increasing a
single tax.
Again-take the reduction of the
public debt. In the last year of John
sons administration, the public debt
was reduced $3.50, us. In the first
wear of Grants administration it was
reduced SS7, ,134, ,7S2-or a difference
in one year of over $Sl, 900, ,OOO.-
In eighteen months of Grant S
administration without the increase
of one dollar in the rate of taxation
the debt has been reduced over one
hundred and sixty millions OF dollars:
and is now less than 81, ,360, 600, 600 in
Guiding greenbacks, fractional notes
and every form of debt.
Again-Look at the national taxes.
Since the war we have gradually ano
cautiously reduced out Internal taxes
but under Grants administration
we were able, under the present care
full management of our finances, to re.
duce taxes by Wholesale. At the last
session we repealed the mass of these
taxes-amounting according to an of
fetal statement I have Just received tC
S55, ,2I2, 600 internal taxes, and S26, 900,
600 tariff duties, or over $91, 900, 900 II
all After this year there will be NJ
internal taxes levied by the United
States, except on whisky, tobacco
stamps and income and the income
and stamp tax is largely reduced :
Now is not this doing well?
How does Gen. Morgan meet thes'
plain and simple facts, known to hin
Yery we'll, and shown in these ofhcia
papers ? We will see after while.
But one point in passing He as
1 sunes with a lofty Indifference of par
ties and of Presidents that he is no
responsible for President Johnson
/ He did not vote for him, and, as I viii
show. he actually charges him with al
| impeachable offense. But If Morgan
/ is not responsible for Johnson, wha
will we say OF our friend Hubbell? 81
I is the Democratic candidate IL
our district. He not only voted TO
johnson, but followed him into tn
| Democratic party, and left his ol'
/ friends of the Republican party, VIII
had been true, and kind, and parti a
/ to him, in order to emphasize his de
| VOtiOn to johnson.
But let us go back. What were tn
| leading questions OF the last session @
/ Congress9 What were the objects yo
i wished ACCOMPLISHED? One was the re
i duction of the interest of the publ
! debt. so as to lessen its burden; an
other was to give to the West it's fai
share of the paper money of the coun
try. another was the reduction of tax
alton another was rigid economy i
public expenditures. Did Genera
Morgan enlighten you on any of thos
questions Did he tell you how tn
Democratic party resisted the Func
ing bill, in order that the very weigh
of the debt might lead you to justit
measures tending to impair the pull
lie creditP Did he ever discuss th
question as to how or when the publ
debt should be paid? I see nothing {
this in his speech, though it was or
on which there was much debate an
anxious consideration. So with tn
Currency bill. When, under the e.
ing law Jaw, the East got great az
vantage over the West and South
j the organization of National Bank
! the Democratic party made the grea
3 est elamor over it. It was the chi
! point of Gov. Seymour's speeches
! 1868, when he took the stump for hin
self as President. Though all tn
= arose out Of an error of cOnstructio
by Secretary McCulloch and Comptro
Ter Clark, yet when an opportunity
correct it was offered, Gen. Morgs
, and his political associates were four
voting against the bill. So with Il
reduction of taxes. We were ready t
and did, as I have shown, throw {
eighty-One millions of dollars of take
Al.