Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-02-10
CORRESPONDENTS .


Il Massachusetts,, arraigniug the admins
ration on the charge that IL Is not carry
ng out In practice the professions of econ
my upon which II was placed In power.
such . speech, coming from the Chairman
" the Committee on Appropriations, and
rom . republican besides. was well calcu
ated to create an excitement, both among
he friends and the enemies OF the admin
stration. Some OF the former have been
much alarmed on account Of the Ill effect
which they imagined the speech would
have upon the prospects Of the Republican
party. and have berated Mr.. Dawes sound
" for the part he has taken. To me their
fears seem to have been supcrnuous. The
effect OF the speech will be TO induce the most
rigid scrutiny Of all proposed expenditures.
and the utmost frugalify I'm the conduct OF
public affairs. IL inaugurates a species OF
in economy between the legis-
lative and executive branches OF the Gov
eminent, the tendency OF which must be TO
reduce expenses TO the minimum. The
people will profit by this competition. In
reduced taxes, or increased contributions
to the payment Of the national debt. and
will be little inclined to withdraw their
confidence from party which presents
them with practical results of so satisfac-
tory a nature.
or course. Mr.. Dawes charges of cx-
travagance will be industriously circula-
lated by the democratic press. but even
supposing the case to have been rs bad as
he seemed 10 think it. the fact will remain.
that 1t was y republican and no; demo-
crat who called attention 10 the evil; and
its correction. by the cutting down Of all
superfluous estimates, will be due TO re-
publican Congress.
Inf the frt1fl is that the N hole some dis
cussion TO which the speech gave rise has
shown that the estimates II assailed will
bear examination far better than Mr..
Dawes seemed to think. Indeed. the only
charge which. II sustained. would have
given the Democracy any substantial
ground for REORGANIZATION. has been dis
tinctly disproved. We refer TO the state
men. that the estimates Of the present adj
ministration were I'm excess OF those pre-
scented year ago by Andrew Johnson. Nr.
Dawes frst speech was evidently made I'M
der the force of impressions somewhat too
hastily formed. II is due him 10 say tina,
he was misled by the figures Of the estl-
mate books. /. c. the books OF which one
is prepared each year at the Treasury De-
partment. giving in detail the items OF eN-
penditurc for the next fiscal year. with the
estimated amount required for each. In
the general footing up the aggregate
amount In the book for this year was set
down at S33l 200. 600. and in the book for
las, year q; only s3o3, 900 600. Mr Dawes
stated there was a misprint In one item.
whereby 81. ooo. 900 had been converted in
to ell .oo0. 900. But after making allow
ance for this error Of g.. 900. 900. there still
remained e3?4 900 600 a. the estimates o!
the present administration. against s3o3,-
OD0. 90 as the last estimates Of the admn-
is;raiion OF Andrew johnson. This GER
tainly seemed to justify Mr.. Dawes charge
but an examination OF the items which
make up these respective aggregates show
ed that II only seemed so. IL was found
that the sos, 01o. 900 OF Last year did not
include the estimated expenditures OF the
Post Once Department. amounting 10 S2t.
54o.4l3, which were submitted separately
upon page l2& OF the estimate-book while
the 1924 900 900 of the present year did in
clude the accounts OF that department
amounting TO SIS. ssh .093. 1t was evident,
therefore. that before makinga comparison
between the estimates Of the two admin.
istrations the Post ONCE account OF las,
year must be added to the 1898 600 900
making over a32. 900 ooo or else the Post
Office account of this year must be sub
trscted from this years estimates. reduc-
in. them from S324 10000 10 less than
e299 .00O, 900. la the former case the diff
terence in favor OF the present administra-
ton would he So. oO0. 600, in the latter 81.
600 600. Amer making this correction,
then. the comparison between the two es-
Inmates stands in round numbers az fol-
lows:
johnson. estimates including pea
once es7. no 81
Grants S.scoo. VI
Rxoess Of johnson. estirnates........ esop.oa
Sehu.on's estimate. without poet otnee sya org 40
Granite ~ 90 OF
Excess Of johnson. --,imAte... st"u.ooc
There is also another item OF 1925 OoO
for subsidies TO certain mail steamships
which was included this year in the 1924
000. 900, but was not included last year In
the e303, 900 900. although appropriated by
Congress. having been submitted by Post
master General Randall as a separate item.
Although these items are sufficient to show
that upon comparison of estimates the
advantage is with the present ad;ninistra-
ton, they do not show this advantage in
the strongest light OF which il is suscepti-
BILE, for il will be recollected that The offici-
al report OF Secretary Boutwell,. which was
extensively published about the time OF
the meeting OF Congress, put the estimated
expenditures for the next fiscal year at on-
~ e29l 900 900, or $1,000. 900 less than
those OF Andrew Johnson year ago. As
this estimate Of the Secretary was undoubt-
eddy made with due care, ii seems TO be
far more worthy OF reliance than an esti-
matchbox prepared by a clerk. in which q
typographical error Of 1000, 900 has been
shown in q single item. II can hardly be
dauh Tod hat he .r0 :
or 81, OO0, 900 between Secretary Boutwelrs
report and the estimate book, as corrected
above In respect TO the Post Once accounts,
is oceasioned by similar errors, or by the
inclusion OF certain items estimated for by
subordinate officials, which ought not to
have been so included.
1t must be admitted, however. that II
these few millions were all we had to show
as the difference between the profiigate ad-
ministration Of Andrew johnson and the
administration Of General Grant, We should
have slender cause for congratulation. But
II must be rem NIB ared that the comparison
above made is between estimates made BY
Grants estimation for the fiscal year COM
menciRg on the first OF July next, and
those made by Johnson's for the year COM
mencing on the nrst of July last. year
wholly outside Of his own term Of Office
Ii was very easy to make economical esti-
mates for his successor, but the proper
criterion by which TO judge Mr. Johnson is
his own expenditures while in office. These
in the last whole year Of his term, the fiscal
year ended June 80. 1865, were upwards of
e377. 900 900. This does not include the
postal expenditures. and must therefore be
compared with the o299 900 900 Of the
present estimates which remain amer SUBJ
tracing the estimates for the Post Once
Department. II is necessary to explain
here that both these amounts include the
postal deficiency. that is. the excess Of the
expenditures Of the Post Once over its own
receipts, which, Of course, is all the ex-