The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-09-29
Speech of Hon. =. s. Marshall at
Spriaefleld, Ill.

The peOple, turning aside from tho pss-
sions and prejudices OF the past, are be
ginning to inquire how their estate is
being managed by their public servants;
why such enormous sums are wrung from
them from year to year; and what be-
comes of this money; what disposition Is
being made of their public lands acquired
for hOmesteads for our people; and who
it is that hiss fastened upon them q tariff
system that is robbing theI.l OF their sub
stance, impoverishing their children, for
the benefit of men already rolling In
wealth.
In short, questions of tariff, taxation,
finance, public expenditure, and the dis
position Of the public lands are the ques-
lions Of The hour, and it Will be IN vain
that the designing or the guilty VIII at
tempt 10 turn the people aside from con-
sideration OF these issues.
Ever since, In January last, the country
was startled with the bold declaration
made on the floor If the House of Repre-.
sentatives, by Mr.. Dawes. chairman of the
Committee on Appropriations, and lesd-
ing member Of the Radical party, that,
Notwithstanding the extravsgant ap
propositions made for the fiscal yesr end
ing June 80. 1870, the estimates OF the de-
partments for the following (now currently
year were S42 ,0G00, coo in excess OF these
appropriations; that the tendency every
where in making expenditures was up
ward. not downward; that nOtwithstand-
ing al the professions by the Administrs-
ton Of economy, the tendency everywhere
was alarminglv in the other direction; and
that after going to snd laboTing with ell
the departments, and finally the President
l. IL = of
lion in the reduction of expenditures.
Ever since these charges were thus made,
and proven beyond al controversy, the
Radical leaders, alarmed for the effect this
exposure may have upon the taxpayers,
have been ls50riBg, and publishing from
tine TO time Juggling columns 0f figures,
to prove that Grsnt'a Administration IS 8
model of economy and fidelity. And every
day OF two he Telegraph Informs us that
Mr. Colfax or some other leader hes ap-
pealed 10 Mr. Boutwell, to set his clerks 10
work 70 get mp some new juggle on the
subject.
1t Is sometimes said that figures won't
lie" This is very true, snd the same
may be said Of words. They are both, in
themselves, very honest and innocent in
stTuments, and certainly will not lie. But,
unfortunately, the men who use them do
sometimes lie most yilainOusly, and use
these Innocent instruments for purposes
of deception and fraud.
hold now in ny hands a publication
made from Washington by the Union
Republican Congressional Committee,
which they facstiously call IS brief, con-
pTehepsive, ard perfectly reliable review
OF the financial measures and policy Of the
Republican Congress and Admins: ration.
since these sgro branches Of the Govern
ment have been brOueht IN harmonious
relations" This "perfectly reliable :"
document IS certainly 3 most Wondol mi
production, and furnishes remarkable
instance OF the audacity with which some
men csn presume urol the ignorance
and gulllbili.y If the people It out
Nurcharsens Baron Muncheusen so far
that that DISTINGUISHED rOmancer, If li7
ing, -ronld rot dare TO hold up his head
again could he once see this production
Is statements are too glazing 81 ms
lead any rut the most ignorant. ] can
here only notice one or two tbat are
am agly absurd | need not psuse TO
remark upon the absurd attempt TO ccm-
pare the expenditures OF Grants Admin
is.Tatiou with the g Democratic Admins.
tTatiOp Of Andrew J Johnson" hr. John
son vas certainly n)t n harmony with
his party on the question of reccnstruc-
ton, and On that question they managed
10 get up 3 very noisy quarrel. But 70 at
tempt to hold the DenocrGtic party re-
sponsible for the expenditures Of his Ad-
ministIztion is too prepOstercus to impose
on the most ignorant credulity. The Re-
publican party elected him, in spite OF the
opposition Of the Democratic party. He
I7ahp tod
NJ Lincoln. a Radical Congress bound
him hand and foot, 50 that be could not
remove from Office a member OF his Cab
met, s head Of Bureau, clerk in the
departments, an assessor, collector. or sEy
other cficsr in the government, or ap-
point one Of those officers, without the CO.
operation Of a Radical Senate 4 Radi-
cal Congress voted every dollar of the
public expenditures, and johnson dared
not. at peril of impeachment, touch one
dollar that was not first appropriated ~
law. A Radical Congress Is responsible
for every dollar OF these cxreni.tnres,
whether great or slnsll. They have had
absolute control Of appropriations and
expenditures since TIC 9Th Of March, 1861,
and they cannot shiTk the responsibility
therefore, either by Misrepresentation or
evasion.
Here is choice morseI from tais "per.
fectly reliable review:
''By means Of the redemption and payment oftbe
one hundred and thir;y-nine millions o. co 4 inter
e~t- eearlng debt the public relieved forever
from Sn emu j TX OF the amount OF C. hit m lion,
and one-tbiId o. a million Of dol ars (SS 33i1 a.
%; which sun was each year required simply Il
pay the per cent gold interest annually Cue Oh
the one hundred and thriy-nine millions Of dollars
Nt'h 8 eight End One-third millions of annual ta1
would, without compromising or discouns, h.v'
swelled TO an aggregate of eghtythree millions ii
zen years, 10 one huDcred ami slxty-seyen mil ion
III twenty years and 30 hundred and fifty nj ON
oil taxation in thirty years
This ia perfectly splendid. 1t almos
makes ones head SWIM TO see how rapid
~ this sum RUS up. But the writer i
entirely TOO modest. Why did he stop a
30 years. He could have gone on for
thousand just IS easily, ana thus in IN,
same way have shown tina. Grants ad
mlDistration has already saved to til.
American people eight thcus and Milo;
dollars, more money, Ia fact, than theEa /
on the entire globe
am tempted to give one other speci
men before passing from this amusing dec
ument. Here it is:
BY the foregoing, among other facts. win az
pear the following:
REDUCTION or ANNUAL INTEREST
Annual saving ofin;ersst upon principal
Of pub &c debt paid, about. .........-. 50 10000
Reminding a. lover rate, eoIse qusnt 6p-
on improved credie. -. 26,5cOCO
lnf res ON ; Per cent. cert.f ties to be
pa'd under currency act........... 9G2 80
Tcta annual saving OF interest $50 :, , o.
when the rev series vi bonds shall DC negotiated
Now that is absolutely sublime. tn
sum of It is that not one dollar OF Ties
bonds has been refunded, or is likely (,
be, nor hiss one dollar Of these 3 per cents
been paid. Bat no matter, figures can
he" If our public debt can be paid /,
this way, by piliug up columns of figures
why do we stop at A or ) per cent? WIZ
dld not Congress fix the interest in then
funding bin at per cent, or. better still
enact that the debt should be ref1nde,
without interest hereafter Then what ;
splendid showing this writer could hav.
made for Grants administration,-$13O
oO0,OoO In interest saved the first year; ant