Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-09-17
THR DIFFERENCE.

AT me close OF the last Demo
cratic administration the charge
Of extravaganza and reckless ex.
penditures Of the party in power,
was made a strong argument for
its displacement BY the Republi-
can party. Whether the charge
was true, or the argument one that
should have found any to assent
to the truth Of It's conclusions, let
the following comparison demon
strate.
From an elaborate statement of
the receipts and expenditures Of
the Government for the several
years, ending respectively June
Both, from the year 1850 to 1870,
inclusive, recently submitted to
the public by Mr.. Boutwell,, Score.
tary Of the Treasury, we extract
the following figures: The expen.
ditures tor the two years, lSG0-Gl,
were Sl20,G7j,9 l6; from this must
be deducted interest paid on the
public debt in these two years, viz
S7,l77,4SS, which will leave a
balance Of S122, 499,42S expended
to carry Oh the Government dur.
ing the aforesaid two years.
Now, having increased in the
eight years since, say one fifth, the
expenditures should, therefore, be
increased one.flth, which, (being
S24, 1880 if added to the
Sl22, 9,429, amounts in the sum
total to SAG, 500, 3l4, which under
Democratic rule would have beer
expenditures corresponding with
the two years lS69.'70,
Instead, however, ofthis amount
the Secretary's table makes the
following showing: for 1869, ex-
penditures 1921, 400, 597; and for
1870, 1922, l13, 269; total s6l3,.
SOB, 1867; from this deduct, in
round numbers s2l0, 600, 900 in
terest on the debt during those
two years, which will leave s3T3,.
1857 expended in carrying on
the government from this deduct
for pensions $40,000.000 and the
balance will be 1888, sos, SCI,
as against Sl46, 800, 3I4; or, in
other words, for every dollar OK.
pended EXCLUSIVE Of interest and
pensions, by the government in
lS60-'Gl, the rulers under an
economical administration cx.
pended two dollars and twenty
seven cents, in 1SG9-'70!
In view Of the above facts, well
may Mr.. Dawes, chairman Of the
committee on appropriations, and
a staunch republican have charged
the present administration and
party with unprecedented extrava
gance and 4 reckless mismanage-
mcnt of the public revenues.
In addition to the above state.
ment, the debt of the government
Of the United States in 1860 was,
all told, one hundred million dol
lars; it is now more than two
thousand millions. Again, from
tho beginning of the govern
ment, in 1889, to 1861 It's
whole expenses were 81, 100, O00,.
coo; from June 30, 1861, down to
June 30, 1870, the expenses were
about $4,000, QUO, 900. there being
nearly three times as much cx.
pended for the nine years since the
republican party came into power
as was expended hy all the admins
trations for the preceding - years,
altogether.
From the foregoing comparisons
and statements Of facts and figures,
We submit il the argument in cx-
travagance of expenditures of the
government under democratic rule,
in 1860, was a good reaso for the
displacement OF that party, will
not the same argument, after the
above showing, be a stronger reas-
on for the displacement ofthe Re-
publican party in 1902 Let the
people answer.