Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-09-16
GEN. GARFIELD Ar
MANSFIELD.
Extracts from the Speech OF Hon.
James A. Garfield at MRnsheId, Ohio,
Aug. "a, 1870.
REVENUE RECEIPTS.

james A. GARFIELD at NfansneId. ohio,
Aug. "a, 1870.
REVENUE RECEIPTS.
Now that the war and slavery are
ended, and reconstruction is virtually
completed, the subject of deepest in
terest to the people is the manage
ment of their financial affairs. They
have shown themselves ready and vii
ling to bear all burdens which nav be
necessary to support the Government :
to maintain its honor at home and
abroad, to meet all Its just obligations,
and to preserve inviolate to public
faith. But they will hold to the
Istrictest account those who are intrus-
ted with the management Of the reven-
ues. l take great pleasure in render
ing an account of the manner IN which
the republican party and the admins
tration of President Grant have dis
charged that duty. And first, / call
/ attention to the revenues of the nation
the money paid by the people into
the public treasury. In the year end.
! ing June 30, 1866, the receipts from
| taxes and all other sources, eXcent
loans, had reached the highest figure.
| The amount for that year was 1858.
032 $40. Between that period and the
20th Of July, 1858, five different laws
were passed repeating taxes which had
produced in the aggregate revenue of
$l73O00,000.
If these repealed laws we're in force
to day, the people would pay two hun
dred million of dollars more tax per
annum than they now pay. The
growth of our wealth would have made
this increase on the amount of actual
reduction.
| The total receipts for 1858, ex- -a
nc elusive Of loans, were .68s, ,O8s 30
elusive OF loans, Were.........., 80, ,943 TAT q
The total receipts for Is69-7O ex-
elusive ofloans, were............ AL 255, AT 6S
The last fiscal year shows an in
crease Of more than forty millions over
/ the preceding year, and the increase
for the current year is thus far still
greater.
1t IS Instructive to inquire how this
large increase Of revenue has been
! produced. 1t is mainly due to the
more honest and faithful collection of
the revenues since Gen. Grant became
President. I hold in my hand an Of
! fetal statement, signed by Columbus
4 Delano, the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, which exhibits fifteen of the
main sources from which our internal
revenues are drawn, and also the
amounts received from each during the
/ last fourteen months of Mr.. Johnson's
ADMINISTRATION, and also for the first
fourteen months of Mr.. Grants admin
! istration. This table shows total in
crease from these sources of more than
| fifty millions of dollars, being a gain
of 30 80 per cent. On one only of
these sources has there been a decrease.
and that is on penalties for violation
| of the revenue laws. There has been
falling off Of 40 per cent. in the re-
ceipts from this source, thus showing
that the revenue has been more fully
paid, with less fraud and evasion than
| before. Some of these items are very
suggestive. On distilled spirits the
! tax collected during the first fourteen
months of General Grants administra-
| ton is greater by more than twenty
! five and half millions than was coll
| leeted during the last fourteen months
of Mr.. Johnson's term. This great
! disparity is made all the more striking
by the fact that the tax was two dol
lars per gallon during the first of these
! periods, and only sixty-ive cents per
gallon during the last On tobacco the
gain was nearly twelve and a half mil
lions.
TThe speaker here submitted COM
parative statement, showing receipts
| from same general sources of taxation
from January /, 1868, to February %,
1863, to April 30, 1870, inclusive; also.
increase or decrease, and Increase or
decrease per cent.
will say IN simple justice to the
former administration. that probably
four per cent of the increase results
from the increase of national wealth.
But making all allowances, the con-
elusion is irresistible that this remark
able increase is mainly due to the
more honest and efficient collection of
the revenues.
REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES.
The reduction Of expenditures is
ment of interest on the public debt:
The total expenditures of the
United States for the fiscal
The total expenditures of the
United States for the fiscal
year 1863 We're e............... 81 AGO. ,594 20
The total expenditures of the
United States for the fiscal
year 1S69-70 were..... 292 4O55 lS
The fiscal year that ended eight
years before General Grant was in
augurated, showed an excess of re-
| Gel pts over expenditures of less than
| twenty nine millions. The year that
ended four months after his inaugural
showed an excess of nearly forty nine
and a halt millions. The year that
ended Juue 30, 1870, the first full
| fiscal year of President Grants term
| showed au excess of more than one
hundred aud nineteen millions OF dol
1 lars. Yet the rate of taxation was not
increased on a single article during
that period. Some of the reduction OF
expenditures is due to the fact that
such war claims as back pay and
bounties of soldiers are now nearly
paid off. But, on the other hand, the
pension list is larger than ever before,
and In a growing nation the expendi-
lures will constantly increase. Making
all due allowances on both sides of the
| ledger, this great reduction is clearly
due to increased economy in the man
agement of public affairs. challenge
our Democratic friends to gainsay a
single fact l have submitted. In his
recent speech at Delaware, General
Morgan takes occasion to cTiticlse
special items of public expense, but he
does not venture to state the totals
either of receipts or expenses. much
less does he compare the financial
work of the present administration
with that of the last.
THE PUBLIC DEBT.
But, fellow citizens, you have a
right to know what has been done with
the surplus of receipts over expendI-
lures. I hope there is not an Ameri-
can citizen who will not be proud to
know that from the inauguration OF
General Grant to the first day of the
present month. the principal of the
public debt has been paid and cancel
ed to the extent of one sixteenth of its
whole amount, and the annual interest
has been reduced by the sum of at least
eight and half millions.
, On the Ist March 1869, the pub