Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-09-28

against them. These are all the bal
auees Of internal revenue, cOllectable
anduncollectable, everassessed against
these districts since the system went
into operation.
Mr.. Colfax then recapitulated what
| the people demanded of those whom
they elevated to Office. First they de-
mand that there should be an impair
tial execution Of the laws without
fear, favor or affection; next, honesty
in their officials, honesty in the col
lection Of the revenue and i'll the ap-
plfcation of that revenue; next, re-
! trenehment in expenditures so that
they shall be brought down to the
J smallest possible amount consistent
with the national obligations and the
national faith next, that the burdens
! of government in the shape of taxes
shall be reduced as rapidly as they
honestly can; next, that the national
| honor and good faith shall be preserv-
ed and kept sacred and inviolate.-
Next, that the Government shall be
preserved, II possible, from the hor--
rors Of war with all the blessings, and
| prosperity, and happiness that now
from peace. -,
He then proceeded to show that all
these requirements had been met by
Gen. Grants administration. As t.
! the honest collection OF the revenue,
he first took up charge in the India
napolis Sentinel of that date, as fol-
lows:
"When the Radicals tell you they
have reduced taxation, make them
explain how it is that the taxes paid
4 81 nN over
thirty millions of dollars. Ask them
how II happens that the internal tax
es collected in 1869 amounted to Sl59,
I24 i26. while those of 1870 will ex-
ceed one hundred and eiJhty-fOttT mil
lions Of dollars"
He said he would admit the charge.
It was true, but it was not the whole
truth. The taxes paid in 1870 will ex-
ceed those paid in 1869. But it was
necessary to remember that, though
this was so, there had not been sin
gle additional burden laid on the peO-
pie in the way Of taxation. This sig
nificant fact was due simply and sole
ly to the fact that the revenue is now
more honestly collected than il has
ever been before.
Mr.. Colfax here digressed from his
I subject 10 refer to another circular
which Democratic emissaries were
busy in circulating through the crowd
containing what purpOrted to be an
extract from a speech made by him in
/ 1854, at South Bend, advancing Know
Nothing sentiments of the rankest
kind in language the most offensive.
He said it was published in 1865. He
branded it then as q falsehood, known
to be such by the men who circulated
it, and who could produce no man,
woman or child, either inside or out
side of the penitentiary, who ever
heard him utter such disgraceful, foul,
obscene sentiments as are contained
in that pretended speech. But, al
though he branded it at the time in
the Indianapolis State Journal as a
miserable, contemplate falsehOOd,
forged by a Democrat, printed by a
Democrat, and circulated by a Demo-
crat, yet they still circulated it. Isn't
it q poor, miserable cause, he asked,
that needs to be propped up in such a
way?
Having disposed Of this fabrication,
he returned to the charge OF the Sen !.
tinel, that the people OF the United
States would pay $50, ,0OO, 900 more
taxes in 1870 than they did in 1S69.-
Not thirty millions, he said. On the
contrary, they had received eighty
seven millions more revenue in the
last eighteen months than they did
under the last eighteen months Of
Andrew JOhnsOnis administration,
simply because we now have honesty
in the administration of the finances.
In the last two years Of Johnson's ad-
ministratiOn, when the Democrats
had seduced him from his allegiance
to Republican principles, fraud and
peculatiOn were the rule. Under his
administration most of the money
that was collected went into the pOck-
cts Of thieves. But under Grants
administration it goes into the Ma
tional Treasury to assist in relieving
the people Of the burdens o. taxation.
RETRENCHAIENT.
The fiscal year runs from the first Of
July TO the next July. During the
last full fiscal year Of Johnson's ad-
ministration, which closed on the first
day Of July, 1868, the expenses Of the
government, including the interest on
the public debt, was S377, ,000, 900. The
next fiscal year was eight months Of
johnson and four months of Grant,
from July l, 1868, to July 1, 1869, and
the expenses of that year, two-thirds
Democratic and done-third Republican,
had run down to S321, 900, 900. and a
large part of this reduction OF $50, ,000,-
900 was under Grants four months.
Do you want to know how he COM
$1,000 ,-s1,,ofno, ~ Foof9 will ohorw
YOU from the lips of an enemy, from
the Washington correspondent Of the
Cincinnati Enquirer. He is not a
very good friend Of mine either. He
calls me "Smiler.n The World and
Enquirer and Courier-J Journal think
it very witty to call me "Smiler.N
Well, I would ss lief have had the
name "Smile." as Schuyler any time.
I do smile a good deal. I have had a
happy life. 1 have had troops Of
friends, noble principles that I believe
in, that 1 live for. They make me
happy, they make me smile, and if it
is any qualification to these fellows to
"Smiler," well and good. They are
welcome to it.
But I was going to show you how
Grant commenced to reduce expenses
at once. Said this correspondent,
writing on the 30th Of June, 1853:
'iThe fiscal year closed to-day. To-
morrow the Government goes forward
on reduced appropriations. Several
hundred officials were to-day removed.
Nearly 200 were removed in the Treas
ury Department alone, and about so
in the War Department. So far some
gn0 var1oxale have haan Dnada froDn
the Treasury Department" Six hun
dred needless officials squancering
your money, your taxes, in one depart
ment. Grant found them there when
he came in as President, and by the
first Of July he had cleared them out,
as the money changers were once
driven from the temple, How many
do you think there were all over the
country? They were numbered by
the thousand.
The first full year Of Grants ad-
ministration, from July, 1859, to July,
1870, the expenses, including the in
terest on the public debt, were S292,-
100000. That was S29, 600, 900 less than
for the fiscal year that was part John
sons and part Grants, and SS5, ,0O0, 900
less than the last full fiscal year Of
Andrew Johnson. Now, that is not
all. We have made the appropriation
for this fiscal year from the lst of July,
1870, to the Ist Of July, 1871, and it
foots up Sl57, ,0O0, 600. Now, the in
terest on the public debt paid last
year was S127, ,0O0, 900. But as Grant
has been paying OFF the debt the in
terest account has been reduced, and
q 2 =