The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-09-21
ECONOMY OF GRANTS ADMINS.
TRATION.

1t has beOn claimed that Grants admin.
istration has been economizing and reduc-
ing expenditures. Let US see: The ex-
penses of the Congress for eighteen months
under the administration of Grant have
been 81, 100000 more than they were in
the last eighteen months of Andrew
Johnson's term. The Post-ofice expenses
are 81, 100000 more. The foreign inter-
course expenses have increased nearly
$1,000. The expenses of collecting the
custome are 100000 less, but then the
miscellaneous expenses, including build
ings, are $2,5OO,OOO more. The cost of
the United States Courts are nearly ST.
100000 more. The Indian Department
has added to its cost $l5O,OOO. In the way
Of pensions there has been added not less
than $6,O0O.0OO. \ Congress and a Pres
ident intent on economy would not have
made such a record as this. 1t is true
there has been a reduction Of $S0,OOO,OOO
in the expenses Of the War Department,
but for that no credit is to be given to
Grant or TO Congress either, for it ought
to have been done years ago. Nay, instead
Of SS0,CO0,OOO, it could have been brought
down to $40,OOO,OOO, with no detriment to
the public interests. 1t is claimed that
there has been a reduction in the princi-
pal of the public dbt of $l69, OOO,OOO.-
Now this, according to Secretary Bout
wells W testimony, is not doing any
thing near as well as the previous Ad-
ministration. In speech made in the
House of Representatives, on July q,
1868, Hon. George S. Boutwell, said:
~ wish to call the attention of the
House to q fact deduced by a careful ex-
animation of statistics obtained from the
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, show
ing that with U resources and the reYe-
nue. of this country we have secured a
large diminution of the public debt. 1
confess that, after the careful examination
l had made, l felt compelled to review it,
TO see that there was not some mistake in
the premises or in the calculation, so as
tonishing is the evidence thus furnished
Of the, ability of the people of the country
10 iquidate the public debt. From the
1st of April, 1866, to the lst day of jan
uary, 1868, we have paid out of the pub
lie treasury 81, 552, 100000 of money
Upon a careful analysis of the expendi-
lures of the Government during those two
years and nine months, 1 find that the ex-
penses of a peace establishment, including
interest, pensions and bounties, upon the
basis of the year 1866 and 1869, when the }
expenses of the Government were $7O,-7
100000 more than they are to be the
nraSapt ,-aor amounted n ClQE Onn nnO
showing that we paid, over and above
those expenses, 81, 066, 100000. On the
LIST day of April, 1865, the public debt,
h~quidated and ascertained, was $2,446,-
100000, and the 81, 066, 100000 which we
paid between the lst day of April, 1865,
and the lst day of January, 1868, would
have been added to the public debt as
proper expenses of the war if we had not
out of the public revenue from day to
day iquidated it. If we add to the 81
336,O0O,000 Of public debt on the lst of
April, 1865, what we paid for war expen-
ses including interest on the war debt,
pensions and bounties, between the lst of
April, 1865, and the LIST of January, 1868, !
the public debt, If we had not paid war
expenses out of the ordinary revenue,
would have amounted to $3,432,O00,0 900.
In the face of this great fact that in two
years and nine months, by extraordinary
taxation and extraordinary efforts to be
sGre, we paid 81 ,O66, 100000 of the public
debt, are we to assume that the people of
this country are not annually to make
considerable payments Of the public debt
of the country Almost one-third of the
public debt of the country has been paid
IN two years and nine months"
So, it seems that, according to Boutwell,,
almost one-third of the public debt, or
Sl,00O,O00,0OO, was paid in two years and
nine months of Andrew Johnson's Ad-
ministrat!on. If this is so, what credit
does Grant deserve for . beggarly $780,
100000 paid in n year and a half of his
term?