The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-02-11
NM, Dawes on the Public Expend.
lures
MAsnrsarox. Fee. 8. 1870.

u The sensation of the last two
weeks has been the speech Of Hon.
Henry L. Dawes, of Massachusetts.
arraigning the administration on the
charge that it is not carrying out in
practice the professions of economy
upon which it was placed in power.
Such a speech, coming from the
ehairman-of the Committee on Ap-
preparations, and from u republican
besides, was we'll calculated to create
an excitement, both among the
friends and the enemies of the ad-
ministration. Some of the former
have been much alarmed on account
of the i'll effect which they imagined
the speech would have upon the pros
poets ofthe Republican party, and
have berated Mr.. Dawes soundly for
the part he has taken. TO me their
fears.seem to have been superiuous.
The effect of the speech will be to
induce the most rigid scrutiny Of all
proposed expenditures, and the ut
most frugality IN the conduct ofpub-
lie affairs. 1t inaugurales q species
of competition in economy between
the legislative and executive branch
es of the Government, the tendency
of whicHmust be to reduce expens-
es to the minimum. The people will
profit by this competition, in reduced
taxes, or increased contributions to
the payment of the national debt,
and will be little inclined to withdraw
their confidence from a party which
presents them with practical results
of 50 satisfactory a nature.
Ofcourse, Mr.. Dawes charges Of
extravaganza will be industriously
circulated by the Democratic press,
but even supposing the case to have
been as bad as he seemed to think
the fact will remain, that it was a re-
publican and not democrat, who
called attention to the evil; and its
correction, by the cuttirg down of all
superfuous estimates, viii be due to
a republican Congress.
But the truth is, that the whole
some discussion to which the speech
gave rise has shown that the esti-
mates it assailed will bear examina-
ton far better than Mr.. Dawes seem
ed to think, Indeed, the only charge
which, ifsustained, would have given
the Democracy any substantial
ground for self graduation, has been
distinctly disproved. We refer to
the statements that the estimates of
the present administration were in
excess fthose presented a year ago
by Andrew johnson. NrDawes
first speech was evidently made un-
der the force Of impressions some
what too hastily formed. 1t is due
him to say that he has missed figures
of the estimate books, /. the books
of which one is prepared each year
at the Treasury Department. giving
in detail theitems Of expenditure for
the next fiscal year, with the estimat-
ed amount required for each. In the
general footing up the aggregate q
mount in the book for this year was
set down at 1891, 100000 and in the
book for last year at only $303,000,-
900. Mr.. Dawes stated that there
was a misprint in one item, whereby
$4,000,0C0 had been converted into
$11 ,006, ,09a. But after making al
loyance for this error Of $1,000, 600,
there still remained $324,000,000 as
the estimates of the present admins
tration, against $303,000,000 as the
last c. ;timates of the administration
of Andrew Johnson. This certainly
seemed to justify Mir. Dawes charge,
but an examination Of the items
which make up these respective ag-
gregates showed that it oaly seemed
so. 1t was found that the $303, ,000,-
900 of last year did not include the
estimated expenditures of the Post
Office Department, amounting to
$24,540,4l3, which were submitted
separately upon page IA Of the es-
innate book; while the $324,000,000
of the present year did include the
accounts Of thatdepartment, amount
ing to $25,58I,093. 1t was evident
therefore, that before making a COM
parison between the estimates of the
two administrations, the Post Office
account of last year must be added
to the $303,000,000, making over
1927, 100000 or else the Post Office
account ofthis year must be subtrac-
| ted from thisyear's estimates, reduc-
ting them from $324,000,000 to less
ihan S299, 100000. In the former
case the difference in favor Of the
present administration would be
| $4,000, 900 in the latter $4,000,000.
After taking this correction, then,
the comparison between the two es-
| Inmates stands in round numbers as
follows:
Johnsons estimates, including
Post Office, 1897, ,OO0, ,O0c
| Grants estimates, do do 324,OO0,0GC
drraf
Excess zee Of 1Ohpsop's estimates s8,oOo,OOC
Johnson's estimates without Post
Offices, S3O3,OO0,G GOC
Grants estimates, do DO 209,OOO,OOC
Excess of Johnson's estimates s4,OOO,OOC
There is also mother item of $725,-
600 for subsidies TO certain mail
| steamships which was included this
year in the $324,0OO,000, but was not
! Included last yearin the S303, ,OO0,O00
although appropriated By Congress
having been submitted by Post
master General Randall rs a separate
item. Although these items are
sufficient to show that upon a com
parison of estimates the advantage
is with the present administration,
they do not show this advantage in
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