Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-04-08
AN ABLE VINDICATiON OF
GRANTS ADMINISTRATION.
SPEECH OF
HON. M. WELKER.
In the House of Representatives,
March rs, 1870.

In the House of Representatives
March rs, 1870.
Mr. CHAlEMAN: -.-. f..
In the congressional and presi
Dental contests OF 1868 the Repub
lican party promised if elected to So
control the affairs of the Gov.
ment as to rctrcnch expenses and re-
form abuses in the administration OF
public affairs The people, relying
upon that pledge. and having faith
in the honesty of that great party,
gave it entire control OF the cxecu-
tive and legislative branches OF the
Government on the 4th of March,
1869. ... 90.
/ propose in. few remarks to
show how far. in the year that has
passed since the commencement of
President Grants administration,
these pledges have been kept aud re-
deemed. z. D.,
The public debt statement of
March l, 1870, makes an era in our
history. Il indicates the result of a
years honest administration and
determined effort to enforce the laws,
collect the revenues and apply them
to tle faithful discharge of the pub
lie obligations. 1t shows what may
be done by continued vigilance in
the same direction. Ii l were asked
in what particular respect the adj
ministrallon of President Graut has
been the greatest success l should
answer, in the financial department
| propose briefly to show by facts
and figures that this is so.
During the s.ast year Of the John
son administration. from March /,
1868, to March /, 1860, Counting by
months and rejecting fractional parts
OF a month for convenience } the re-
ceipts Of the Treasury were as fol-
lows:
From customs $1f6 200 6!ss Z,
From internal revenue I:,;, f3s 1893 81
T rem other sources 3f .t29 jJ6 50
s36s. .ess sis l.
This was the maximum collection
of that Administration turing its
last year, when it had the fullest and
most ample experience. -
Now compare with this General
Grants first year, with many new
officers unused to the business iu
hand, unaccustomed to the esaction
of public burdens, and see the result.
The income of the Government
from March l 1869, to March l,
1870, was
From customs, 4I19 SSH 14a S.
from internal revenue 115 4fT l4f OF
From other sources a $59,aS. a1s %
1894 959,09s 81
Or an increase of President Grants
first year over Jolinson's last of
1926, $50 $50 %, of which over $50.
00O,GO is in the internal revenue
alone; and this, too, in the face of
the fact that in the last year there
were large reductions Of taxes in the
internal revenue laws, and to that
intent lescning the sources of reve-
nue.. Cf the internal revenue over
s75, 100000 were collected from
spirits, tobacco, and fermented liqu
ors alone. To what, then, must the
increased revenue be attributed !?
Plainly to the execution ofthe laws !;
to the efficient nanuer enforced, al
though most of the officers whre new
men and unused to the business.
Great credit is due to the present
able and efficient Commissioner of
Internal Revenue, aided and sup
ported as he has been by the Secra-
tary of the Trersury for this increase
Of revenue. A complete and thor
ough reorganization of that depart
ment as beer made with view to
defeat frauds and combinations to
cheat the :ernment, and more
vigilant collections for the coming
year, as we'll as to relieve tax payers
from needless requirements. Tie
same efficiency has been introduced
by the SECRETARY OF the Treasury in
the collection of the custom revnue.
Frauds have been detected and great
and valuble forms have been intro
duced IN that important branch of
the public service -ii ss9
But, Mr.. Chairman, the story were
but half told ifIstopped here, having
simply shown the great increase in
the revenues, AMI so I proceed to
show that not only have the receipts
increased but the expenditures Of
the Government have been largely
diminished. Owing to the manner
in which the accounts are kept, and
the delay in the receipt Of full re.
turns at the Treasury from the va
rious disbursing officers, l have not
been able to complete statements Of
the expenditure for the whole year,
and SO l present them for the eleven
months from March /, 1885, to Feb
ruary l, 1870, as compared with the
corresponding eleven months Of the
johnson Administration, from
March l, 1868, to February /, 1869.
Aggregate the expenditures for
these periods l find the figures to
be:
ss from March, iss =, to ~ FEB b
Total expenditures from March
l, 1859, to February 1, 1871 3Tl.y1 ,3o3 0g
Decrease in eleven months SIS la9. .9si II.