Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-09-12

lures OF the fedefal government have to be
exhibited. A stream of treasure contin uslly
in and out Of the United States treas
ury vast enough TO float or drain ell the in
dustrieS of the country. This stream is
tapped at every conceivable point, and forty
corrupt officials thrive upon the
tremendous drain which this perVersion OF
the revenues occasions in the resourcesoi 'he
country.
No nation, however vigorous snu enelge-
tic, Osn long sustain so e1hsusslns . pro-
cess, and reform must come speedily or
never. Men are needed at the head of
Aff.;ra whose personal history a party
uripoiples shall pledge them to the work of.
raduoin0 this colossal system of taxation
ard waste to economical dimensions and
until sueh men are elected to office the
paople must be content to bear in silence
he ruinous burden under which their ia
d~ustrial energies are now stihed and crush.
ed.
[From the Washington Patriot.l
At the close of the rebellion, the United
States had actually on hand and ready for
immediate use more of the material and re-
sources Of war than any other country in
the world ever possessed, before or since.
1t is 70 be doubted if the united elements Of
Germany and France, in the recent strug-
gle, compared in value with the prodigious
collection which remained upon our hauds
the day that Lee surrendered his sword. 1t
was the accumulation Of four consecutive
Years, with enormous annual expenditures
and appropriations almost without limit.
Some idea may be framed of the magnitude
Of these supplies by the tact that over
twelve millions Of dollars were voted in
1864, on the very eve Of peace, and when
the condition Of the South might have been
known.
Ships of war, cannon, steamers, arms Of
every description, ammunition, horses,
mules, tents, equipments, stores, clothing
supplies and all the vast machinery Of war
in all It's costly and countless forms, were il
possession OF the various branches of the
war and navy departments when the Lac
gun was fred. H. IS extremely difficult 70
form even an approximate idea of the value
Of this properly, from the deceptive manner
in which the public accounts are kept AnC
the persistent refusal of the republicans il
Congress TO permit an investigation to b.
made. The departments have hsbitually
resisted information on this subject, ant
for evident reasons, SIS will be shown. Thu
appropriations and the public debt PERM
some basis of calculation, in the absenc'
of %stricter proof.
But one thing is certain, and it is tina
which most concerns the American peopl
who have had to bear the cost Of the civi
war; all this properly has disappeared, an
no returns can be found for it on the books
Of the treasury. 1t is estimated that owe
five hundred millions of Of dollars at leas
have been realised from this source by sale
since 1865, not @ dollar of which has beer
accounted for so as to relieve the country o
90 diminish tie Indebtedness. Not a cen
was ever paid into the treasury for thes
sales. What has become of this enormou
SUN of money? The question is aske,
with no expectation of "a answer, becaus
this administration has remained deaf t
every demand, and its whole aim is to stiff
inquiry.
1t ia pretended, in spSrtiAl eytenuAtior
that the great sums thus revived from thes
sources, were expended BY the war and nav
departments. But how expended? Con
gress ~sppropriates annually, upon estimate
furnished by the departments, all the none
required for the public service, and oftei
largely beyond the real wants. So that,
shis explanation be true, the army aud nav
have not only spent the regular ApprOprIa
lions, which we're legally presumed to b
sdficient, bat have sqasndered five hundre,
or more millions, besides, without Euthorit
Of law. That is to say, whenever fund
we're needed for any particular purpose, o
for carrying ous any expensive experiIdsD
such, for instance as Admiral Porter iu
augurated two years sgo-snd there WAS n
! opposition, the department sold ships o
arms, and used the money from the ssis 70
thi eXtrSvagGncs.
And while this fraudulent system was 90
.ng on year after year, these department
we're affecting to live within the means vo
ted By Congress, and prActicing . fagran
deception agsiust the country. They no
only squsndered ali the regular SpproPrla
ions, but have consumed the whole Of tht
u msuse resources besides, which had &C.
cumulassd during four years OF Val, ant
vhioh had cost the nation two thousand mil
lion Of dollars. No human being can tel
how this money was spilled, who wss en-
riched BY it, or TO what corrupt and partisan
uses il has been directed. There is moth
lHR 10 snow LOE lnese uunuE5GA OA ulittiDhs
and no books to prove how they wert
used.
During the past year, arms and munition
TO the value Of twelve or fifteen mill
ions Of dollars we're sold to France an
Prussia, but the money has not been paid
into the treasury, and according to this out
rHgeoas practice, it may be appropriated Il
any object which the Secretary chooses. Ar
set of the last Congress prescribed THAI the
uneKpended balances shall be covered intC
the treasury. But this is no protection, be
cause no account Of the sales is required &c
be rendered; to serve as g check on the
amount. Consequently, if the Secretary OF
War sold fifteen millions of arms, be might
divert fourteen and return one as the 'un-
expended balance" and still be within
the letter of an impotent and deceptive
law.
In the event of q foreign war or invasion,
the United States would be wholly UMPIRE.
pared. Of the vast navy which enlisted at
the end cF the rebellion, an u~nsiRhtly skele.
ton only remains. Hundreds of steamer
have been spirited away. OF all the huge
stock Of arms, supplies, munitions of war
horses and equipments, there ID not q visible
token. They we're all sold, squAndered and
stolen, so that from having been the most
powerful nation in the elements of warfare
in 1865, we are to-day one of the very weak.