Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-07-24
SOME FIGURES.
How Hc Progress Towards Economy
From the New York Tribune ]

uOh NC IFOSTcSS CH Us GtOHOMs'
From tine New York Tribune
We certainly are thankful that the
army and navy have been reduced i'll
size since the year 1868; that they are
less burdensome to the nation, at least
i'll Il pccuuiarv sense and that the mon-
cy which might have been lavishcd on
idle ships and the idle regiments re-
mains i'll the Treasury. We rejoice
that the country has been prosperous,
the revenue large. the debt diminish
cd and the nations credit sustained :;
but when we are called upon to give
President Grant. or even the Rcpuh-
lican Congress. credit for these bless
in"S. We respectfully dcmur. There
is n middle ground between an ccon-
omical and L corrupt administration.
Economy is Il positive quality. To
administer Il great public trust with
wise economy is not simply to abstain
from embczziing the funds. If the
claim which is put forth i'll support
of the economy of the President and
Congress has amy foundation, we are
to look for it in the ordinary matters
over which the President and Con-
grcSS have control. Had the Govern
mrnt maintained the army and navy
on a war footing, they would have
committed an outrage. Much money
has been saved by reducing the mill
tnry and naval establishments. but
whether more could not be saved we
have no means of knowing. We wish
to lima out whcttcr or not the Grant
ADMINISTRATION has been economical.
and 20 do this we must select proper
objects Tor comparison.
The expenses of Congress itself
>"en TO fulfill this requirement.
Now We find that the cost of the For
i ticih Congress. from June 30. 1857.
TO Jan" 50. !Sti9. was S'i.65l .074. i'll
clulim@ books. and that the Forty
| first Congress from june 81, 1863, to
jun" 30, 1871. was Sll .22223.Ol2. We
! find no evidence of economy here :
but. on til" contrary. Il starilim" i'll
! crease i'll the bill. We are 1T Il los
To conceive what We have had for all
possible that The Forty first Congress
was worth five millions more ;hau
the Fnriirih.
Next we will compare the cost OF
the Executive Department. Uudcl
this head are embraced the salaries o.
Il great number of fotlice-holdrrS. in
. cluding nearly all the big and littl,
officials ut Washington. We are tolC
that .Jul.neun's Administration WA:
mot"riou>!y rroiiigatc. and it is com
monty bclived that Grant is immense
/ y less expensive than johnson was
+ Yet we find that tn" last two wears ot
Iohn~on'S Administration consumed
|. $5I22 30. while tl!c first two oi
| f;rant'S run mp to $lS.109.l72. Th,
latter sum does rot include two mi,
ii'hS pSh'tci III
, census returns. The judiciary, too
, increased their expenses from Si.Si?,
| :S9 i'll 1867 50. to 1881 .262 in lS69-'7l
| Neither in the Legislative, Executive
/ nor Judiciary departments do we fin,
the Grant Administration less cxpcn
: sivc than .John>on'S.
The mint. ASSAY Offices. and sub
treasures, which cost 80 229l .O55 il
; lS6'-9. rise to S2.94i,S0 in is69-7l
: Foreign intercourse, including Salar
= les of ministers and cou>u,S, wa
= maintained ut an expense Of S2.470.
/ so i'll lSf11-o. &ni of $3,OJ5, $50 il
: ls69-1l. johnson collected the Gus
I toms for S'2?4.5;3.i rs in 1S67-69 Gran
ior 81 ,S''2.I22S. The Indians wcrr
cXpCrimcntrd with for about $4,000.
800 for the two Years by both admin
!~iratinnS. Forts and Notifications
river and harbor improvements
2 public huildiu'> and repairs of build
, im@-. absorbed $ll,5.i,.63 in lSG7-69
| amd $l6. i2n.l9l in 1sGy-7l. But W,
/ viii not weary the reader with dc
tails. We make the broad >tatcmcu
, that there is nothing in the otiicia
= reports of Government expenditure
: from 1861 to The l;ltcs. issue TO cOuntr
!. nance in the slightest degree the boas
of superior economy hich Is s.
boldly made hl tlI" l,artisaus of Gen
= Grant. 1t i not an easy matter 10
e It great and unwi"l,iIy Government
G. -Icli rs that OF the United States la
: now Ecculnr. Ia make progress in tn
). direction OF economy. For the la
Y 'hrc" ycra>. leaving ont of the accoun
Il the Army and Navy. the progress La
e ilcCn the other way. With the Pres
/ tdrnt'> peculiar management of tn
: Civil :~"ryic" and The >ubscrvirnrv q
| tomwr"-SnIcn. W hat rl-r could be OK
Il prrlrti: Let Us hear no more, then
= OF this false prctcI>c of economy Il
I an argument for Il second term Il
; personal government.