American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-10
How We Progress Towards Economy.

We certainly are thankful that the army
and navy have been reduced in size since
the year 1868; that they are less burden
some to the nation, at least in pecuniary
sense, ana that the money which might
have been lavished on idle ships and idle
regiments remains in the Treasury. We
rejoice that the country has been prosper
Gus, the revenue large, the debt diminish
ed and the nations credit sustained; but
when we are called upon to give President
Grant, or even the Republican Congress,
credit for these blessings, we respectfully
demur. There is a middle ground between
an economical and a corrupt administra-
ton. Economy is positive quality. To
administer great public trust with wise
economy is not simply to abstain from
embeZzling the funds. If the claim which
is put forth in support of the economy of
the President and Congress has any foun-
dalton, we are to look for it in the ordi
nary matters over which the President and
Congress have control. Had the Govern
ment maintained the army and navy on a
war footing, they would have committed
an outrage. Much money has been saved
by reducing the military and naval estab-
lishments, but whether more could not be
saved we have no means of knowing. We
wish to find out whether or not the Grant
Administration has been economical, and
to do this we must select proper objects
for comparison.
The expenses of Congress itself seem
to fulfill this requirement. Now we find
that the cost of the Fortieth Congress,
from June 30, 1867, to June 30, 1869, was
Sc, 651 ,074, including books, and that of
the Forty-first Congress from June 30
1869, to June 80, 1871, was $11, 1928,
O42. We find no evidence of econo-
my here; but on the contrary, a start
in, ha nj
loss TO conceive what we have
had for all these millions. 1t scarcely
seems possible that the Forty-first Con
gress was worth five millions more than
the FOrtieth.
Next we will compare the cost of the
Executive Department. Under this head
are embraced the salaries of a great num-
Der of office holders, including all the big
and little officials at Washington We
are told that Johnson's Administration
was VIGOROUSLY profligate, and it is COM
monty believed that Grant is immensely
less expensive than Johnson was. Yet
We find that the last two years of John
sons Administration consumed $12 1885,
900, while the first two of Grants run up
to $1S, 100, 472. The latter sum does not
include two millions expended for com
piling the census returns. The judiciary,
too, increased their expenses from 81
cfJ,oCJ III lOOi- VI, W .So,Jol,~O- III lcoJ
I'll. Neither in the Legislative, EXecu-
tive, nor Judiciary departments do we
find the Grant Administration less eXpen-
sive than Johnson's
The mint, assay offices, and sub-tre
uries. which cost So, 291 ,055 in 1863,
rise to So, 944 SIT in 1S69-71. Foreign in
tercourse, including salaries of ministers
and consuls, was maintained at an ex
pense of So, 470, $40 in 1868, and of 49,
095, $50 in 1S69-71. johnson collected the
customs for $14, 543, 44S in 1S67-69; Grant
for S14, S02 ,52S. The Indians were ex-
perimented with for about $40, 900, 600 for
the two years by both Administrations
Forts and Notifications, river and harbOr
improvements, public buildings and re-
pairs of buildings, absorbed $14, 574, 763
in 1S67-69, and SIG, 420, 1911 in 1S69-11.
But we will not weary the reader with de-
tails. We make the broad statement that
there is nothing in the official reports of
Government expenditures from 1867 to
the latest issue to countenance in the
slightest degree the boast of superior
economy which is so boldly made by the
partisans of General Grant. 1t is not an
easy matter for great and unwieldly Gov
eminent, such as that of the United States
has now become, to make progress in the
direction of economy. For the last three
years, leaving out of the account the
Army and Navy, the progress has been
the other way. With the Presidents
peculiar management of the Civil Service
and the subserviency of Congressman
what else could be expected Let us
hear no more, then, of this false pretense
of economy as an argument for second
term of personal government.-Neao York
Tribune.