The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-10-31
A CONTRAST.

In FEBRUARY 1871 President Grant sent
Q message to congress recommending that
the mission to the court of the
Emperor William be raised from the
second to the first class. In that message
he alleged that the new German empire
was In many respects similar to the polit-
ical system of the United States.
ut is the adoption in Europe" be said,
''of American ideas
If these allegations OF our learned chief
magistrate be true, it will be worth while
to note where, in one important particu-
lar At any rate, the system of Germany
and the United States are essentially dis
similar. This particular difference 10 in
the matter Of the administration Of The
public finances.
We respectfully suggest the adoption in
America Of German ideas on this subject.
The Empire, As at present constituted,
contains population slightly over forty
millions Of people. There are twenty-six
distinct states, the most important and
populous of which Is Prussia, whose king
is also the emperor. The government Of
Alsace and Lorraine is not yet finally set.
tied but the other states are governed by
four kings, seven princes, six grand dukes
and five dukes three-the FREQ states Ms
they are called-are governed exclusively
by legislative bodies. These several states
support standing army of three hundred
and eighty-three thousand men, and an
already considerable and constantly grow
ing navy. Their aggregate public debts,
including the federal debt, amount to ten
hundred and forty-fve millions of dollars.
How much do you suppose it costs the
people of Germany to support twenty-five
royal families, an army 1888, 900 strong,
their navy, the payment Of the interest on
the federal and local debts, the support OF
foreign missions, pensions, and all the
: other expenses growing out of the system
} which Gen. Grant has likened to that o
= the United States
In 1871 total sum of too hundred an.
n seoenty-fre millions! Of which any.av
. millions were chsrgesble to expenses Of tn
imperial treasury.
5 The United States contain a population
, of less than forty millions; our army
. $4,000 strong; our navy is not great W
: support no royal families but alas W
. support good many that are just as costly
: to say the least Of it,, and our foreign ser
, vice is indifferent in size and paid with
very liberal hand. However, We have
national blessing in the shape of a lsrg
national debt.
The total net receipts into the treasur,
Of the United States in 1871 were, in rouu,
, figures, three hundred and ninety-tw
, millions Of dollars. The total expendi
lures were, in round agures--eIclusive o
payments on account of the public debt
three hundred and one millions. Tn
3 total expenditures of the several states 70
local purposes in 1870 according to tn,
census taken in that year and they Ger
tsinly were no less in lS7I-were tw,
l. hundred and eighty-one millions of dol
s lars; making total of taxes paid BY tn,
people of the United States of s,r hundre,
and serenty-three millions Of dollars a,
excess over tho German expenditures 0
70 three hundred and ninety EIGHT millions
is 1t would certainly be . good thing I
OF adopt in the United States some Germs
ideas touching frugal administration
-sOs-