The Van Buren press., 1872-06-25
The Grant Administration
From the Philadelphia Age.l


The keen and incisiue speech of Senator
sumner sets the administration of Gen Grant
IN proper light before the public. Ii shows
tue character and acts of the man who fills
the chair OF State and represents the people
of the United States-hiS tyranny, his nepo-
tlsm, his gitt-taking. his disregard of the
plainest principles of the constitution and
our republican form of government. But
there are certain features Of this administra-
tion which Mr.. Sumner did not touch. One
OF them Is the financial aspect Of the case.
When all the facts are considered, the eX-
penditure of money by the party in power is
truly startling. The secretary of the Treasu-
ry reports that from 1850 to 1871 there was
received into the treasury of the United
States by the usual channels of revenue the
unparalleled sum of S4,6Sl ,4i3 9Sl, and from
extraordinary sources such as the sale ofwar
mate alS, vessels, etc, the sum of S3j61i0, ,49S
making the whole amount poured into the
treasury since the war ended S30iS lS44S0.
What has become of it all: The admini,trd-
ton party say they have paid of large part
Of the debt. But over and above all PAYMENTS
on account of the public debt, there has been
at the disposal of the government in the past
six years S25534OG9U5, and it is all spent,
showing an average yearly expenditure OF
over Si25OO0OG0!
The Secretary of the Treasury recently
published the following statement of the net
expenses of the government, exclusive Of in
tere>t on the public debt and pensions. for
the year ending June 30, 1870, rs follows:
For civil and miscellaneous service, s53,23766S56
Wtr department, 57,Oj5. .O7j 40
Navy department. q 80, 229 81
Total, sI32, ,673 ,573 70
The first year of Grants administration the
actual expenses OF the government, exclusive
OF in,eres, on the public debt, were ; Sl9O,4J6,
25i or at the rate OF $40 of taxation for each
man, woman and child estimating the pOpu-
lation at S4O,0OO,OUO The total expenses of
Buckhanan's administration for lS6O-Gl, cX-
elusive of interest and principal paid upon
the Public debt were 500 Sis IA
Limiting the survey more particularly to
the past two years of General Grants admin
istration, 1t will be seen that the expenditure
of money has been of the most profigatc
character. Two million dollars Of the secret
service fund was squandered in the san Do
mingo job Bacz and his followers touched
a large portion of this sum, and the destna-
ton of the remainder can readily be coniec
tured. 1t was spent in the home market. At
the same time the expenses Of the army and
navy were kept up to war figures, The num-
her OF men in the army was reduced to a con-
siderable extent; but not so the cost of the
military establishment. Contractors must he
fed, and it the field Of operations was curtail
ed. the price of articles must be raised in or
der to equalizc the receipts of the men who
were expected to aid in renominating Gen.
Grant. The collection of internal revenue is
also costly and expensive job, In many of
the districts. the amount OF money received
does not pay the host of officers mployed to
collect it, and thus the treasury is tapped, and
the expenses OF the GOV crument increased.
There have also been most astounding
manifestations of rcckessncSs and corruption
in all contracts for the erection of public
buildings Although the contract system
WAS adopted, sti!l the principle wa openly
violated in relation to all the more important
and costly public buildings. The contract
price was one thing and actual cost another.
Here are examples oithi> management by the
pets Of the administration: