Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-07
WHITTIER DRIFTING?
Extravaganza Of fEe Grant Admins
tratiOa-SOme Facts and Figures for
Men who Think.
From the New York Sun

Extraya=ance Of fEe Grant Admins
trafiOa-SOme Facts and Figures for
Men who Think.
From the New York Sun
The whole policy Of Grantism may
be expressed IN 4 few words. To extort
the largest amount Of money and to
squander it IN the most prOdigal man
ner. seems to be the only idea Of polit-
zeal duty entertained at Washington.
Instead of retrenching the expendi-
lures to a peace standard, Congress has
sought by every means TO maintain
war footing, and adopted the reckless
estimates of the departments as II it's
first function was 70 register the edicts
Of the White House.
Extravagant appropriations lead to
corruption, lOOseness in accountability,
and encourage . vicious system, which
has been gradually undermining public
and private morals untilit has at length
eliminated in bankruptcy and wide
spread ruin. The evils that are now
affecting the country may be directly
traced to these and kindred causes.
In his report to Congress, under the
head of statement of the expendi-
lures of the United States to June 30,
1875" Mr.. Richardson furnishes the
following figures:
War department. 46,323,13 81
Navy department. 25,526,Zoo ~
Indians -..-..-------.---....s.- ,,Soi -
miscellaneous. to-o-o.llU 70
Premiums paid on bonds bought. 5,1O5,9l9 90
s156,235, $50 q
Add Pensions.......S 29-359,i26 So
--si5i, rO,115 80
TOtal.....s...-..-........ -
Thus the foundation is laid for COM
pairing the corresponding items for the
fiscal year of 1S6G-6l, which included
the first four months of MIR. Lincom's
term, as follows:
War department. COL so g.
Navy department l2-5st ,l5G .
Indians. .....-...............s-..- -'oe9'tcl IL
Miscellaneous. ............---.--.- -OyS-''-o. %
Sc, 5SI.i56 o.
Pensions. ...........cl,t s5t.2s9 -
IntereSt............. +,O54,o5S %
Total. ......... .-~Ooo1os-lo 20
We have separated what may be called
the regular expenses from those which
are of different nature, like pensions
and interest ON the public debt. And
here Is the result:
For zo2'i5O rs
For IS60-6l.................. 6l,5ol,456 %
Diference........s....-... SS4,boSi6'3 Is
By taking the population OF the two pc
RODS into the account, this excess be-
comes still more startling:
Population by census OF IS, j55,9S3
Population by census Of iS60.. 81 ,443r52l
Thus while the population increased
only 4 fraction over y per cent, IN ten
years, the expenses rose over $50 per
cent. or at the rate of seven for one.
This enormous dispropOrtlOn sheds Il
Hood of light upon the extravaganza
md corruption Of the dominant party.
The party is doubled IN cost, and so
s the navy, without half as much eff |
,iency now as In 1860. And the In |
Iians. who have declined IN numbers |
now cost eight millions IN
'ound fgur s as against three, when |
here were nearly twice as many to sup
port.
There is no satisfactory explanation
possible for this frightful discrepancy.
It is plainly the result Of Jobbery,
waste and corrupt favoritisn. The
sudden fortunes acquired by friends of
he administration, as the tratheing
nAves are called, and the style Of Life
Effected by those who control these
at Washington, tell the
whole story.
:. If considered in connection with tax
.tion, nearly a hundred millions a
ear would have to be added to this ap
FALLING aggregate. Mr.. Boutwell,
,oasted Of anticipating the payment of
he public debt, and the Philadelphia
invention held it up as the greatest
eason why Gen. Grant should be re-
lected and a proof of his financial wis
ON.
Look at what it cost to carry out
his abused policy" exclusive Of the
rain upon the capital and resources of
he country needed for enterprise and
sgitimate business. There were paid
Dr premiums alone on the debt thus
ten or more years IN advance