American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-07

We read that " Messrs. Garfield, Kelley,
Kellogg, and Wheeler of New York are
understood to DO preparing themselves to
reply to-the speech of Mr.. Dawes, alleg-
ing th:s he has placed Congress in . false
Position, which will iDjure the Admins
tration cause at the election next fall. +"
We are glad to hear of it. Let Messrs.
Garfield, Kelley, Kellogg, and Wheeler Of
New York go ahead. The more this bust
meas of tax-eating is discussed the better.
We want to see the people wide awake
and taking An interest in such matters.
Let the facts be placed within their reach,
and let them become familiar with them.
If the taxpayers cannot be enlightened
without injury to the Administration
cause" at the fall elections, SO much the
worse for the Administration cause.
We must say, however, that we
cannot imagine how Messrs- Garfield,
Kelley, Kellogg, and Wheeler of New
York are going to relieve Congress OF
the responsibility for the enormous in
crease for several years back in the cost
of the National Government. All ex-
penditures are disbursed under laws max
ing appropriations therefor, and all ap-
prOpriations, whether general or specific,
ere made by Congress acting as an inde-
pendent branch of the Government, in
NO sense subordinate to the Executive.
1t II notorious that for years the recon-
mendations of the Secretary of the Treas
ury in regard to the administration Of the
npances have been disregarded. We
where the policy adopted has been just
the reverse of that which the Secretary
proposed. Even in the matters of illegal
Operations with the Syndicate and the
over-issues at various times OF legal tender
notes, Congress must share the RESPONSE
bility with the Treasury, since it has in
neither case interfered.
We confine our remarks now to single
point of the many touched on by Mr.
Dawes, namely, the rapid growth of the
cost of Government. Mr.. Dawes says that
the cost of Government has greatly in
creased. The Tribune made the same dis
covery nearly two years ago, but the fact
now bids fair to become much more wide
~ known, since Republican Congressman
Of the standing of Mr.. Dawes are assert
ing it in manner to command attention.
For our share in enlightening the people
q to the way the taxes are disposed OF
We are about to quote few figures from
the oflcial reports of the Secretary Of the
Treasury and the Postmaster General. The
expenditures of the Government are
under six heads: l, Army; 2, Navy; 8,
Interest on Public Debt; 4, Pensions; 5,
Indians; 6, Miscellaneous. To these we
shall add . seventh, viz, the Postofnce,
concerning which no particulars are given
In the reports of the Secretary Of the
Treasury. For the cost of the Postof1ce
We have had recourse to the Postmaster
Generals report. Every item we are
about to give 10 ofiicial, and may be easily
verified by reference to the reports we
have named. We shall first present a
table of the expenditures during the last
eight fiscal years lending June 30 for the
Army. Navy, Pensions and Interest on
the Public Debt annexing for comparison
the corresponding expenditures for the
years 1910, 1850 and 1850. To simplify
the comparison we shall give round num-
bers below the hundreds of thousands.
The exact figures may be found on pages
IA to II Of the tables accompanying the
report Of the Secretary of the Treasury: