American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-28


Indians s sses3-3 $1,95l.so
Coast suryey... 455T0 s52.S2S
Survey Of public lsnd-. 3.3S52 LIS o60
Surveyor-Generafs ONCE &,19 4l!l3S
Judiciary -------- 1919 40. 10!
Sub-Treasury. 25o,1l3 4s5o6i
Total ........ s5.sasoo5 sl46s6.5le
The speaker then proceeded:
shall not stop TO comment on the remarks
BILE and unanswerable array of facts presented
in these figures II is impossible that any an
swer can he made to them No prevarication,
explanation, or subterfuge can wipe them out
or lessen the force of the damning story they
tell. But these do not comprise all the
wrong that the people have a right to complain
of. There are Others not comprehended with
in merely matters of disbursement of public
money which may be included in the category
of Republican maladninistration. / propose
to refer to some, not all OF them. The time
allotted to me in this debate will not allow
more extended inquiry. The laws passed
during the war, and probably made necessary
at that time, imposed extraordinary bur
dens upon the people But what was
cuse now. Our first duty was to have
modified or repealed most of them. What has
been doney With the exception of a reduc-
ti..n of 10 per cent in the tariff and a trife in
the army and navy, nothing has been done
The civil list, as already shown, has been
enormously increased; and as to q return to
specie payments, we have been trying TO make
redemption difficult as possible and to con-
with but a slight modification. Within the
last nine years our mines have produced about
&640, OO0,OCO. Out of this we have coined but
$2A, 35l 1916 in gold and S25 ISL, S31 in silver,
that but little more than 40 per cent. OF the
whole has been coined and the balances have
been made into bars and sent to Europe. In
addition we have received in coin during that
period into the Treasury for duties on imports,
etc, 1880, l24 ,2e6 Now, Notwithstanding
the receipt of SO much precious metal into
the Treas ury, we have still maintained and in
creased the paper money circulation. The
policy OF the Administration in paying on the
larger proportio- of our public debt with these
receipts had for its object self-glorifcation-
1t has been welded to fatal errO either ig-
norant Of its consequences or willing to per-
petrate SO great wrong simply for the pur-
pose of procuring partisan Objects. The panic
of last fall and the strain that has been made
upon the pubic Treasury within six months,
producing n ,tional dishonor, have al been
the result of this policy. The Government
would not now be IN a di-hopored position
had not the fatal policy of anticipating the
public debt been adopted
Three months after the commencement
Of the present Administration, on the 4th of
March, 1869, the then Secretary Of the Treas
ury found himself in possession of a surplus
balance, over and above the preceding years
receipts and expenditures, of $40 600. 0OO, of
which S45.OOO,OOO had been accumulated
within three months. These large sums Of
cash in hand should have been held sacred as
= foundation for the redemption of the legal
tenders upon W aich to begin resumption. In
stead of doing his he insugurateda system of
a redemption of the bonded debt not then due,
while entirely neglecting the legal-tender debt,
past due, and insisted upon continuing the
Tuinous war taxation for the purpose Of ex-
tending this policy. He bought $41. 600 600 of
bonds The first year, upon which he paid a
premium Of ., 322, 79l-ihus paying bonus
out of the public funds for the privilege of
doing not only continued injury to the in
DIN fp of he Onntr hvf ba fayq
ton, but also in diverting its resources from
the liquidation of the de mand notes, such as
the legal tenders, and by the payment Of the
funded obligations having eighteen years to
mature. According to the Treasury state
lnent issued the LIST of March, 1874, there was
purchased 1928, 263, 500 of bonds between
April, 1853, and Sept. IS, 1878, upon
which was paid premium of S39, 75S, 532. II.
If this had not been done there would now be
ready nearly $50, 0O0, 600 in the Treasury with
which to meet the present deficiency and save
the country from the impending necessity of in
creasing the public debt or imposing more
taxation. 1t is difficult to find words to sui
ficiently express proper condemnation of such
asuicidal policy. What would be thought of a
merchant no anticipated the payment Of his
obligations having long time to run, while
he at the same time neglected to Hquidate
those which were payable on demand and re-
manned dishonored.
public debt as well as the anticipation Of its
payment. This people have endured sacrifices
enough already to maintain the solidarity of
the Union, and it is just to leave posterity,
who will derive the chief advantage from it,
some part of the burden and not endure it all
Ourselves. Therefore I would not pay another
dollar of the debt arising out of it until We
have returned to specie payment and mate
rally lessened the existing taxation. If, when
that is done, the remainder can be advanta-
geously appropriated to lessening the bonded
debt, am quite willing to do go. As
illustrative of the evils which flow from the
t.ne
reference to the payment of any portion of the
public debt, look at the condition of the pub
lie Treasury at this time The falling OF in
the revenues, growing out Of a variety of cir
cumstances, has left the Treasury not only de-
pleted of money sufficient to meet its current
obligations, but has also compelled the Secre-
tary of the Treasury To lay his hands, withou,
authority of law, in my judgment, upon a
reserved fund which he, as well his prede
cessora, had considered as having been per.
manently Withdrawn from circulation. He
was compelled to do this or to place the Gov
eminent before the world in a condition OF
suit of diversion of the surplus revenues Of
the country to n purpose not nece- sary at thu
time. nor consistent with any safe principle
of finance.
ruDl.c attention has recently been called t.
the subject Of moieties, which the perqui
sites or Government officials employed u
protect the Treasury outside of their regular
salaries as compensation or incentive Il
them to perform the duty which they take ar
oath to perform TO the best of their abilit,
when receiving their appointments. There ii
no other country that pays its leading Custom
House officials any thing like much WI
do, nor is there any other commercial or mar
thine nation that affords to those officials tn
same facilities for accommodating enormous
wealth as the United States. In Europe tn
moiety system has been abolished altogether
The regular compensation Of the Collector
Naval Officer, and Surveyor of the Port o
New York, not including seizures and othe
perquisites, may be fairly stated at $50 600
year each. The duties devoived upon thes
officials are mostly performed by subor
dinates. leave Of absence for six months
ould be given to them without an,
lletriment TO the public service. Indeed
it is quite practicable and consist
ent with the public good to comprehend IN
duties Of the three into one. Until recent
we paid the President Of the United States bu
$25. 600 year, and can see no reason why
Custom House official, with little responsible
and no labor, should he paid nearly rs mucf
It l. true there are other than official duiie
expected of the incumbents of these Office!
They have onerous political, II not official, du
ties to perform They made re~ponsibl
by the Administration and it, friends in Wasl
ington for the political condition of the Statt
They are expected 10 preserve the State to In
dominant party by the dispensation OF thei
patronage into the interior. and liberal dis
tribuiion of money. They are made respons
bile for political results. Hence, in addition I
their fixed pay, the enormous opportunitit
for gain have been granted to them by III
party in power through its action in Congress
They are each allowed one-sixth of all sci;
ures, fines and penalties derived from good
pfs.I toll rtad al 81