Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-07-22
Practice and Preaching.

deficit in the revenue and the bankrupt
cy of the Treasury. How an admins
tration, charged by Democrats and Lib
erals with such extraordinary misman-
agement, waste, extravagance and
fraud, can thus make both ends meet
and have SO much TO spare may seem a
puzzle to plaiH business men. But at-
ter all there is really no secret in it.
This government faithfully collects the
revenues. 1t shows no mercy to frauds
of any kind. Hence the collections
keep the Treasury in excellent condi-
ton. Then by always applying to the
reduction of the principal of the debt
any available means, the liability on
the interest account steadily diminish
es, and so insures a surplus on small
er revenue.
Yet this is the policy condemned in
terms of unmeasured abuse and de-
nunciation by men assuming the spe-
cious disguise of refermerS. General
Grants entire administration has besn
devoted most assiduOusly to the econo-
my of the national expenditures and
the reduction vi Tie principal and In
terest of the debt. This work cOmmen-
ced the very first month he was in Of
flee as President, and one of the most
violent assaults upon his administra-
ton was on account of the sale of use
less small arms, at a time when the
Franco German war was raging and
the arms were in demand and brought
a good price. The money thus real
lied enabled US to continue the reduc.
lion of our debt, and the arms thus
sold to private parties were resOld by
them to France. 1t is true that France
aided US to gain our independence.
But 80 heinous an offence did it seem
for this nation even indirectly to aid
France in the hour of extrnmc peril
that the Democrats and Liberals eX-
erted themselves to the utmost to ena-
BILE Germany to find in the case valid
ground for formal complaint. And the
naturalized Senator who led in that
movement is now being received in
Germany with princely honors.
The Republicans in Congress have
reduced the taxation almost every
year, and yet under their policy the
revenues have been kept up to a high
standard. They have abolished the
taxes on tea and coffee as articles of in
dispensable necessity, while at the
same time the Democrats have strenu-
ously endeavored to retain these taxes.
They have abolished the duties on
many raw materials used in the arts,
and greatly simpliffed both the tariff
and internal tax laws. They have re-
duced the rate of interest on the bond.
ed debt. They have extinguished as
far as possible the short date ebliga-
tions and floating debt; and provided
for retrenchmenta and economy in the
general expenditures.
What, then, is the reform 80 much
talked of by the Liberals and Demo-
Gratis? Here we have exhibited in the
history of Grants administration ev-
cry possible variety of honest and true
reform; reduction of debt; reduction of
interest; reduction of customs duties;
reduction of internal taxes; reduction
of the army, navy, and the civil SER
vice; ceaseless prosecution OF all pecu-
lation and frauds; investigation of all
departments; relentless turning out of
all loose officials. If that is not reform
pray let US know what is. In the eva.
on of the tariff duties, the swindIing
by fraudulent mail contracts, the whis-
XIV stamp frauds, the Indian cantracts,
the expenditures on the public build
ings, in the army, the Treasury, the
navy, nothing has been allowed to es-
cape a general overhauling and investi-
CATION. If this be not reform We con-
fess that we do not know the meaning
of the word.
Yet we are asked to accept vague
and sweeping declarations of reform in
some underlined way for that which we
see actually going on. We are asked
to presume bad management where we
have all the evidence to the contrary.
We are asked to refuse our confidence
to an administration and party that
we know to be faithful and worthy of
trust, and give preference to a party
whose skirts are still foul with the
reeking and corruption and extrava-
gance of Tammany Ring management
in New York, and whose last attempt
at conducting the affairs of the Nation
al Government left the Treasury bank
rupt.
What is the meaning of the unmeas-
ured denunciation of the Administra-
ton, unless intended to serve as an ex-
cuse for the Democratic majority in the
next Congress to refuse to pass the reg
ular appropriation bills? Every Dem
ocratic convention puts forth treDen-
dous indictment, apparently intended
to manufacture public indignation
against something, and to hold up the
Republican Administration as guilty
of undivulged crimes, and all the DEM
ocratic organs threaten us with what
the next Congress is going to do. There
is universal talk ofimmense revelations
by investigating committees. There are
about eighty-six confederates in the en-.
suing Congress, fresh from rebellion.
Do these threats mean to imply that
reform means refusal of the regular
appropriations? The Democratic Leg.
islature of Pennsylvania last winter
adopted that course with a part of the
the appropriations, their object being
to cripple the Treasury, and arrest the
further reduction of the State debt SC
long as the Republicans control the
State government.
We do not undertake to predict what
may be expected of the Democrats and
confederates in the next Congress. we
simply state the condition of things
now, and ask intelligent men what ex
PLANTATION can be put upon an Outcry
that is false in every respect, and thai
is evidently intended to cover up some
sinister design. If these partizans 81
conduct their canvass as to leave NJ
other Interpretation of their course thar
one of the gravest suspicion as to theil
motives and intentions, they have nons
to blame but themselves. They have
garbled all the acts of the Republicans
falsified the record, imagined outrage
where none existed, and asked people
to reform things that require no re
form, and are upright and honest. Th'
sort OF reform they would give US woe
ha l;lyn fhof ,uhiah nravuilnA nndQ