Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-10-18
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..


charge that the republicans have corr
ruptly and usclessly made an expendi-
ture of millions of money, and for
this purpose have ground the people
into the dust. Now q few general
facts touching this matter, and show
ing who is responsible for the vast
expenditures of the country for, say
eleven years past about which period
democracy arc so partial to, is in Or
der.
For the year 1866 the net ordinary
expenditures of the government were
$500, sos, 1859. lOf this sum SIS, 476,-
81 were paid for premiums on. loans
and purchase of bonds for pensions
$l5, COS, 352. 35 for interest on. the pub
lie debt $l33,O67, 741.69. This made a
total in round numbers of SAG, Co.,
600 for 1866, paid out on account Of
the democratic rebellion. This ex-
penditure on account of the war, does
not include the immense debts that
arose out Of the rebellion, which were
being paid off in this year, 1866. The
next year, on account of having fin.
ished to large extent paying off the
army claims. the.expenditures fell of
to 1857 ,543,675.lG. Of this sum &c..
sl3,3i9.3s were for Epremiums on
loans, purchase of bonds, &C.; fol
pensions $2O,936, 55l.71, and for inter
est on the public debt $l43, 7sl ,591 81
All these three items of expenditures.
as in 1866, arose directly .out of the
democratic rebellion. From that on,
the republicans steadily reduced the
expenditures of the government, and
the amount raised by taxation, as
well, until in the year 1875, the net
ordinary expenditures of the govern
ment reached 1914, 1928, 392.s4. Al the
same time during that year we paid
for pensions $29, 456, 216.22, and for
interest on the public debt $l0S,O93, :
544.57. These last-.two items of ex-
penditurcs became necessary on ac-
count of the democratic rebellion.
These sums amount to $l32, 549, TO. 70.
Take this sum from the total expend-
lures of the year, and it leaves the
sum of $142.O74,232.O5. Let it be re-
membered, therefore, that the repub-
licans, from 1866 to 1875, have re-
duccd the net ordinary expenditures
per year from $52O,OOO,0OO in round
numbers, to $274, 100000, and that
within ten millions Of half of the
expenditures for 1876 were made on
account of the democratic rebellion.
In other words, only Sl42, 100000 were
expended to support the government
in 1875 outside of the pension list and
the interest on the public debt, both
of which we should never have had
if the South had not rebelled and the
democracy of the North had not SYM
pathized with and aided the South in
that rebellion. 1t takes the impn-
dencc of a once traitor and his SYM
pathizers to charge upon the repub-
lican party high taxes, hard times,
&C., when the accusers themselves
were responsible for one half or very
nearly so, of the net ordinary ex-
penditures Of the nation.
Again, it should be carefully noted
that since the war the republicans
have reduced the annual taxation in
round numbers $500, 100000. Further.
by the payment of $3.50, OOO, 600 of the
public debt since the war, has reduced
the annual payment Of interest on the
public debt, in round numbers, $32,
100000.
The public credit of the nation is
better to-day than at any preceding
time. Never before were its bonds
sold at par bearing AZ per cent inter.
est, and taken with ayidity in the
markets of the world.