Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-01-12

the present session of Congress rigid
/ inquiry into the financial affairs Of the
| Government, and q committee has been
appointed for the discovery of various
dishonest practices on the part of the Re-
| publlcans, Of which our Democratic
leaders assert they have long been con-
sci"us but which they have never yet
been able to define In fact, their ACCUSE
tons are so general, their charges SO
clouded by party zeal. so obscure or so
violent, that il is difficult to understand Of
what they complain or where they mean
! TO point their attack If they can succeed
| in revealing any real center of corruption,
| II they can bring To justice any public
robbery, retrcnch any extravaganza, de-
| wise any wise economy, they will have the
| support of the great majority of the Re-
| publicans, and will DO real service to the
country, which had long ceased to hope
| for any benefit from their labors. The
| financial administration Of the Govern
ment is that department in which tho
| Republicans have been most successful.
In the midst Of Democratic disorders ut
the South and populations at the North,
through panics that have covered the
world, while foreign and domestic agen-
| cies have been employed to shake the
national credit and CUT off the national
resources, the Republican Administration
has succeeded in reducing taxation while
| paying off the debt, has maintained the
national honor yet practiced an extreme
economy, and has honestly toiled to re-
duce those burdens which have been
brought upon the people by Democratic
rebellion and by the unpariotic conduct
| of the Democratic leaders, who prolonged
the war by theiy tactious opposition to all
the necessary measures Of repression. But
for the dangerous aid Of the New York
Democracy it is not likely that the re-
| bcllion and slavery would have outlived
| the fall of Vicksburg The vast national
debt is Democratic legacy to the nation.
1t is remarkable proof of the economyo Of
the Republican Administration that, cx-
elusive OF the expenses arising from tho
war, its whole annual outlay Is not by
more than third greater than that Of the
administration that preceded I've war.
| The cost Of the Government has scarcely
kept pace with the growth Of the country.
The attempt of the Democratic leaders
to discover fraud in the Republican man
sagement of the finances must naturally
lead to fresh study of the notorious iinAn-
cial calamities that have followed DEM
l
and from which Democratic candidates
for office have, 1t is rumored, often largely
proiited. Mr.. 5. s. Cox, who moved the
resolution to appoint the Congressional
Executive Committee" modcstly declined
to become its Chairman. He no doubt de-
cidcd wisely; tor the district to which Mr..
Coke his seat Is one ot those that have
been most largely Implicated in every
| - e. -. A.
city Of New York, and might possibly bo
called upon to describe infinitely To his
committee the way in which his Demo
cratic supporters have managed the finances
Of the unlucky metropolis. A com
parison between the wise economy Of tho
Republican National Administration and
the waste and the dishonesty OF the Dem
ocratic rulers of New York could not fail
to be instructive. For nearly twenty
years the Democracy has held the control
Of the city OF New York almost constantly,
and Of the State sufficiently often to indi-
cate its peculiar financial tendencies. And
no one is unfamiliar with tho result.
Within few years the debt Of the city OF
New York has been trebled II now oy -
probably more than $i60.0O0,0O0. And
besides this immense sum it cxpends an
|
reputable in nearly all its departments.
The cost OF its municipal administration
is $36 for every inhabitant; its debt $3.50.
Ii is admitted, too, that the greater part
OF this money has been wasted or stolen.
Nor does any reputable Democrat deny
that his party has been the chief agent in
an Unprecedented series OF robDeries.
Their noted perpetrator has just escaped
| lv IA. .nnniyoncu nf Democratic c,utrta
Judges and aliers But Tweed was only
the leader Of host of peculators, and
many as guilty, perhaps, rs he now sit
safely at home, under The shelter OF The
Democratic rule.
TO such comparison Dir. Cox might
we'll invite the attention Of Congress.
Within seven years the national debt has
been diminished by nearly 500 900 600,
in the same period that Of the city Of New
York has more than trebled. It costs,
under Democratic rule, S3G for each in
habitant, or $3.50 $1,000 annually, TO gov
ern u city with population Of 900 100.
For s. per head the Republican Admin
isiration governs population OF more
than 40, O0O. 900 But if we look into the
details the contrast becomes still more
striking. In the National Government
the courts are, in general highly respect
able, the city Judges are often the com
panions of thieves The national officials
are conicnted with modest salaries; the
city officials have set no bounds to their
rapaci,y. Errors, fraud. and gross decep-
tons no doubt have place in the Ma
tional Administration, but compared To
the extraordinary robberies OF the Demo
cratic leaders in New York or Albany
they sink into significance. We need
continue the parallel no farther Mcssrs.
Cox and Wood might well explain 10 tho
Democratic Executive Committee how il
is that they represent 40 dishonest a sec
ton OF their party, and why they laboFed