Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-23
Treatine thcso figures AS the actual

. This brings us TO the conclusion irrc-
sistably that the figures from 1884 20
1853 are not the real sums of the losses.
: But, for the sake Of the argument, lot
us assume that this statement Of losses
from the Treasury is correct, its figures
are true, its conclusions are Justly
drawn. Then let us glance at the rc-
suits that follow. II this veracious
! paper be literally true, we find that
the greatest total loss shown by the
statement through receiving officers
from 1861 to 1875 was s4,34S, 600;
from disbursing officers, s9, ,905, 900. In
fourteen years the total loss was sl4,.
253,00O annual loss, sl,018,000. Loss
through receiving officers from January
1884 to June 80, 1861, $780,, 900;
through disbursing officers from Jan.
uary |, 1884, to June 30, 1861, el2,.
36l, 900. Total loss in twenty-seven
and half years, SIS, 100000; an an.
nual loss of s555, ,255.
Taking the figures of the Treasury
statement itself, it shows loss of
million annually, while during the
twenty-seyen and half years preced-
ing there was O loss of something
over half a million annually. A loss Of
but million annually-a trifle, mere
bdgatelle; officials take but fourteen
and Il quarter millions in fourteen years,
hence our economy is plain. The peo.
pie are suffering and our expenses are
increasing, hence our economy is plain.
This is the logic of the argument and
OF the document am commenting on.
Where have the losses occurred that
this total gives as the aggregate there
of from 1861 to 1897 BY report
made to the House in 1874 we find
that one hundred and fifty-seven pay.
masters in the Army are in arrears
s76s,7O6. From the report Of the
Naval Committee of the House we
learn that one hundred and twelve
paymasters in the Navy are in arrears
81, l54, ,000 From the imprinted docu.
ment we find that one hundred and
forty-eight collectors of internal rev.
enue are in arrears about s3,600,000;
and that out of four hundred and ninety.
five defaulters in the Indian service
these papers show two hundred and
seventy-seven in the past fifteen years,
and but two hundred and eighteen in
the thirty years preceding. From the
letter of Mr.. Pratt, Commissioner Of
the Internal Revenue, we learn that Of
cash deficiencies OF collectors Of Inter
nal Revenue between March /, 1869,
and February 2s, 1876, there are $685.
75l.
The statement that / have referred
to is contradieted by the facts lead.
ing Senators challenge the data and
refuse TO permit that data TO be printed.
Common sense and the rule OF practice
in ordinary affairs certify it not to be
true, and the conclusions are irresisti-
Bile that the figures given as the losses
from 1884 to 1859 are not the sum of
tho losses sustained by the Govern
ment during those years, but are over.
stated. The imprinted document bc-
ing untruthful, the data based upon il
is necessarily false and the results de-
duced therefrom are without support
in fact; but this table and these figures
have gone to the country. Three lead.
ing members OF the Republican party
have accepted and indorsed the state
ment, and ii and their speeches are
being sent broadcast over the land un-
der the franks of members OF Congress.
How untruthful it is let us see further.
1t states the receipts of the Govern
ment, after leaving out the war, since
July /, 1865, at s8,039, 1874 1922, and the
disbursements at 81, 900, ,434, ,94s; max
ing the total of receipts and disburse-
ments since the 1st Of July, 1866, of
ZIG, ,04S,52O,S1O. The mind of the Or
iinary man is not moro bewildered at
he attempt to grasp the magnitude of
ne proportions OF slo,o4S,ozU,S10 than
Is amazed at the cool audaclty which
Ni,l Paraae tnese ngurcs as the aggre-
Sa.c rcco'pts anu disbursements OF the
curing perond OF ton
ears Oh peace, ana attempt TO build
nereon superstructure oil argument
or an intelhgent people. Excluding
rom |, .he calcuiatlon everything but
u ~, a, oad "a I.on..s; Aponsaios u .no uoVsrn-
,;von Ne I h., ,bo cana.ns ~ 'Io s: uau
bs an m No to,o, ~ & Of ,ba Iossos o, sOr ,o,, ran rn
rom INV / iss5 as V1vJ we,I 10 on ,' acoonn, on
= race;n;s as ~ 81 d;shursonau.. % "un vn aovan sS
hat those actual expenses have been