Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-08-02

Der them, as 1t was feared there was not enough
letters to indicate them in that way
Correspondeut--Why was it necessary to divide.
the amount into so many bills?
Senator Wndom--Our Democratic friends of the
House knew that the people would understand these
"dedcences" to be a refutaton Of their former loud
pretenses of retrenchment and hence they reluc-
family doed out in detachments such amounts as
they were compelled to appropriate from timo to
time
THE EMPTY BOAST OF DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
Correspondent-I notice that at q recent banouet
/ given in New York to Speaker Randall, Hon. A. s.
Hewitt is reported to have said that Mr. Randall
and his friends in the Forty fourth Congress "ac-
complished saving in the entire Congress of 1884,
OO0OOO and that it the fruit of putting men in
power who were able to do the work set for them to-
do. Allowing for all the deficiencies it amounted to-
S23OOO0OO clear saving" &c. (See New York World
of the Sd instant) Now, Senator. you have been n
member of the Appropriation Committee for many
years. What do you say to this boast of Democratic
economy, in comparison with the alleged Republican
extravaganza?
Senator Windom-It ismy turn to ask you ques-
ton. Don't you think this boast of having saved
only S230O0000 "in the entire Congress" is q great
letting down from the claim made by them in the
Presidential campaign that they had saved $4O.-
OOO,OOO' at one session? This modest claim now
amounts to only about $1i 100000 for that session
in which they insisted that they had saved 100000.
600 By Their orn confession there to hare been
only about % per cent of truth IN their economical 1,
tensions in as76 1t will be noted also that Mr.
Hewitt admits that it required about $31 OOO 900 TO
make up the deficiencies created by the pretended
rctrenchmeDts and reforms Of the Forty-third Con-
gross. In looking over the tables and statements in
Mr.. Atkins speech, notice that he makes tho do
nclencies appropriated since 1876 $50 1G so that
he and Mr. Hewitt substantially in accord on that
point II you will permit me to turn the tables and
question you for a moment should like to ask If
anything could well be more disgraceful in the.
leaders OF great party than to GO before the Deope
with the pretense of having saved over S4OO0O O60
hat ,fOn <
sum would have to be made up by deficiency blls2,
Correspondent-Were the $23OOOOOO which Mr.
Hewitt claims to be " clear saving" by the Fortv
fourth Congress an actual saving, or only post.
ponement of appropriations and failure to provid-a
properly for the public service, &c.2
Senator Windom-Some portion of it was doubt
less Saving" but by far the largest part was not
On the 10Th of August, 1876 after carefully analy-
zlng every item on every appropriation bin for that
year, and comparing each one with like items in tbr
bills for the previous year. stated on the floor OF
the Senate that "of the total pretended re-
sense be called saving of money to the Treasury
and that this sum fell far below the retrsnchment.
effected by tho preceding Republican Congress K
now repeat that statement, and am prepared at any
moment to provo it beyond doubt
The mere postponement of appropriations" for.
public buildings which were under way in 1876 az.
compared with the preceding year, amounted tos
s3,2S6593 the postponement of surveys of public.
lands to $647 300 the failure to appropriate money
to pay judgments of the Court of Claims &C., to-,
Sl,611,OOO There were numerous other items
amounting to many millions, of like character
which were merely postponed" not Saved" They-
are not deficiencies" but simply "postponementsif'
which will come in at future timo to swell ther
bills. The three items have just named, amount--
ing to $5,544, $685. were only small part of SUCH
. postponements made in the one year 1876 De-
ducting them from $11 100000 which is one-half of
what Mr.. Hewitt claims to be the total savings of
The Forty y-tourth Congress for 1876 and 1877, we.
have less than 100000 tho actual saving for.
that year. There were many other items of reduce
ton made in 1876, which are in no possible sense a
aving to the Treasury but which, if deducted from
,he Sll 100000, would wipe out the whole of the
pretended economy of which so much boasting haA
been done.
Correspondent-Does the amount of appropriations
always indicate the exact cost of administering the
government daring the year for which they ara
made?
arge unexpended balances from various sources
which come over from one year to another. These
'unexpended balances" after standing two years
subject to use, are carried to the surplus fund.-
which means they returned to the Treasury 1t is
therefore, the annual expenditures" rather than
the appropriations which show what it really
costs to carry on the Government any given year.
The exception to this rule 0s when "de1ciencies'T
are created, which makes the expenditures of one
year appear less than they really In such case
'he expenditures of the next, succeeding year
will show proportonate increase. An instance Of
his kind is found in the apparently reduced expend--
lures of 1877, which will he fully balanced by the,
Increase for 1873 and 1879 when all the deficiencies
re charged up.
When the Executive Departments are honest and
athful, only so much money as is necessary will be-
lsed, and the balance Of the appropriations will be-
eturned to the Treasury A striking illustration
# this is presented under the last Administration
from 1869 to 1876 the amounts thus carried to the
urplus fund.-" as shown by Official Treasury
tatement, were very large, exceeding by many MIL
ions per annum the amounts so returned to thep
Treasury" under late Democratic appropriations.
This proves two things: First, that mere COMPARE
on of appropriations does not show the relative,
ost OF administering the Government; and second
proves that the hue and cry of corruption and
raised against the last Administration
vas without foundation.
You will at once that their loud boasts of
economical reductions, based upon the comparisons
f mere appropriations" without taking into ac--
cunt the sums respectively carried to The surplus