Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-07-11
Democratic Economy.

DetuOSrsAttc LcOuODls
Cleveland Herald.
The falsity of the Democratic claim
of having reduced the expenses of the
Government has been exposed again
and again, but q fresh exposure Is in
order after the close Of the late session
OF Congress, aid it is effectually made
by Representative Charles Foster. He
prepered a speech to deliver in the
House, ,but in the rush of business.before
the adjournment he could only gel
leave to print, and the speech has but
just come out in the Congressional
Record. Mr.. Foster shows that the
nominal reduction of $30, 600, 600 made
by Congress in the session preceding
the campaign of 1876 was dishonest
because the appropriations were fal
below the needs OF the Government
and had TO be made up by heavy def
cheney bills at the next session. The
Democrats attempted to deceive the
public in order to make political capi-
tai. Two years have elapsed since
then, and the appropriations reported
by the same committee that made II
boast of its virtuou5 economy in 1876
have been annually $4,000, 900 in ex.
cess of those for that year. Taking eX-
act figures, Mr.. Foster finds that the
appropriations, as they finally became
enacted into law, for the year ending
June so, 1879, amount to $172, 76, ,692. 10.
For the year ending June 80, 1877, they
amounted to $l4S, ,535, ,79S.4l-a differ
ence of S24 ,040, ,S93.74
The Republicans had been steadily
reducing expenses before they went
out of lower in the House. The last
year OF Rupublican rule shows re-
ductiOn over the previous year of $l6,-
123, 900, and the last two years, S2S,
500, 600. Mr.. Foster does not accuse
the Democrats OF extravagance in their
general appropriations for the past
year, but he arraigns them for dishon-
esty in protesting to the public that
they were making reductions which
they knew they could not possibly
make. He thinks the current expenses
of the Government were brought down
by the Republicans, in the four years
of Gen. Garfield's craftsmanship of the
Appropriation Committee, to about
the lowest figure consistent with an
efficient public service, and that here
after, as the country grows in popula-
ton, they will steadily increase. The
offense of the Democrats did not stop,
however, with their Misrepresentation
in 1876. This very year they tried to
cut down the revenue ten or fifteen
millions by reducing the tax on tobac-
co, although they knew by their own
appropriation bills that the Treasury
could not spare that sum, and meet
their demands upon it. The net result
of their economy as Mr.. Foster
shows, was to increase appropriations
S24, ,000, 900, and attempt to decrease the
revenue $I5,000,000. The concluding
paragraph of Mr.. Fosters pungent crit
icism on Democratic financial manage
ment deserves to be carefully read:
"The following is the condensed
statement of what was claimed by the
Democratic leaders in 1876, compared
with the facts as demonstrated by actu-
al results. Democratic claim of a reduc-
ton of $4,000, 600 over 1876 for each OF
the years endidg June 80, 1877 and
1876, S60,000,0 000 Actual result for two
years, $34, ,000, 600; overstated, $36. .000,-
600; the reduction being two fifths OF
the amount claimed. This is just about
equal to the claim of the Indisn who
thought two truths to one lie pretty
good for an Indian. With equal pro-
priety the Democrats can claim that
two truths TO three lies is pretty good
fora Democratic reformer. Take an
other view of this subject, as contrast
ed with Democratic promises on the
stump. The sum total of the bills as
reported by the same committee in
1873, are, without the deficiency bills,
some $4,000, 900 greater than the same
bills reported by the same committee
in 1876. No charge of being overborne
bya an extravagant Senate can be made
in this case. 1t was the cool, careful
and deliberate work of these Demo-
cratic reformers themselves. Why was
this increase made? Simply because
a less sum was found to be wholly in
adequate. Even this will have to be
supplemented with deficiencies. What
answer will these Democratic reform
ers make to the charge that they Ell
ther willfnlly or ignorantly attempted
to deceive the country in 1876? l
leave the answer to them.