The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-09-12
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF RUNNING
THE GOVERNMENT BY THE
TWO PARTIES.
Astounding Results Of Radical PrOfigaCy in Ex'
DenditureB
[waahlngtOn Post OF Saturday.

pendltures.
Washington Post Of Saturday.
Getting hold Of the Republican Campaign Doc.
ument, known Rs Windows interview, a Post re-
porter called on Mr. Blackburn to learn what the
result Of his Investigations had been. The follow
ing is the result:
RepOrter-Have you read the so'called "Win-
dom Interview" published first in the New York
Times and since circulated by the GOrham'Hale
committee2
Mr. Blackburn-Yes, carefully. 1t Is Of piece
with similar campaign misrepresentation with
which the Republican Congressional Committee
Is trying to deceive the people.
Reporter-What action, If any, Will the Con-
gressional Democratic Committee take In refer.
ence To this aud similar efforts Of the Republicans
to cry down the reputation Of the Democratic
party for economy
Mr.. Blackburn-senator Window is only fol-
lowing out plan adopted by his party In It's
death struggle, to break the force Of the savings
actually effected by the Democratic House. and
he, like his co-laborers endeavors to mislead the
uninitlated in various ways. For example, he
refuses 10 take note of the actual decrease Of ex
pending under Democratic rule, and whilst he
cannot deny also the great reduction in the appro
ed, he endeaVors to explainit away by saying that
these reductions were made "by denying appro
priatIons indispensable to the public service; by
postponing necessary public works; by repudi.
ating National obligations; by Withholding large
sums Of deficiency bills" All these charges are
known to be entirely untrue, but 1t seems to be
an understood thing all along the Republican
line that something must be done to explain
away Democratic economy.
Reporter-What is the comparative record Of
Of the Democratic and Republican parties as to
economy in conducting the Government
Mr.. Blackburn-The official figures will verify
what has become matter Of household knowl-
edge, that the record of the Democratic party is
one of economy and the record Of the Repubn'
can party one Of extravaganza and corrupdon.-
Economy with the Democratic party is Of no re-
cent origin, and as was to be expected as soon as
the Democracy obtained control Of the House Of
Representatives, 1t forced upon the Republican
Administration and Senate reductions Of great
magnitude, both in appropriations and expendi'
lures, Before discussing recent savings effected
by the Democratic House. let us examine the &C.
tual expenditures from the commencement Of our
Government down TO the last year when the Re.
publican party had control Of both Houses of Con
gress. The net ordinary expenditures Of the Gov
ernment, exclusive Of the public debt-principal,
premiums and lnterest-and exclusive also Of
pensions being only expenses for the army, ma
Wy, Indians and miscellaneous civil, from the is-
cal year 1889 to the fiscal year ended 1876 can be
easily found in the reports Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury For the war period from the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1852, to the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1866, both inclusive more than one year
after the close Of the war, covering period OF
FIVE years, the net ordinary expenditures above
named amounted to three billions, five hundred
and thirty millions, nine hundred and twenty
nine thousand, five hundred and eighty.One dol
lars and sixty.four cents.
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
Now, in order to make q comparison which
even the Republican Chairman Of Senate Com
mittee cannot with all his acquired knowledge Of
figures successfully refute we will eliminate this
war period from our calculation. This being done,
we find that, from the commencement Of the Gov.
ernment to the beginning Of the war, thatis from
the fiscal year ended March 4, 1859, down to and
including the fiscal year ended June 30 1861 both
inclusive covering period Of more than 73 years,
the net ordinary expenditures ofthe Government
for the purposes above stated amounted to one
billion, five hundred and six millions, seven hun.
dred and tweDty.six thousand one hundred and
ffty.one dollars and fifteen cents Now, the net
ordinary expenditures Of the Government for the
same purposes. for the last ten years OF unbroken
Republican rule, beginning with the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1867, more than one year after the
war and including the fiscal year ended June 30,
1S46, amounted to S1,528, 8,9l7l l3787 thus showing
an excess of expenditures OF S22 l9O ~ against
the Republican party. Or, to state 1t plainly, the
net ordinary expenditures Of the Government, ex
elusive of the public debt principal, premiums
and interest, and exclusive also OF pensions for
period Of ten years, beginning more than one
year after the conclusion Of the war, were more
than S22,00O000 In excess Of the expenditures Of
the Government for seventy three years next an
tedating the accession Of the Republican party to
power.
REPUBLICAN EXTRAvAGANCE.
Rep--How do the ten years Of Democratic rule
before the war compare with ten years OF Repub-
ucan rule since the war
Mr. B.-IfW we take the ten years Of Democratic
conservative rule, beginning with the fiscal year
ended June 9O 1852, up to the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1861, both inclusive we find the net or
dinary expenditures Of the Government to have
been S572 2S72 26O52 as against 81 52S 917 137 for
the same purposes for ten years Of Radical rule
during peace namely, from the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1867 to the fiscal year ended June 80,
1876, both inclusive, giving an excess Of Republi
can expenditures, over the expenditures under
Democratic conservative rule Of 1856 Ola S77.S5,
being an increase of net ordinary expenditures
under Republican rule Of about one hundred and
seventy per cent The average net ordinary ex.
penditures per annum for the ten years Of Repub.
ncan rule was S15O,672 61411, whilst the net Ordi
nary expenditures for the ten years Of Democratic
rule above named wore only S57,2S7 l226.05, show
ing that the net ordinary expenditures under Re-
publican rule during decade Of peace, were
nearly three times as large as for the decade Of
Democratic rule Immediately preceding the war
If 1t shall be objected that there is at least one
element of unfsiIness in this presentation Of off
cial data, upon the score of an increase of popu
lation, it is answered that, taking as a basis of
this calculation the census Of 1850, we find that
the cost per capita for the ten years next previous
TO the war, for net ordinary expenditures, with
which we alone are now dealing, was 1896 whilst
taking the census Of 1870 as the basis OF the CRlCu
laton we find that the cost per capita for the ten
years of Republican rule during time OF peace
beginning with the fiscal year ending June 80,
1867, was 1896, being an excess against the Re-
publican party Of about one hundred and seven
teen Q17) per cent, so that 1t seems difficult TO
find the ground npon which any Republican
statesman may defend his party from the charge
Of excessive expenditures when considered either
In bulk or upon the per capita calcHlation, and
we certainly feel that we deal fairly In selecting
tnhl uoChu6 Vi OemOCfhllO Eul6 lnIh6ulhgeiy pre-
ceding the war, and contrasting 1t with like Pc
riod OF Republican rule beginning more than one
year after the war had cl0sed, and coming down
70 the last fiscal year in which the Republicans
held control Of both houses Of Congress. For your
use, II you desire II, / here hand you q tabulated
statement an examination Of which will show
the particular branches OF the service In which
these heavy discrepancies occur. Take for in
stance the expenditures In the matter of the reg
ular army Ut being remembered that the regular
army was more than doubled after the cOnclu-
sion Of the war; for what purposes II is difficult to
tell unless 1t be for the accomplishment Of poit-
ical or party advantage in aid Of which It had
been so busily and efficiently employed until an
American Congress by solemn act was forced at
our last session to incorporate into the army ap-
propriation bill restriction that absolutely pro-
hibited such use Of that army Of the Government
In future, and we find that the aggregate expend-
itures for this purpose durir this time were over
900 as against $3.50 900 appropriated for