The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-29

When. from any cause, a prudent man
| finds himself financially embarrassed, he
! quickly examines the state Of his affairs.
ascertains his liabilities and his resources.
and rctrenches his expenditures, at least
until recovery Is made certain. This homcly
remedy has unfortunately fallen into disuse
in both public and private life and this is one
Of the causes Of the present distress. The
hard lessons Of the past five years have
failed to bring Congress TO realizing sens"
Of It's duty 90 the country
Politicians profess rctrcnchmcnt and re-
form in their platforms and On the stump,
but when they are brought face to face with
practical measures, TO make good these
professions, they either Sink away from
the test or meet it with miserable make
shifts wholly inadequate 10 the desired re-
lief, and only calculated TO prolong the
existing misery. Both sides shrink from
applying the knife, when in fact surgery
Offers the only hope Of saving the patient.
When we compare the cost Of carrying
on the Government under the simple ideas
which ruled during the greater part
OF its existence and, indeed, until the
Rings, shoddy, and corruption obtained as
cendancy, the figures are astounding and
almost beyond belief. According to the last
report Of the Secretary OF the Treasury, the
total net ordinary expenses. Of the United
States for war, navy, Indian, and civil Lists.
exclusive OF the public debt, interest, and
pensions, were as follows:
From the foundation Of the Government
to the Shh of June, 1861, ~ years az
gregAte ...... 500 726 I4l IS
For the four years IT civil war, from
June, is'2 u June 80, 1876 including
both fiscal years the total .... $3.50 e29 SCI o.
For the ten years Of Republican rule
from June 80 1877, 10 June 80 1879,
both included the aggregate was ... i,52ssl7l37 ~
1t thus appears that in a time Of profound
peace, starting long after the rebellion was
over, the Republicans, holding complete
control OF the Government, expended more
than twenty-five millions in ten years above
the total expended for eighty-two years
preceding the rebellionl In this startling
fact may be found the germ Of the terrible
prostration which has afflicted the whole
country since 1873. The reckless extrava-
gance began at Washington, and was en-
couraged from that political centre until it
spread everywhere.
Tho cost Of the civil war exceeded by more
than two thousand millions of dollars all
the ordinary expenses OF the Government
from 1859 10 1862 In that crisis every adj
vantage was taken by the professional pa
triOts, whose trade is to profit by public ca
lamitics; and it may be assumed that
third or at least fourth part Of the ma
tlonal debt necessary to preserve and assert
the authority Of the Union was piled up 10y
oNtortion and jobbcry All wars are at
tended with such scandals, and just now
member of the imperial family Of Russia,
who was in high command recently, is
openly charged with having traflicked on the
sull'rlngs Of his own troops.
After the close Of the rebellion the Repub-
leans nearly doubled the regular standing
army, and 10y variety Of devices they have
managed TO maintain it on most costly foot
ing from that day tothis, without the color Of
any real or honest necessity. Starting with
1868, and allowing three years Of margin to
close up the accounts Of the rebellion, the
army cost sj35, 1870 in the last ten
years, and the navy for the same time cost
S2ls, ll7,0i342, or more than a third Of the
entire public debt for these two br inches of
the general service.
In the present condition of the country
these burdens cannot be endured; and they
are only parts Of n system which Is alike in
all its features. The people will not calmly