The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-09-14


The following is the result of an in
terview between the representative of
The Washington Post and Hon. Joseph
c. S. Blackburn, of Kentucky, in review
of the charges and misrepresentation al
legged to have been made by Senator Win
dom in the interest of the Republican
party and by which that gentleman has
endeavored to break the force of the econ
omy of Democratic rule as established by
the records of the Government. As Mr..
Blackburn has given the subject a great
deal of study and has presented it in every
possible aspect, it has been deemed Of suf-
ficient importance for the Congressional
Democratic Committee to give it the largest
possible circulation:
Reporter-Have you read the so-called
"Windom Interview" published first in
the New York Times and since circulated
by the Gorham-Hale committee?
Mr.. Blackburn-Yes, carefully. 1t is
of piece with similar campaign misrepre-
sentations with which the Republican Con-
gressional committee is trying to deceive
the people.
RepOrter-What action, if any, will the
Congressional Democratic committee take
in reference TO this and similar efforts of
the Republicans to cry down the reputa-
tion Of the Democratic party for economy?
Dir. Blackburn-Senator Window is
only following out plan adopted by his
party in its death struggle, to break the
force Of the savings actually effected by
the Democratic House, and he, like his
eo-laborers, endeavors to mislead the unini-
tiated in various ways. For example, he
refuses to take note Of the actual decrease
of expenditures under Democratic rule,
and whilst he cannot deny also the great
reductions in the appropriations which the
Democratic House has effected, he end .av-
ors to explain it away by saying that these
reductions were made "by denying appro.
priations indispensable to the public SER
vice; by postponing necessary public works;
by repudiating National obligations; by
Withholding large sums for deficiency bills :"
All these charges are known to be entirely
untrue, but it seems to be an understood
thing all along the Republican line that
something must be done to explain away
Democratic economy.
Reporter is the comparative re-
cord 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 house
hold knowledge, that the record of the
Democratic party is one Of economy, and
the record Of the Republican party one of
extravagance aud corruption. Economy
with the Democratic party is of no recent
origin, and, as was to be expected, as soon
as the Democracy obtained control of the
House of Representatives, it forced upon
the Republican Administration and Senate
reductions of great magnitude, both in
appropriations and expenditures. Before
discussing recent savings effected by the
Democratic House, let US examine the ac-
tual expenditures from the commencement
of cur Government down to the last year
when the Republican party had control of
both Houses of Congress. The net ordi-
nary expenditures of the Government, ex-
elusive of the public debt-principal, pre-
miums and interest-and exclusive also
Of pensions-being only expenses for the
army, navy, Indians and miscellaneous
civil, from the fiscal year 1889 to the fs-
cal 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 30, 1862, to the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1866, both in
elusive, 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, thirty millions, nine
hundred and twenty-nine thousand, five
hundred and eighty-one dollars and sixty
four cents.
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
Now, in order to make a comparison
which even the Republican chairman of a
/ Senate committee cannot with all his ac-
quired knowledge of figures successfully
reiute, we will eliminate this war period
from our calculation. This being done,
we find that, from the commencement OF
the Government to the beginning of the
war, that is, from the fiscal year ended
March 4, 1889, down to and including the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1861, both in
elusive, covering period of more than 79
years, the net ordinary expenditures Of
the Government for the purposes above
stated amounted to one billion, FIVE hun
dred and six millions, seven hundred and
twenty-six thousand one hundred and fifty
one dollars and fifteen cents. Now, the
net ordinary expenditures of the Govern
ment for the same purposes, for the last
ten years of unbroken Republican rule, be
ginning with the fiscal year ended Jun,
30, 1867, more than one year after the
war, and including the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1876, amounted to 81 .52S.9I7.
1877; thus showing an excess of expen
ditures of s22, 100, ,99672 against the Re
publican party. Or, to state it plainly
the net ordinary expenditures of the Gov
ernment, exclusive of the public debt
principal, premiums and interest, and ex
elusive also Of pensions, for period of tel