The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-09-24
THE RECORD.
Eighteen Years of Republican Ad
mtnistratien.

the Southern States into secession and
open rebellion. The newly elected
President, on his way to Washington,
escaped assassination as by miracle, 10
become the victim OF the assassin at
later day. Reaching the Capital OF the
nation he found the arms and ammuni-
ton removed to Southern arsenals and
forts. the little army scattered along
the distant frontiers, and the ships OF
the navy stationed in foreign ports.--
The United States Treasury was ex.
hausted, the Government in debt and
paying an interest of over $1,000 900
per annum, with the national credit 30
low that the Buchanan administration
was paying nj the rate of IL per cent.
interest on small loan required to
meet the ordinary expenses OF the Gov
enerment.
Under this condition OF affairs the
Republican party came into power, 10
find an organized rebellion OF great
magnitude TO be suppressed. An army
was called into being. money raised,
the enemy met and conquered, four
million slaves made free, the seeded
States rehabiliiated, peace restored,
the public credit strengthened, and the
integrity aud authority OF the Govern
ment assured before the world. This
was the work of the Republican party
during the earlier and most trying
years of its administration, A few war
Democrats-may their names long be
honored - patriotically aided in the
work of saving the Union, but the
Bourbon Democracy were a unit
against us. and were supported by
the entire Northern Copperhead or an
ti-Unlon OF the Democratic party.
The rebellion proved TO be formida-
BILE and the war Of vast magnitude. -
The Union army was one of the largest
bravest, and most patriotic the world
has ever witnessed. and the people
the Republican party-gave that army
every support in their power in men,
money, and cooperation. To meet the
cost OF the war taxes were increased
until the internal-revenue and personal
income-tax receipts in a single year
(1S66) reached the vast sum Of S3l1,-
ia, 4,567 "a. Nearly everything manu-
factured or used was taxed.
Now the internal-revenue tax is con-
fined TO spirits. fermented liquors, to-
bacco, banks, and bankers, and adhes-
i've stamps for patent medicines, &C,
and the total tax is reduced from
S311,174, ,567.54 in 1866, TO
SI1O. .5S1, ,624.74, in 1878. Reduc-
tious have also been made IN the Gus
tom tariff, the receipts from which In
1872 amounted to S216, $40, 2s6. ~, and
in 1878, fiscal year. to $3.50, 10, $50. 20
thus showing in the two sources of
revenue a total average reduction in
each year of 1886, ,702, ,549.37.
From these grand results it will be
seen that the Republican party is not
only patriotic, as shown in the prompt
response to the call for men and means
TO save the Union, bnt that all pecuni-
arg obligations were promptly met, the
national integrity sustained and
strengthened, and the credit of the
country at home and abroad restored,
so that instead OF borrowing money, as
in the last Democratic administration,
at IL per cent. to carry on the ordinary
affairs Of the Government, II Is now
funding its per cent. into per cent.
bonds by the ready purchase of the
latter nj home and abroad.
Another remarkable feature IN the
administration Of the Republican par
ty is its official integrity. The net rev.
enues Of the Government since the
party came into power have amounted
10 the enormous sum of 50, ,532,-
93f, ,3O2. I3, while the net Temporal
nv expenditures have gone mp 10 even a
larger sum of So .463, ,O2O, ,266. 4 3.
Yet this money has all been collected,
handled and disbursed with scarcely
the loss OF dollar. Some few small
losses have occurred before the funds
reached the Treasury, and while in the
hands OF collectors or banks OF deposit;
but these have nearly all been ulti-
mately recovered. A call OF the United
State Senate, on a resolution offered
by Senator Davis Democrat), of West
Virginia, was made upon the Secretary
OF the Treasury, April l6, 1873. for
statement Of losses in the collection OF
internal revenue.
The statement was made, and il
shows that from 1862, the year in
which the internal revenue system was
established, TO 1870, the collections
amounted to 81 ,4S2, ,56l, 705. 9S, and the
amount remaining due is only frac-
ton over one-fifth OF per cent. of that
sum: and yet that is double the rate of
the apparent loss under President
Grant.
In five years, from 1870 TO 1875, un-
der President Grant, there was collect
ed 1868, ,047, ,4S0. .26, and from the Of
ficers who collected this vast amount
of money there is to-day due only
S653, ZIG. OF, about one-tenth Of l per
cent. of the collection. What better
show could possibly be made? And
let it he remembered, too, that even
this amount is not yet an absolute loss
To the Government, for the accounts
are still open, many OF them being in
litigation and others in the process of
settlement by other methods, so that
the real outstanding indebtedness will
in time be largely reduced from the
figures shown in this report
On the 3lst day OF May OF this year.
the time to which this Treasury report
is brought up, there were but seventy
five OF those ex-ofiicers still having
charges against them, two hundred and
twenty-four having settled their ac-
count i'm full. The amount still due is
placed at 81. ll6. .533. i3, being about 10
per cent. of the amount due in 1870
In 1870 there were fifty-six individuals
owing each over Sl00,OO0; now there
arc hut ten, aud every one OF these ten
was originally appointed to Office by
President johnson. and II IL well
known that his appointments were not
made in every instance from the Re
publican ranks. A remarkable fact is
that Of the entire amount still due
nearly one-half stands charged against
five ex-officers in the State OF Louisis-
ma, and the name OF Lewis II. Collins
ranking first, with n charge Of over
5000, 600 against II. Next comes James
Il. SteedmaD, with nearly 100000 to
him. This faithful collector was one
OF President Johnson's staunchest sup
porters in his opposition 10 the the Re
publican party, and is now in Ohio
working for a seat in Congress on the
Democratic reform platform. Ho il
was, too who wanted 30 take command
Of the hundred thousand men who pro-
posed 10 visit Washington little
more than a year ago 10 forcibly in
augurate Tilden as President. The
names Of Eugene Tisdale. Z. NJ. Bon.
ligny, and William z. Bentor make up
the Ave who owe within n fraction as
much a. seventy others in other parts
Of the country.
When IL is shown by these papers that
the collections mp 90 June Both. 1877,
amounted 20 s2,321, ,si1. 1870. and
that, in collecting that vast amuont e
loss OF only about three millions OF dol
lars occur, IL would seem hard 30 point
out n period in the history of this, or