The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-09

COrreSponuent-WnyW was III necessary 10 ulVluo
the amount into so many bills?
Senator Windom-Our Democratic friends of the
House knew that the people would understand these
deficiencies" to be refutation of their former loud
pretenses of retrenchment, and hence they reluc-
family doled out in detachments such amounts
they were compelled to appropriate from time to
time.
THE EMPTY BOAST OF DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
Correspondence notice that at a recent banquet
given in New York to Speaker Randall Hon. A. s.
Hewitt is reported to have said that Mr.. Randall
and his friends in the Forty fourth Congress sac
com pshed a saving in the entire Congress of $54,-
100000, and that it was the fruit of putting in
power who able to do the work set for them to
do. Allowing for all the Deficiencies it amounted to
$23 100000 clear saving" &c. (See New York World
of the Sd instantly Now, Senator, you have been a
member of the Appropriation Committee for many
years. What do you say to this boast of Democratic
economy, in comparison with the alleged Republican
extravaganza?
Senator Wndom-It smy turn to ask You a ques-
ton. Don't you think this boast of having saved
only $23000000 Gin the entire Congress- is great
letting down from the claim made by them in the
Presidential campaign that they had saved $40-
100000" at session? This modest claim now
amounts to only about S11 600 for that session.
in which they insisted that they had saved 10000
000 BIZ their confession there TO hare been
only about % per cent Of truth in their economical pre-
tensions 91l 1876. 1t will be noted also that Mr.
Hewitt admits that it required about $31, 100000 to
make up the deficiencies created by the pretended
retrenchments and reforms of the Forty-third Con-
gress In looking over the tables and statements in
Mr.. Atkins speech, notice that he makes the de-
ciencies appropriated since 1876 $50 242 165 that
he and M Hewitt are substantially in accord on that
point. If you will permit to turn the tables and
question you for a moment should like to ask IL
anything could well be more disgraceful in the
leaders of great party than to go before the people
with the pretense of having saved over S40,00000O
when, in fact, they knew that $30000,000 of that
sum would have to be made up by deficiency billsT
Corespondent-Weret the $230O0,OOO which Mr..
Hewitt claims TO be "clear saving" by the Forty
fourth Congress actual saving, only post
ponement of appropriations, and failure to provide
properly for the public service, &C.?
Senator Windom-Some portion of it was doubt.
less "saving" but by far the largest part was not
On the 10Th of August, 1876, after carefully analy-
zing every item every appropriation bill for that
year. and comparing each with like items in the
bills for the previous year, stated the floor Of
the Senate that "Of the total pretended
ducton of $40,000,oo0 not S5,0cO00O could in any
be called saving of money to the Treasury"
and that this sum fell far below the retrenchment
effected by the preceding Republican Congress. 1
repeat that statement, and am prepared at any
moment to prove it beyond doubt
The mere "postponoment of appropriations for
public buildings which were under way in 1876, as
compared with the preceding year, amounted to
S., 2S6 $685. the postponement of surveys of public
lands to $647, 300 the failure to appropriate money
to pay judgments of the Court Of Claims, &C.. to
SIGH 900. There were numerous other items,
amounting to many millions, of like character,
which were merely postponed" not Saved" They
are not deficiencies" but simply postponements"
which will in at some future time to swell the
bills. The three items have just named, amount
ing to $5544,9S3, only small part of such
"pOstponements made in. the year 1876 De-
Quoting them from 81 SOC o00 which is one-half Of
what Mr. Hewitt claims to be the total savings of
the Forty-fourth Congress for 1876 and 1877, we
have less than $6,000,000 the actual saving for
that year. There were many other items of reduc-
tion made in 1876 which ara in no possible sense
70 ha hrtr
the 100000, would wipe out the whole of the
pretended economy Of which so much boasting has
been done.
Correspondent-Doe the amount of appropriations
always indicate the exact cost of administering the
Government daring the year for which they are
made?
Senator Windom-It does not. There are always
large unexpended balances from various sources
which come over from one year to another. These
"unexpended balances" after standing two years
subject to usc carried to the surplus fund.-"
which means they arc retained TO the Treasury. 1t is,
therefore, the annual expenditures" rather than
the appropriations which show what it really
costs to carry on the Government any given year.
The exception to this rule is when "defciencies'
arc created, which makes the expenditures" of one
year appear less than theyreally In such case
the expenditures" of the next or succeeding year
will show proportionate increase. An instance Of
this kind is found in the apparently reduced expend
itures of 1877 which will he fully balanced by the
increase for 1873 and 1872 when all the deficiencies
are charged up.
When the Executive Departments arc honest and
faithful. only much money as is necessary will be
used, and the balance Of tho appropriations will be
returned to the Treasury striking illustration
of this is presented UNDER the last Administration
From 1869 to 1876 the amounts thus carried to the
surplus fund.-" shown by official Treasury
statement, were verylarge, exceeding by many mill
lions per annum the amounts so returned to the
Treasury" under late Democratic appropriations.
This proves two things First, that mere compare
of appropriations" does not show the relative
cost of administering the Government; and second,
proves that the hue and cry of corruption and ex
travagance raised against the last Administration
was without foundation.
You will at once that their loud boasts Of
economical reductions, based upon the comparisons
of mere appropriations" without taking into ac-
count the sums respectively carried 20 The surplus
fund" are absolutely meaningless, or else a sham
and fraud. These facts may serve to explain how
it is that with all their empty vaporings about di
minishing the burdens of the people," they have
hardly attempted to reduce taxation. From 1868 to
1875 taxes were reduced by tho Republican party
by various bills, an aggregate of $250,0000O0
per annum, while during the three years of Demo-
cratic domination in the House of Representatives