Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-07-03
Fraudulent Claim.


1876 that the democratic House had re-
duced the expenditures of the govern
ment some $50 600, 600 at The close of that
session. is now clearly seen to have been
fraudulent. The claim was made bv
every democrat on the stump and hy every
democratic newspaper that year, and
thousands of voters were deceived by it.
1t was urged by the repablican press
and speakers that the claim was a cheat,
that nothing had been saved to the gov
ernment ty so-caled democratic econo-
N.Y." and that tll the Wanted democratic
savings in expenditures would have to be
paid in the shape of deficiency bills by
the next Congress. Since the winding mp
of the last Congress this prediction Of the
republicans is proved to have been cor
rect.
The appropriations reported t. the
House bv the committee for the year end
ing June 1879. amount to $4,000 600
more than for the previous year or the
year before that, and this exclusive OF
the deficiency bills. If the deficiency bills
are added, the Increase of appropriations
over those of the year 1876 is Learly S2j,
600 900. The time had come when the
fraud would no longer answer the pur-
pose of its inventors. The expenses ol
the government had to be paid, past de-
fciencies and all, and so the democrat e
members of the last House were obliged
to vote the money. although by thus doing
thev confessed to the fraud which they
practiced upon the people in 1876. The
appropriations for the year ending june
1879 amount to Sl72,576, ,692 Ii: while
for the year ending June 1877 they
amounted to s14S 535, 79S 41-a difference
of 1924 040, ,S9374.
Mr.. Charles Foster of Ohio, "a member
of the committee on appropriations, says
in a speech printed in the Congressional
Record
The committee this year unusually pains
taking extremely careful and ecouomical. Not
one dollar was reported iOr any purpose that was
not thought To be actual y necessary fheir aciion
in increasing their bills Sl20O000O over 1878
gives the stamp of untruth ulness t. al The iep
resentatIons made by them IN 1876. Ii shows
that their boosted econ my was sham ana n
fraud, and that the controlling motive wa, no hi Sh-
er than purpose to aid the.n before tue peopl,
in 1876
Attempts have been made by several gentlemen
of The reform school to explain away the lal q
deficiencies reported tn $ sessiJn. Ii is clam d
that much OF 1t belongs to the year ending Juu,
80, 1876, aud prior years. If so, why did not The
democratic retOrmers provide fOr thcH lh,
proper time, the last two years Z 1t Is prohablt
that two or three millions of them belong to tn,
year 1876 aod prior years, but no amount OF ex
planation can avail In the attempt to charge tn,
rest of them to o76 and prior Yeas. These dc
fci.n occurred by reason of attempt ia
1876 of our democratic ref1rGiers 10 deceive tu,
pubic into the bel,f that they were acutuaN
engaged 10 work oil reform. lhe shan aad
fraud were pointed out thea, and the oeyel p-
ments shown by actual results are Complete via.
dicaton of those who carefully examined tue sub
ject at the time. Explain away, gelt.emen of me
reform persuasion, your deficiency biils amounting
to over fJutteen and one-nalt ml Ions, "a sun
much greater than the eulire de hcieucies durn.
tine four years Of General Gartields charmaushl
of the Committee on Appropriations, and they aru
not all provided for yet.
The following Is the condensed statement OF
what was claimed by The democratic lea ers il
1876, compared with the iacis as demonstrated b,
actual results Democratic claim ut a reduction
}
ending June 80, 1877 anu 1876, S6J ,00J 00J. Act
ual result for ears, sZi OJ0,u0J; Uverstated,
$36 900 900, the reduction Deins t"o hitns Of the
amount clained. lbls Is just about eq Ial 10 th.
claim of the Iudiau who t,odght Two uutns To
one lie pretty good for an Indlan, With equa
proprIety the democrats can Clam that Two truth,
to three lies Is pietiy good ior democratic re.
former. Take another view OF tuis sdnIuCt a,
contrasted with democratic promises o. tue STUMP
The sum total of the bns reported by tue sam,
committee in 1873, are without tue dehceuc,
bills, some Sl2,OJ0,OOO greater tlan the sauu bhi
repuIted by lnv same Committee iu 1876 ~
charge of being userOOiue by eNuaVagau.
Senate can be made IN this case. Ii was tue co u
Car, ful aud deiiDeIa,e wUrA OF thcse dcmucratlt
refuImers themselves. Why Was tns Iuctea,,
made SIMPLY because icss SUN Was found to
be wholly iuad,qu Even tnis wlli Lave To b,
supplemented With dchc'encies. What answe
viii these democ atlc reio. IN, rs uaae to tut
charge that they either wliiuiy or iguurantly at
tempted to deceive tue county III 1862 / via
leave the answer 10 them.