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

$--'VoSsVp" Au cACecS Vi the expenditures
of the Government for seventy-three years
next antedating the accession of the Re-
publican party to power.
REPUBLICAN ExTRAvAGANcE.
Rep.-How do the ten years of Demo
cratic rule before the war compare with
ten years of Republican rule since the
war?
DIR. B.-lf we take the ten years Of
Democratic conservative rule, beginning
with the fiscal year ended June 30, 1852.
up to the fiscal year ended June 30, 1861
both inclusive, we find the net ordinary
expenditures of the Government to have
been s572, 81, ,260.52 as against sl.52s.-
917, 1878 for the same purposes for ten
years of Radical rule during peace, namely,
from the fiscal year ended June 80, 1867
to the fiscal year ended June 80 1876,
both inclusive, giving an
EXCESS OF REPUBLICAN EXPENDITURES
over the expenditures under Democratic
conservative ruelof 1856, ,044, ,87T. .35, being
an increase of net ordinary expenditures
under Republican rule of about one hun
dred and seventy per cent. The average
net ordinary expenditures per annum for
the ten years of Republican rule was
$3.50, ,672, ,614.11, whilst the net ordinary
expenditures for the ten years of Demo-
cratic rule above named we're only s57 :
287 ,226.05, showing that the net ordinary
expenditures under Republican rule during
a decade of peace we're nearly three times
as large as for the decade Of Democratic
rule Immediately preceding the war. If
it shall be objected that there is at least
one element of unfairness in this presenta-
tion of official data, upon the score of an
increase Of population, it Is answered that,
taking as basis of this calculation the
census of 1860, We find that the cost per
capita for ten years next previous to the
war, for net ordinary expenditures, with
which we alone are now dealing, was s1S.-
20, whilst taking the census of 1870 as
the basis Of the calculation we find that
the cost per capita for the ten years of
Republican rule during time of peace
beginning with the fiscal year ending June
80, 1867, was S39.65, being an excess
against the Republican party of about one
hundred and seventeen per cent, so that
it seems difficult to find the ground upon
which any Republican statesman may de-
fend his party from the charge of excessive
expenditures when considered either in
bulk or upon tie per capita calculation,
and we certainly feel that we deal fairly
in selecting that decade of Democratic rule
Immediately preceding the war, and con-
trasting it with like period of Republi-
can rule beginning more than one year
after the war had closed, and coming down
to the last fiscal year in which the Repub-
licans held control of both houses of Con-
gress. For your use, if you desire it, /
here hand you tabulated statement, an
examination of which will show the par
ticular branch of the service in which these
heavy discrepancies occur. Take for in
stance the expenditures in the matter of
the regular army (it being remembered
that the regular army was more than dou-
bled after the conclusion of the war, for
what purposes it is difficult to tell unless
il be for the accomplishment Of political
or party advantage in aid of which it has
been so busily and efficiently employed
until an American Congress by solemn act
was forced at our last session to incorpor-
ate into the army appropriation bill a re-
striction that absolutely prohibited such
use of that arm of the Government in fu-
turc, J and we find that the aggregate ex-
penditures for this purpose during this
time were over S593 100000 as against
s169, 100000 appropriated for the same
purpose under the ten years of Democratic
administration next preceding the war;
leaving a difference against the Republi-
can party of more than 1924, 100000. So
in the navy we find that it cost 1894 900,
600 for the maintenance of the navy du-
ring these ten years Of Republican rule, as
against s123, 100000 during the said ten
years of Democratic rule, showing a diff
ference of S110,000,0 900 in this branch OF
the service against the Republican party
Take the Indian bureau and we find that
there was over SCI, 100000 expended in
this behalf as against S32, 800, 900 expend-
ed for the same purpose under Democratic
rule, leaving a balance of more than $780,
600, 600 in this regard charged to the Re
publican account. Take the expenditures
for civil miscellaneous purposes, and We
find that in this decade of Republican ad
ministration we have over S638, 200, 600
as against S247 100000 expended during
this Democratic decade, leaving a balance
of nearly 1891 600, 900 to be accounted foi
by the Republican party as an excess oi
expenditures upon their part.
Increased cost per cent. of ten years oi
Radical rule, 167 so; average per annum
of ten years of Radical rule, 1852 ,S91, >.
71378.
Average per annum of ten years o
Democratic rule, s57 ,2S7 ,226.05.
Cost per capita of ten years of Radical
rule, $500
Cost per capita of ten years Of Demo
cratic rule, SlS.26.
EXTRAvAGANT INCREASE OF EXpENDI
TUREs SINCE THE WAR
Rep.-Senator Window said in his in
terview that the Republicans had gradual
ly reduced the expenditures of the Gov
crnment since the war Is this true?
Mr.. B.-I answer emphatically, no
For example, let us examine the expcndi
lures of the Government, beginning with
the fiscal year 1871 and ending with 1876
the last fiscal year Republican Congress
controlled the appropriations, embracing
net ordinary expenditures only, and ex
cluding the public debt, principal, interes
and premiums, and excluding also pen
sions. Here they are: