The daily gazette., 1878-10-08

TIE INTEREST on the public debt is
now about S100,000,000, including what
it costs to collect it. That is a vast sum
OF money. Our people can hardly ap-
preciate properly its vast amount. In
order to put this before them as they NAV
Judge of it more fully, we call to their
minds the fact that it is more than the
whole expenditure for the government il,
1850. In 1860 the whole expense
of the government was S5s,955, ,952. only
little more than half the sums that we
are now taxed annually to pay in inter
est. But in order to convey to the minds
of the reader more clearly what this vast
sum is, which was largely increased by
the demonetization of silver and would
have been further increased bv the
SdtJte gotd standard, we wish them to
remember that all the postal currency
with which the country was flooded sever
al years ago, in fifty, twenty-five and ten
cent notes, and with which their pocket
books were often filled-all of it, we sav.
only amounted to forty millions, little
rising one-third our annual interest. Now
you hear the gold gamblers organs harp
ing about the silver coin in circulation.
and they denounce its quality, ana swear
at the weight of it; even the bank Off
GERS have become so conceited and so
thoroughly ignorant of the worth and
value Of such currency that they swear
at it, while only few months ago they
would have hid silver dollar away.
Well, all this fractional silver coin was
put in circulation to take up the frac-
tional paper, the small notes and vet
there was only $50, 100000 of it in circu-
lation at the last statemen: on the first OF
October, instant. All the small notes and
all the silver put together would only
make $79,0O0,000, not as much as the
labor of the country have to pay annu.
ally for interest on the public debt alone
Now, in addition to all this vast sum tn,
expenditures Of the government for 1871
We're S165, 5,0S0,57l; and in 1879, under tn,
pressure of the Democrats in the House
opposed by the Republicans in the Senat,
and House, the expenditure was S142. .O73,
1872. Aside from interest on the publi
debt, more than double the cost of th,
government in 1860 under the Demo
Gratis.
Now, friends, we ask you if we are no
right in urging reduction of all expen
ses, including salaries as well as the dis
charge from the public service of all un
necessary ofiice-holders.
We ask you again if il is not righ
that the twelve or twenty millions Of dol
lars which Mr.. Thurman proposes +
save by issue of greenbacks to take u
the L. 5. bank notes, should be saved t
the people. 1t amounts to one-eighth c
the annual interest on the public debt
This is large sum and will help ama5
ingly to reduce taxation.
Mr.. Thurman proposes this saving an
the Democratic party everywhere prC
poses reduction in the Army and Nav
and a reduction of salaries in order thf
the people may not be taxed so heavil,
But every one of these reductions hay
been opposed by the Republicans in IL
Senate. There the Republican party
unit for high salaries and against a r.
duction of expenses. Outside of Coz
gress they hold to like opinions wherev
they have sufficient strength to contr
the elections.
And this is rhy the Republican par
is being broken to pieces.
In Delaware, where the GAxETTE hi
made Economy and Reform and IL
question of gold and silver for standar,