Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-02
Secretary McCrary makes a Speech.

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Keokuk, Iowa, from which we make
the following extracts:
| shall not on this occasion weary
YOU with many figures, but few strik-
ing facts should be stated in ilIustra,
ton Of the boasted economy of the
Democratic party. When that pa'ty
came into power in the lower house Of
Congress, in December, 1875 the
Presidential contest Of 1876 was loom
ing up in the near future 1t was
therefore deemed necessary by the lead
ers of that party to make great show
of retrenchmeut. 1t was accordingly
announced, with sounding of trum-
pets all over the country, that the
Democratic House would reduce the
annual expenses Of the Government to
the tune Of some 100000, 600. This
claim wa5 considerable modified before
the cad f tbe first session Of the Forty
fourth Congress; but after all of the
appropriation bills Of that session Were
passed it was claimed that an actual
saving of nearly $4,000: 900 had been
secured.
The appropriations for 1876 IT
had been arbitrarily cut down, SO as to
show a reduction of nearly that sum,
1t was charged by the republicans that
the larger part Of this reduction was
fictitious, beiug only Withholding or
postponement Of necessary expendi-
lures to pc provided for, after the
election, by deficiency bills or 10 some
other way. We charged that the ar
bitrary reduction was an ,electionering
trick to deceive the people, pending
the Presidential election. This was
vchemently denied, but time has prov
ed the charge true. The books are
now posted, and we fnd that since the
Presidential election deficiency bills
have been passed amounting in the
aggregate to Sl4, 534, ,672.52 and that
about one million of deficiency items
have been provided for in the suudry
civil bill, passed at the late session.
We tiud also that the aggregate of
appropriations for 1876, when the
democrats of the House were prepar-
ing for the election, was $l4S, ,535,-
79S.4l, while the aggregate of the
same appropriations for 1878, passed
by the same party managers, is S172,-
76,G92.l5, or an increase in 1878
over 1876 of S24,040, 1913 "A. Now,
when it is remembered that the re-
publican party, while In power from
1866 to 1875, continuously and rapid
ly reduced expenditures, and that the
last year of republican rule shows a
reduction of more than sixteen mill
ions of dollars, and the last two years
a reduction Of over twenty-eight mill
ions, think we may fairly challenge
a comparison between republican and
democratic expenditures.
The Democrats of the North insist
that is not the purpose Of their party
to provide for paying disloyal claimants
for damages growing out of war. 1t
is, however, significant fact that no
such denial comes from the Democrats
of tie South. On the contrary, the
Democratic members Of Congress from
that section have regularly, at every
session for years past, flooded Congress
with bills for the payment of these
claims. If there is DO purpose to
push these claims, why are they kept
alive? Why are they kept constantly
before Congress? Why are they re-
newed from session to session, ard kept
always pending? You need not be
told that the Democrats can gain and
keep control of Congress only by the
aid Of a solid South, and you know we'll
that solid Democra South would
dictate the policy Of the party. The
Democratic Representatives from the
North, few in numbers and powerless
when standing alone, would be COM
PEELED, as in the old days of slavery, to
submit to the dlctation of their South
ern leaders. The presentation of these
bills for the relief of Southern war
claimants means something or it means
nothing, and, if it means anything, it
means that the claimants are expect
ing relief if the Democrats come into
power in both houses, and are deter
mined to make in every Congress rec
ord for vigilance in their prosecution.
Besides, it is of Importance to remem-
ber that vast sums Of money may be
drawn from the Treasury and paid to
disloyal claimants under the law as it
now stands, if its execution is placed
in the handssof the democratic party.
There must, under existing law, be
finding in favor of the claimants loyal
ty; but suppose you appoint South
ern claims commission, under the con
troll of Southern Confederate democrats.
and leave to them the decision of the
question of loyalty; in that case, how
many claims will be rejected for dis
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