The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1879-10-11
Our Washington Letter.

Increase OF Government Business
precedented Accumulation Of Gold
American Coffee -The Berlin
Mission Oolored Schools.
WAsnINaros.. . e., Oct. 1. 1879.
EDIToReCHIEF
1t is we'll to compare the past with
| the present as a means of showing the
natural progress and growtl, OF the
business Of the country. The act
establishing the Treasury Depart
ment, approved by President Wash
ington in 1889 created the office of
Auditor, and report on file shows
that Joseph Hardy, Auditor, received
as salary for himself and clerks
$4l8 O5. Al that date the annual
expenses of the Government were lees
than $4,O00,OOO. In 1890 estimates
were made for FIVE clerks i'm The Sec
retary's, five in the comptrollel's, one
in the Treasurer's, four in the State,
and three in the War Departments.
This small force were then able to
transact all the business of the re-
spective bureaus. Now how changed.
Thousands Of clerks and employees
are necessary to keep abreast of tile
| current business. The bond division
Of the Treasury during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1879, prepared,
printed and issued over 8 ZOO, OOO, 900
OF coupon and registered bonds in
sums ranging from $50 to $4,000, 900
to thousands of individuals, banks
and other organizations scattered all
over this land and throughout the
world, and SO perfect and metbodical
IS our governmental machinery that
not bond was lost or stolen and not
one failed to reach its destination or
fall into the wrong hands, although
they were transmitted in various
ways by mail, by registered letter, by
express, or in iron vaults, sent across
the ocean in charge of trusted agents
of the Government.
The leturns to the Bureau of Sta
tistlcs show that gold from abroad is
no. pouring into the United States
at the rate of $75O,OOO per day. No
such accumulation Of gold has ever
been known in our history. This is
the more remarkable in view of the
fact that ever since the Suspension of
specie payments in 1861, the United
States has been drained of specie to
the net amount of S855,G57, $3.50, or
over fifty millions year on the aver
age. Not a single year showed a bal
ance in our favor. But now, with
coin restored to its normal place in
tho circulation, and with our debt TO
Europe daily Diminishing instead of
increasing, she no longer pays us for
breahstufs in our own paper; the
drain on us for gold has stopped, and
we are draining Europe at the rate of
over bali million day. With this
plethora of gold, it is not strange that
real estate should be found rapil|v
advancing in all our leading cities,
and that general business is revivipg
every where.
The superstition that through
quarrel among politicians, the neces-
sary officers would not be appointed
to allow voting in New York city at
the next election, seems to have
caused great deal of feeling in all
parts of the country. 1t should do
SO. The right to vote and thereby
share in the making and adminjstra-
ton of the laws, is the foundation of
our system of Governments. But the
479 1000 people Of the District of Col
nmbia have been DISTINGUISHED for
the last five years. II that time they
have not been allowed in any way to
have the slightest authority in their
own Government. The patriots who
shudder at one accidental deprivation
OF the right in New York may we'll
think of the condition Of our District
affairs.
The Commissioners of Agriculture
is now busily engaged in practical
with sorghum and corn
stalks in coppection with the product
Of sugar. He has a crusher and boil
ing apparatus in successful operation,
through the agency Of which he is
arriving at definite conclusions as to
the practicability and economy of
manufacturing our own sugar supply
from sorghum and corn stalks, and
thus far his experiments have been
eminently satisfactory. The Com
missioner has just received from Flor
ida the first specimen of coffee grown |
on American soil. 1t is said to he of
quality, and clearly demon.
'trates the fact that We can grow our
own coffee and tea as we'll as our rice
md sugar, and may become indie
pendent Of the rest of mankind ip
providing these essential articles of
domestic comfort.