The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-08-14
The Campaign Argus.


printed in sheet we had not had till then
the pleasure of seeing, Campaign Ar-
gus; and we construed the sending of it as
a delicate intimation that review was ex-
pected. That review the PRESS will now
make. 1t does not as a custom print reviews
in its editorial columns, but between news
paper and newspaper it is eminently proper
that an exception should be made TO this
rule.
Five columns Of the Campaign ArguS are
given to the speech of Gen. Ewing, who has
been accused of doctoring his speeches for
Eastern readers, deleting and interpolating
where it pleased him. But we will assume
the report to be correct. Ewing's arithmetic
is perfectly amazing. He repeats the old
story of the saving of $10,000,000 which
would follow the substitution of greenbacks
for national bank notes. He misrepresents
the reduction of The debt and the interest
charge, repeating the old quibble that has
passed thh lips of every Greenbacker in the
country. He misrepresents and caricatures
the refunding operations. He charges Sher-
man with that payment of double interest
for-which Congress is responsible and which
Sherman in vain tried to induce it to do
away with. He supports the swindling
Warner BILL He talks about the freedom of
elections---talk that sounds ridiculous after
the Yazoo outrage. He accuses the Repub-
lican party of receiving four and one-half
billions into the Treasury since the war, and
having only to show for it 52S millions on
the public debt, and asserts the superior
economy of Democratic control OF approprl-
ations. Let us consider this q little: To be-
gin with the debt has been reduced upwards
of 1913 millions and the interest SO millions.
Furthermore, at the rate of appropriations
made by the last Democratic House, they
would have expended since the war two and
a half billions. That leaves two billions to
be accounted for. Well, out of that sum
must be de deducted 723 millions to begin
with,---the payments on the national debt
and that must be followed by the de-
duction of the payment of immediate war
demands on the Treasury, amounting in
one year to over 1913 millions, making over
910 millions. There is remaining little
over a billion. We have not looked over all
the extra appropriations, many if not all OF
which will be found for laudable purposes.
But as for the regular appropriations, about
963 millions were appropriated in 1860, and
119 millions in 1866, and over thirty millions
were expended in the first qnarter OF 1867
4. W., ,nf,t a
ses and appropriations fell far below
these figures. The exigency that de-
manded these large appropriations during
those years will be readily understood.
Thus that last billion is wiped out. 1t
must be remembered that much OF this
money was paid out when the paper dollar
was largely deprecated, sometimes not hav-
ing two-thirds of the purchasing power 1t
has to-day. 1t must also be remembered
that while the Republicans had control OF
them the appropriations were diminishedyear
by year, but while under Democratic control
they have increased each year, though the
paper dollar was fast approaching par In
deed the heaviest appropriation made by the
Democrats was this year when the purchas-
ing power of that dollar is greater than since
1862 Really it seems that the Republicans
make the better show as to economy
The foolish speech of the chairman OF the
Democratic State committee, full OF old
misstatements that were refuted before he
made them takes up a column and half.
tits SO thoroughly reviewed in the admirable
communication on estate Expenditures,
printed elsewhere, that we need make no
further reference to it.
Judge David Davis's bid for Democratic
nomination takes up nearly two columns.
We cannot speak further of it except at the
usual rates for auction ads.
The notorious 4rgus leader on Union
for Common Objects in which the writer
so tangles himself up in the silver question,
takes up another column.
The State Prison yarn takes another
column.
That curious production, Little Say
ings." in which the claim of savings made
by the Demnitionals is reduced from $780,
900 to less than a sixth of that sum, takes
up phalf-a-column-and then neglects to state
that to Republican Senate is due half OF
the credit for saving.
Alexander Fl. Stephens's plea for free
whiskey, free tobacco, and unlimited coin
age of silver, takes about another column.
The weakest criticism of Sherman's fund
inc operations that has yet appeared, takes
a half-column.
Over a column of L. w. SIS unreadable
twaddle is given.
The rest of the sheet is filled up with short
items that are chiefly campaign fictions, in
one of which the Argus, with its wonted
recklessness, sees Ewing, and goes him a
half-million better, stating the sum paid into
the Treasury as five billions.
To briefly characterize the features OF the
sheet we should say they were mendacity,
perversion, exaggeration, aud twaddle. For
its mechanical execution we have only words
of praise. 1t is well-printed, on good paper,
and has a new and handsome head. But
we cannot refrain from the suggestion that
the argus would have done better to take
the money spent on the head and expend 1t
in buying new head for the compiler of its
campaign sheet.
Tbot Ta1,,nararon MOueDo emit