The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-08-31
A GRAND SPEECH,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
YESTERDAY.


InyestIgntious-The Claim Agents
and PIunderers who are Anx-
JousIy Awaiting Change
of Administration.
Secretary Sherman delivered speech a
Cincinnati yesterday that ought to b
read by every voter in the country. Il,
discussed the issues Of the day in his usua
mastery way. No public man in thelanl
is more capable Of doipg this than the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury the United States
He is by virtue Of his office intimately ia
miliar with the business and the finances
ofthe country, and when he speaks HI
simply gives utteranceto thatwhich every
days work at his desk has impressed OIL
his mind. We are sorry that our space
does not admit OF our furnishing his whole
speech to our readers, but as 1t is We mus
content ourselves with few extracts. In
discussing the relative economy with
which the two parties have administered
the government, he made the following
remarks: g. i5psttH
"The Democratic party, for more than
Ave years, has had control OF one branch
OF Congress, and for nearly two years oil
both branches. What has II done, or pro-
posed 10 do, TO benefit the public, or TO
evince any disposition to bring about re.
forms? It set out with great pre;ence OF
reducing the expenditures OF the govern
ment. II clipped here and there the sala:
ries Of clerks, or reduced their number,
and, in some cases, seriously obstructed
the public business. It withheld neces.
sary appropriations for a time, to show a
reduction OF expenses, bat was compelled
to make them good by deficiency bills.
have before me table showing the ap.
propriations that have been made by Con.
gress each year for each branch Of the SER
vice since 1873. In 1875, the last year In
which the Republicans had msjority in
both Houses, the appropriations made for
the fiscal year 1875 were Sl47, ia. $40. Az
the next session the Democrats controlled
the House, and, by refusing to appropriate
for some Of the most necessary expenses
Of the Government, reduced the sppropri-
alton to 1924, l22 ,0l0, and the following
year, in order TO coerce the President by
failure to pass the Army bill and to pro-
vide for other necessary expenses, they re
dnced the appropriations to SSS 356, 1888;
but at the following session, TO make good
these deficiencies and TO repair the faults
committed, they appropriated SIZE, ole. 500,
being S25, 900, 900 more than was appropi
ated In 1875; aud 10 1880 they appropri
ated Sl62, 404, B47; and fOr-1SSl they have
appropriated $l54,1lS,2l2, or 100000
more than the appropriations made the
asst year the Republicans controlled the
House. The appropriations made for the
current fiscal year by Democratic Con.
gress, in time when thecnrFsncy is upon
The specie standard, are as large as in the
year 1873, made by a Republican Congress
when our currency was at discount OF IL
per cent, and when the Government was
paying large war claims.
Thus, 1t appears that the boosted econo-
my OF q Democratic Honse, in time Of
profound peace. In spite Of the large re.
auctions made by Republican admins
tration, has fesultedin an increase oil ap.
preparations from year to year.
PROPOSED NO MEASURE OF RRLrEP.
During all this time the Democrats have
proposed no reduction OF taxes and no
measure Of relief to the industrial inter.
ests OF the country. Paralyzed by their
responsibility, they did not even dare to
propose modification OF the tariff lave.
or bring about any financial reform, which
they had promised so Often and SO long
They neglected the most necessary
changes in our tax laws. such as moaifi.
cation OF the tax on sugar, leaving the De-
partment to struggle with litigation and
controversy without legislative aid. They
can point to no law passed during their
time which even purports TO bring relief
10 the people, 10 lessen the burdens oil tax
alton, OF. to advance the public interests,
Their whole effort for years was TO repeal
the resumption law, to continue in
some form q deprecated currency, or to
cripple and impair the public credit.
During the last year or two it has been
expended in a futile attempt TO repeal the
election laws, intended to protectlhe cleo
tive franchise from fraud and violence.
This they attempted in o revolutionary
mode. They attached the conditions oil
repeal 10 appropriation bills necessary to
the support OF the Government; and
when the President disapproved such re.
peal, they left important branches OF the
service without any appropriation, and
compelled our soldiers on the frontier'and
opr army officers TO borrow money 10
meet their current expenses, while the
Treasury was oVeraoBing with money due
to them.
THEY wANTA cHASGR-Irs ERPEcrs.
And now, in 1880. they want a change;