Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-29
A RECORD OF PROFLlGACY.
Leaves from The History Of Jackson's and Van
Hurens Administrations.
The Most Rare-Faced RObberies Fol
erated---A striking Comparison
with Republican Economy.
[ Washington CORES. New York Times


The Democratic party does not point with
pride to its record while in possession of the
Government; it takes but little pleasure in al
lusions to ITS career in the past. 1t seeks to
draw veil over the carlessness, dishonesty.
and treason which have marked it's pathway,
and to fasten the attention of the
people upon the mask which it
holds before its face while it begs for power
to repeat those errors for which the people cast
it out of office. Twenty years have gone since
the Democrats ruled the nation, and were pre-
vented from destroyingit by removal from their
nigh places. Still more remote is the period
when they were in power under Andrew Jack
son and Martin Van Buren,, and the records of
those administrations are practically inaccessi-
BILE to the voters of to-day. The congressional
reports of forty years ago, in which is contained
much of the current history of those administers
tons, are full of statements which astonish
those who are accustomed to the sound business
methods which have characterized the admins
uatlon OF the government under the Republic
ms, and who have heard so much from Demo-
Gratis about the stern simplicity and honesty of
government officers and ways in Jacksons time.
Extracts from report of the secretary of the
treasury under Pierce were published in the
I9n'es not long ago, setting forth the looseness
and dishonesty of Democratic rule in those
days, and especially the manner in which party
favorites were allowed to use and to steal the
governments money. The records which relate
less interesting. Under these men the Demo-
Gratis ruled from 1929 to 1841. Then the Wings
put Harrison in the White House. Congress
sonal committees busted themselves with the
abuses of the past twelve years, and unearthed
some surprising facts.
In 1912 the house committee on public ex-
penditures had under consideration the branch
minis and especially that at New Orleans
Three branch mlnts were established in 1885,
during JacksOn's second term, one at New Or
leans. one at Charlotte, n. c.. and one at Dab
lonega, Ga. The first of these could coin both
gold and silver; the other could coin gold only
The friends of the bill by the passage of which
they were established avowed that their object
was to increase the metallic currency OF the
country. The committee remark. in a report
made March 81, 1912, that " doubtless some of
them, at least, believed that by the establish
ment OF the branches, gold eagles and half
eagles would be so plenty that every well condi-
toned farmer would be furnished with a long
s1ken purse, through the interstices of which
this species of hard money would glitter" and
then proceed to show that investigation reveals
the truth of the allegations made by the OPP
ponents of the bill, which were that coinage
would not be increased by the branches, and
that coinage at the branches would be far more
expensive that at the principal mint in Phila-
delphia. The committee were "struck with
surprise at the very large expenditures at the
New Orleans branch. The exhibits which fol-
lOW are IefllaIkaDlY interesting TO those parties
who may desire to know how the public business
was carried on under Jackson, the patron saint
OF the Democratic party.
The original contract provided that the mint
building should be built for 1882, 900, and that
no compensation should be allowed for extra
work. To the contractors was paid this sum-
and to the experimenting commissioner 81
24213, making the cost 1886, 24213. For the
necessary machinery $65, 627.99 were expended
by the director of the Philadelphia mint. But
those who supposed that the mint had been. by
these expenditures, fitted out for it's career of
usefulness were woefully mistaken. In less
than four years from the erection of the build
ing and completion of the outfit there had been
expended, under the vague head of 81 building
and machinery" $74, 77S.65, making the cost Of
the mint building and machinery SILT, 428. II
more than the cost of the principal mint in
Philadelphia. When the salaries of officers
wages OF laborers, and incidental and contin-
gent expenses were added. it was found that in
less than four years the New Orleans branch
had cost SOD, 470.20. The Charlotte mint had
cost Sl38, 900, and the DaRlonega mint $129-
000. The accounts were examined "The
committee" says the report, "have thought it
worth while to copy few of the vouchers fun
der incidental and contingent expenses as
specimen OF the general extravaganza which
characterlzes the whole concern of this branch
mint from beginning to end After presenting
some items for consideration, the committee
continues as follows.
Upon examination of the accounts and vouchers
OF the treasurer OF this branch, the conclusion is
forced upon the minds of the committee that every
officer connected with it not only supposed it his
business to coin money, but to spend it as fast as
coined An examination of the few copies Of
vouchers, which will be found in the appendix will
give one a faint idea of the luxuries and refined
tastes OF the officers Of the mint and their utter dis
daln OF that hOmely virtue, economy Indeed, the
committee can hardly suppose any further proof of
this is necessary than the fact they have already
hat
them in the erection of those appliances of eastern
luxury, baths and their appurtenances. The COM
mittee fully that these delicate and refined
gentlemen did but follow in the footsteps of i1I11s
trious predecessors that some of the emperors of
Rome expended immense sums of money in the
erection of baths in the Eternal Cty but if the COM
mittee do not greatly in their historic recoec
tons, these luxurious buildings were the growth of
the empire, and not of the republic of Rome, and
were erected by the masters and not the servants
the people. These accounts exhibit the
most culpable wastefuness of the public money bv
those whose duty was to guard and protect the
teress of the government and to prevent fraud and
pecuation.
The committee then proceed to show that the
branch minis have not increased the metallic
currency of the country, the coinage having
steadily fallen off since the year in which theV
were established. They also show that the
branches have not increased the mining of gold.
The passages in the report which refer to the
cost of coming are very interesting. It is
shown that the actual cost of coming 300
worth at the Philadelphia mint ranged from
$1.52 in 1888 to $4.34 in 1871, there having
been but Little coined there in 1871, because
most of the coinage was done at the branches.
The average for the four years at Philadelphia
was 1928. Leaving out the first two years of
the New Orleans mint, because it would be IN
fair to consider the high cost in those years, it
is SHOWN that the average cost of coming 800
there in 1910 and 1841 was $6.6S. Leaving out
the first year at Charlotte, the average cost of
coming 800 there for 1889, 1910 and 1S41 was
So. Is. For the same three years the average
cost at Dahlonega was 1872. In 1910 and 1871
it cost no less than $37 to coin 100 pieces at
Charlotte, while the cost of 100 pieces at Dab
lonega IN those years was $43.51 and $685.
respectively. There had been So, 1884, 708 worth
coined at the branches at a cost, including
buildings, ETC., of 1922, 457.72. All of this
could have been coined at Philadelphia for a
very small sum, C$4,0 according to the direc-
tory) therefore, the committee say that each
dollar coined at the branches has cost 81 49,
After making some sharp comments upon Ger
tain charges under the head of contingent ex-
penses, the committee close their report as fol-
lows:
Iudu ir7Uf rOT tho 90