The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-08-21

In his eloquent speech at the monster ratli
cation meeting of Wednesday, IN New York
General Ewing, of Ohio, thus tersely stated
one of the chief reasons for a change IN the ad.
ministration of the government;
ASIDE from the considerations which go to
the safety of our free Institutions the people
ought to elect a Democratic President as a
mere matter of business. Seven or eight
thousand millions of dollars have been paid by
the people IN taxes since 1860, and disposed OF
by the Republican dynasty. Who has looked
at the books? None but members OF the dyn-
asty which spent the money Who can tell
whether the account of money received and
eXpended, and bonds and greenbacks issued,
cancelled or on hand is within an hundred
millions of beng correct? Some years ago
! there was published here Il series of articles IN
one of your financial journals purporting to
show from the reports OF the treasury them
selves that hundreds of millions Of the public
moneys and bonds were missing or unaccOunt-
ed for. Such partial glimpses OF the treasury
books as a Democratic Senate committee has
obtained show them too full of erasures and
insertions to at all relssure the doubters. 1t
| is only common business sense to submit the
books to the inspection of {. party which IS
not responsible for them, and therefore is GER
tain to find and expose any existing defalcat
IONS so that if frauds have been committed in
addition to those already exposed the perpe
traitors may be punished by arrest or exile, and
so that if no further frauds are discovered the
people may have at least the melancholy sat
isfactlon that they know the worst Aside
from considerations of public virtue, consider
alton of economy demand change of admin.
stratlon. In March, 1915, after fifteen years
of complete control by the Republican party
of the executive departments and both branch
/
representatives. was installed. In the five years
that followed the Democracy reduced the ex-
penses of government, excluding pensions, on
an average over 1927 10000 year as compar-
ed with five years preceding. No fog of soph-
istry, evasion or equivocaton can obscure
that shining fact. There it stands to the credit
of the Democratic party and of the people who
put this bride on Republican license and ex-
travaganCe. But here our ecOnomiZng must
stop. We can 90 no futher. The expenses of
the government, exclusive of pensions and
public debt, are still S29,000000 IN excess Of
the like expenses, in proportion to population,
in BuChanan's day. | can see no reason why
that additional S29000000 cannot be saved
each year. The rate of increase of our nation
al expenditures should not exceed the rate Of in
crease four population. Hence, while we have
saved $21,00O00Oa year, it Is only half what
could be saved without disturbing pensioners
or public creditors, or Withholding any need
ed increase of the public service. | know that
an audience IN the City of New York is not
one to give most heed to question OF eCono-
MIXING public expenditures. But this is well
worthy OF your attention. The saving the
Democracy has made in national expenditures
lghtens the burden OF the people of this city
over 100000 each year and lghtens the bur
den of the people of this State about s1,j00,000
annually. The Democracy have not only
made this great annual saving, but Will pro
coed 10 save as much more when it elects and
inaugurates Hancock. But | may te asked
why nave we not before his saved the other
S29,000,000. The reason is plain Being out
side of the administration we could only detect
and cut of the most obviously excessive OK.
penditures, For every BIG leak we stopped
there are dozen small ones which we can't
get at and you know the Scotch adge, Many
u lite make a mickle The frontiersman
when preparing his cabin for the winter goes
around it outside with chinkIng and daubing
stopping the big holes; but he can't see the
small ones until he goes inside on a bright