Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-09-02
Speech Of Hon. John Sherman.
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change IN our government. II - ei'~ S~-
democratic party that in 1850 sought to over
throw the government. governed by the sell
same men or their lineal descendants, and the
same elements which controlled the policy of
the administration of James Buchanan Who
control that party now? The basis. the gov
erning power of that party is in the Solid
South. That segment of the party will fur
njsh one hundred and six members Of Con-
eress and thirty-twO Senators. and. by their
numerical majority over their democratic as
sociates, will dictate the policy and laws OF
our government Next in importance would
be the influence of New York city. whose
vote is so potent in welding the political
power OF the great State of New York; city
that for MANY years has been governed by
corruption, that practised the frauds in the
elections of 1868. and is confessedly under the
domination of the most dangerous elements
of American society. They can claim no
Northern States except what they derive from
the shadow of the influence which centres
around New York, and, perhaps, the State
of Indiana but we dispute with them their
ascendency in that gallant State. And thus
these elements, embracing the worst features
of American politics and society, would rule
this National government in all its branches,
and restore again all the ideas, principles,
and acts from which We escaped by the elec-
ton of Abraham Lincoln.
The bone and sinew. the heart and brains,
of the North are now, as then, with the re-
publican party. That section which furnish
es the capital. the commerce. the trade. the
enterprise. the vital energy to our system, is
TO be subordinated to a section which still
clings to the idea that this is not a Nation,
but confederacy, that its powers are DEEPEN
dent for enforcement upon the narrow and
provincial ideas of insignificant States. This
is the change they propose. This is the rev.
olution they would bring about.
What reasons do thew give, what motives
do they assign, as the basis of such a revolu-
ton?
Senator Pendleton says they want chance
to examine the books of the Treasury De-
partment. The books of the treasury are
now, and have been for years, under the sur
vigilance of the democratic majority of the
House. Committees of both houses have ex-
plored the recesses of that department, exam
ined its books. compared the figures, and what
have they found? They claim that in 1870
great discrepancies were shown in the state
ments of the public accounts; but these dis
crepancies. after full and fair examination,
have been fully explained as the necessary
result of keeping two sets of books in differ
ent offices of the government, which, embrac-
ing different items, from their nature, must
differ on given dav. in some cases, to the
amount of millions of dollars : but when these
discrepancies are examined, and the elements
which enter into the one and do not enter in
to the other, are explained and compared, the
books are found to be correct in every partic-
ular
Thus the Registers books still show as
money in the treasury about S2s 100000 de-
posted by the several States, under an act of
Congress. in 1896. These books also treat as
money in the treasury all the great defalca-
tons that occurred In democratic times. many
years ago. with pet banks. and other public
repositories. and other defaulters. although
the bills of the pet banks are worth no more
in the hands of the treasurer than confederate
notes, and the defauters and their generation
have crumbled into dust years ago.
The Treasurer's books. however. treat these
items as unavailable, and not as money on
hand, and thus there is difference between
these two accounts of many millions of dol
lars. Secretary Boutwell,. not being satisfied
with this mode If stating the public accounts.
and in pursuance of an act of Con-
gress. did eliminate from the cash state
ment these unavailable items Formerly.
the statement of the public debt only in
cluded the principal of the debt, and not the
interest Tie changed the form of the month
ly debt statement to include not only
the principal, but the interest accruing on
outstanding bonds not yet due, and deducting
from the aggregate the cash in the treasury.
This was decided Improvement in book
keeping. and exhibited the exact state of the
public debt This has bothered my friend,
Senator Davis, of West Virginia, ever
since. lie talks of changes and discrepan-
pips huf mo does nrpfpuI hat fhara hos
been any misapplication of public moneys.
As one of Senate committee, of which Mr.
Bayard was a member, examined thorough
ly these charges when first made, ave or six
years ago. and the most careful and searching
scrutiny showed that they involved no mis-
statement, no inaccuracy, 10 peculation, no
wrong.
The change in bookkeeping was made ten
years ago and Size that time it is not claimed
that there has been any discrepancy. or err
ror, or fault. While have had charge of
the treasury department, have invited the
utmost scrutiny, furnished committees of
Congress with rooms in the treasury. given
them access to all the books, given them the
aid of skilled experts to assist them, and
they report that everything is now entirely
satisfactory, and that the discrepancies
which they refuse to understand, though
amply explained. do not now occur
: THE CRY OF FRAUD.
Mr.. Tilden says that they want a change in
order to condemn what he alleges was the
fraud of 1877. But this pretended fraud
consists simply in the fact that the Electo-
raj Commission, tribunal which they aided
to organize, and whose Judgment they agreed
to abide, decided differently from what they
expected. did not believe in that tribunal.
| bpiipypl tho pnn Stifntinu nd no al
ready furnished ample means to ascertain
and determine the result of the vote of the
electorsi but they forced the adoption of
this commission as a means to exclude votes
duly returned from some of the Southern
States.
They failed in this, and from that time they
have cried out fraud, fraud" The fraud
that existed in the election of 1876 was the
fraud, violence, and intimidation practiced bv
the democratic party in at least five of the
Southern States, but in such bungling wav
in Louisiana that it was promptly corrected
by the returning officers of that State. In
South Carolina and Florida the actual vote
cast. as well as the legal vote, was in favor
of the republican electors. They attempted
in Oregon. where the people had without
question voted for the Hayes electors. bv
narrow technicalities to exclude the republi-
can electors aud to recognize the democratic
electors, and large sums of money were con-
fessedly paid to accomplish this fraud
THE DE pp,rns