The daily gazette., 1880-09-07
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE.

Department is one of the many dis
graceful methods invented by the Re-
publican managers for this campaign.
This is done in various ways, but
principally by the suppression of por-
tions of the records in order to pro-
duce deceptive results and thus give
he Republican party degree of cred
t TO which it has no claim.
John Sherman appears as cOnspicu-
ously in this new fraud as he did in
that of Louisiana, when he PERSONAL
ly bargained to steal the vote of that
State and got his present place as the
reward for the infamous service. Not
content with his own mlsstatements,
he has made the head of the Bureau
of Statistics distort figures to aid this
partisan trickery.
The annual expenditures are to be
ascertained from two sources, the reg
ular appropriations and what are
known as the permanent appropria-
tions, covering the customs and other
large items not supposed to fluctuate.
The latter items, unlike the former, do
not appear in separate bills, and con-
sequently fail to attract public atten-
ion. T he system which keeps any
part of The public expenditures from
review by the peoples representatives
is wrong, and ought to be abolished.
A movement to that effect has been
started. 1t cannot fail to pass Con-
gress.
In recent campaign statements Mr..
Sherman attempted to show that the
Republicans had been more economi-
cal than the Democrats have been
since they got possession of the House
To do this, he began by Withholding
the permanent appropriations from the
regular expenditures. He adopted the
enlightened policy of Mr.. Richardson,
who, as Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury under Mr.. Boutwell,, when
six millions stood in the way of carry
ing out the latter's new mode of book
ing, forced the balance and made ev-
erythlng look lovely. That is the way
business is done at the Treasury now,
and has been done for years past.
The prodigality, plumber, corrup3
ton, 1obbery, Ring rule, and enormous
waste N the Republican party, as rep
resented by Grantism, led to the polit-
ical revolution of 1874, when majori-
ty of one hundred in the House of Re-
representatives. was swept away by. the
tidal wave of that year, and a Demo
cratic majority of seventy was put in
its place, under pledges of retrerch-
ment and reform.
The appropriations for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1876, had already been
made when the Democratic House took
possession in December, 1875, at the
opening of the Forty-fourth Congress.
MIR. Randall was Chairman of the Ap-
propriations. The estimates from the
Treasury footed up $203, ,0O0,0O III round
numbers for the service of 1877. Mr..
Randall reported $147, 100000 for the
year, and had to confront partisan cp-
position Of the most bitter kind in the
House. The Senate was Republican,
and when the bill went there these econ
omies were denounced by Mr.. Sherman
especially, and by others, as an attempt
by the "rebel Brlgadiers" to cripple the
public service. The Republican Senate
added twenty-one millions to the aggre-
gate, and returned the bill to the House
with a threat of defeating the appropri-
aLlOnS uuieoS COHCoeSlOH W do ihaucs III
ally, a compromise was effected, and the
twelve bills footed up $147,719,074.S5,
against the Republican aggregate OF
$177, 1868, ,327.71 for similar bills for 1876
Here was retrenchment of thirty mill
ions at the first session Of the reform
House. The pledge was redeemed in
good faith.
This was the beginning of new pol
icy which gave confidence to the coun-
try, strengthened the public credit, and
materially aided resumption of specie
payments. Great crops in the United
States and bad crops In Europe have
helped to consummate the work. The
reform was carried out in spite of all
that the Grant Administration and the
Republican leaders could do to thwart,
to misrepresent, and to defeat the change
from extravaganza to economy.
Now, to compare the cost of carrying
on the Government for six years, let us
take the figures of the last annual report
of the Secretary of the Treasury, page
II, under the head of "Net ordinary ex-
penditures." The year 1880 is not Off
clally reported.
Republican House. Democratic House.
1871 .Sl9i 1856 W 1877. ..Sl4i, ,209, ,963 %