Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-10-14

en- ENT.
them can not be found named on the man.
and all OF them are put into appropriation
bills for the pecuniary or political advantage
Of individuals and corporations.
The erection OF public buildings for courts
postofticeF, and the like, at the national cost,
is another serious and Increasing drain OF the
treasury. From small places where no such
expenditure Is needed, me applications for
public buildings; msny OF them have recently
passed the Ssnate. One place in NJrth Caro-
Ina where public building was voted, has
not more than 500 inha bitant5. None at all
familiar with the facts can doubt that, with
full Democratic swing, the doors of the treas
urv Will open, and copious streams will run
South and empty into the pockets Of no end Of
expectants.
Whichever way we turn, reasons rise up be-
fore US for keeping the staff in the hands Of
those who have vastly most at stake in the
wholesome preservation of the government,
its revenues, and its laws. Those with the
least at stake fought for one-half the govern
ment, and now the question is whether we
had better vote them both halves. The Demo-
crat C party has had possession Of one house
of congress for four years, and CT both houses
for two years Wha. useful thing has been
done or proposed? They have stricken some
million of tax from whisky and tobacco They
have attempted by revolutionary means to put
/ the executive under duress. and TO cripple the
government in order to overthrow Just and
| time-hono-ed laws What else? l do not
know.
PRETENDED DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
1t is said that the Democracy have reduced
appropriations. | do not so understand it.
The claim Of economy is no better tnan q
| juggle. Here are the exact figures year by
/
annually appropriated for current expenses,
! stated in currency and gold:
For Fiscal Year. Currency. Gold.
1874 (Republican sl72 $50 100 81 s153,S55, 595 So
1876 lRepubIicanl... 14z7l4,94osl 1888 us O3
1877 Democratic. l24 122 0l0.92 rs 061 lO4 -
1878 Democratic. $, $50 9S3. Ii Sc 236 1883
| 1879 Democratic. 172 ol6sOo2l 17L672,775 SO
1850 Democratic. 1872 40i 64176 49, 404 647 rs
1881 Democratic. l54, lis, 2l2 O. "a
1t Will be seen that under Republican ma
| j 5rity appropriations steadily de- reased down
| to Democratic accessions in 1877. In the first
! year, the Democrats continued reduction,
! emitting, however, needed appropriations.
/ la their second year-the year preceding con-
/ gressional elections-they boldly neglected to
/ provide for many obvious and indispensable
! appro priatious. This was exposed on the spot
! as electioneering device, but the figures
went forth and had Their effect. There they
stand III the tables of 1873 IS great apparent
saving, loudly Dragged about at the time. But
as everybody familiar with the workings of the
! government knew beforehand must be the
| pretended saving VIII eh lad been purposely
| left out of the regular appropriation bills,
came IL as deficiency bill" after the election
| at the next session. There stanGs the proof
in the tables of 1879. The appropr ations that
| year were much greater than in 1876 the last
year of Republican rule-greater III currency
by S24, 30l SOS .40-greater in gold by :41, 49,
057 Sc.
For last year the appropriations exceeded
the last Republican year more than fifteen
millions, and for this year they are considera-
bly, larger; and in both years appropriations
were purposely omitted IN cases in which they
are sure to be supplied at the next session
THE GREAT WORK OF RESUMPTION.
In the fee of the facts, bold and arrant So
the claim il, the country is gravely told Of
I wondrous Democratic economies, and il now
begins to be stated that the resumption Of
specie payments VAS really brought about by
the frugality of a Democratic Congress.
! Laughter. II q race was to be sailed for On
the sea of fiction, the inventor Of this state
ment would surely take the cup. [Uproarious
applause.l
| The resumption Of specie payments was q
! trans cendaht achievement The credit of it
! belongs to some party and to that party future
/ generations will look back with grateful ad-
miration. Whoever would know the truth
about it can easily do so.
hltST Tue WaT VIC nae SHOdl We'll toward q
/ thousand millions of paper currency. 1t fuc-
tusted in value from 80 to 70 cents on the dol
lar. The public debt was more than twenty
! eight hundred millions, and more than
twenty-three hundred millions Of it bore
interest. The annual interest charge was a
hundred and fifty millions. The first Presi-
dental election afterward in 1868. The
two parties, Of course, arrayed themselves on
J the greatest financial issue which has ever
| arisen lii this country, or perhaps in any coun-
! try. The question was, what should be done
with the colossal debt inflicted by the rebellion,
and with the sea Of paper promises we had
been compelled to put out the Democratic
party pronounced forrepudiation. The declar
alton was covert and indirect, but it meant re-
| pudiation. They resolved that all debts should
be paid IN paper promises, unless the obhga-
ton expressly on its face said otherwise, or
unless the law mentioned that coin should be
paid. They resolved that " government bonds
and all other securities should all be taxed.
They resolved that "every species of property
should be taxed, al taxed at its "real value"
They resolved that there should be but one
currency for the Government and the "bond-
holder" Taken together, these declare ions
were plain reputation.
Nobody pretended that the oblig stions of the
Government were payable in honest money for
the reasons which alone could allow them TO
be go paid under the Democratic resolution
Had their payment in honest money been
fpCSlHeu anu TECHNICALLY IN Ino way
required BY the resolution, there would have
been no eff lacy OF meaning in such resolve;
and declaring that the bondholder should have
only the same currency that the Government
received, clearly and conclusively meant that
pa ylnent OF bonds was to made in legal tender
notes Applause.
The bonds had been sold on an express
sgre ement that they should never be taxed,
and exemption flom taxation had entered into
the transaction and been discounted as an ele-
ment Of value, and paid for III the price given
for the bonds. tApplause.] To tax not only
the bonds, but ''every species Of property at
its real vslue," would have taxed barrel Of
flour as well as barrel of whisky, would have
taxed land, and all else. SGch scheme would
not only have worn a fronilet of Reputation,
but would have thrown into chaos the whVN
revenue snd business of the country Zap
pl3use. This was the Democratic position.
THE REPUBLICANS TAX THEIR STAND.
The Republicans IN their national conven-
ton declared two things: First, that the repu-
diation is national crime and that every debt
must be paid to the uttermost, not according to
the letter, but the spirit Of the law. Second,