The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-09-20
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Not Much of "Rally'-Falsifying Fig
ures-Improvements Under Republic
can Rule.


WASHINGTON d. c., September 10th, 1884.
Messrs. Editors There was on last Thursday
night what has been termed "grand torchlight
procession" and mass meeting OF the Democratic
party in this city, which has been heralded all
over the country by the Democratic press as a
great affair, as showing the immense popularity
of the Democratic ticket here. The fact is that
while the procession was large in numbers and
carried with it large bell to ring and a cannon
and fire rockets to be fred off along the way, it
consisted of about five thousand boys and other
non voters. There was quite number came over
from Alexandria to take part in the procession
and meeting but the most of these were boys,
with q few men on horseback, and the same was
true Of those who came in from surrounding parts
of Maryland. But even if all had been men Of
voting age, it is well known that persons here in
the District of Columbia, except they are here on
public business, have not the privilege of suffrage,
and so all the powder burnt on that evening, and
all the hurrahing done and noise made 60 for
naught.
Among the speakers at the City Hall where the
meeting was held was Gen. Bradley T. Johnson,
of Mary land, who made a very good Bourbon
speech, but while he was possibly able to enthuse
the Bourbon hearts of his hearers-those old
enough to comprehend and understand what he
was talking about--it is not likely that Cleveland
and Hendricks will have occasion to thank him
for having made them any votes, for there were
not any there to be made.
Secretary George A. Post, of the Democratic
Congressional Committee here, also made speech,
in which he tried to refute the figures of Secretary
Mcpherson, of the Republican Congressional
Committee, showing that the losses to the Govern
ment by defalcatiOns and embezzement under
Republican administrations in the collection and
disbursement of the revenues were much less than
they were under previous Democratic administra-
tons, but utterly failed. His reasoning as we'll as
holI fol nd
illogical, which Secretary Mcpherson clearly
shows in letter which he has written to him.
In truth it is indisputable fact that the admin
istraticn of the Government, ever since the latter
was established. has continued to improve, and
while the losses to the Government under some
Democratic administrations before the late war,
notably those of Martin Van Buren, and of Gen.
Tyler, amounted to as much as $1,000 or more on
the 81 900 collected and disbursed and never less
than $3.50 on that amount, under Republican adj
ministrations the amount has been greatly de-
creased, until under the present administration it
has only amounted to Is cents on the 100000.
These facts and figures have been CLEANED by
Secretary Mcpherson, who is recognized as one
of the most careful and accurate compilers OF po-
litical statistics in the country, having had an
experience of over twenty. five years in that kind
of work from the books of the Treasury Depart
ment which are always open to inspection by any
one who chooses to take the trouble to inspect
them. Democrats talk good deal about getting
possession of the Government so as to get at the
books of the Treasury and to make the much
needed inspection, they say; but they know that
they have always had this privilege, and that
their Congressional committees have made all the
Investigations they wanted to, but they found that
the figures have panned out to the credit Of
the past Democratic administrations. And so
now, instead of giving the facts to the public they
are trying to convey the idea by in"endo, which
the facts would not substantiate, that the Repub-
loan party and Republican administrations are
the most corrupt the country has ever had and
they are trying to do this through their speakers
on the stump and their portion of the public press.
The country as we'll as the Republican party
owes Mr.. Mcpherson its thanks for the correct
statement he has given to the public on this sub
ject for it is to the great credit of the country
that the administration of its Government has
steadily improved, no matter what political party
has been in power, but it is especially creditable
10 the Republican party that this improvement
las been much more marked and rapid under its
administrations than under those of the Democratic
party. ANON.