Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-10-20
SPOONER ON THE STUMP.
| Contrast OF Republican and Democrat
10 RuIe-A Record OF Obstruction and
Extravsgance-The Tariff as an Issue
Something About the Land Laws.

HSSCuuOlCO dU hOO0TU OulVdS Hall 10
listen to an address by Senator John
Q. Spooner. Mr.. Spooner began his
address by q brief eulogy Of James g.
Blaine and John A. Logan. He then
graphically compared the advent into
power, after an extended period of re-
tiremert, of the present Democratic
administration with that of Lincoln
IN 1861. The latter began his presi-
Dental career with an empty national
treasury, triiing navy and a demon
allied army, our credit as a nation
impaired, and the halls of Congress
filed with men plotting rebellion
and the destruction of the Union.
After service of twenty-four years,
the Republican party, at the call of the
majority of our citizens, turned over the
reins of government to the Democrats.
Cleveland came not by stealth, as Lincoln
did, but heralded by strains of martial
music and the booming of cannon, to take
the oath of office as the servant of the re-
united people, with flag respected the
world over, and government as strong
and as vigorous as any on the face OF the
earth.
The Democrats came before the people of
this country at the last election with Cry
OF fraud. They came, proclaiming on their
stump in Milwaukee and elsewhere, that
the Republican administration was rotten;
that the money had been used for political
purposes in part, and that il the ms were
only turned out, it would be laid bare.
When they took charge of the government.
they counted the money in the treasury,
and they found every single dollar and
every single cent. [Appleuse.l They said,
THE Republican party has grown fat upon
corruption. they hide their misdeeds from
- L. L
What are the facts? They have turned
on the light even their Pan-electric light;
they had all the hooks and all the records,
and full power to investigate. You cannot
find report of one of their committees
showing any fraud in the Republican ad-
ministration. They have felt the
necessity, having deceived the peo-
publican party was no longer to
be trusted, of making that grave
Democratic Congressional COMMITTEES
which has undertaken to give to the peo-
pie some proof of the charges which they
made against the Republican party. The
committee issued g. large book. and it is
supposed to contain the proof of Republic
an dishonesty. They found on the books
of the treasury that since 1851 there stands
due to the government from Republican
office-holders $12, 1913, 476.48. Now have
no doubt that this is correct so far as it
goes, but it has been well said there is no
lie sc dangerous as the truth half told.
I want to tell it all. The books show
that from the commencement of the gov
eminent there stands due from officers,
Democrats as well as Republicans, $2S,.
027, 096.96. Since 1861 this committee
finds S12, S93, 476. 4S which they charge 30
the Republican party. leaving of the whole
sum SIS, ia, $40 stolen by the Democrats
prior to 1861, or So, 241 IA more taken
prior to 1861 than even they claim that
the Republican party took since that time.
When you bear in mind the fact that from
1861 we had for time the greatest war the
world ever saw that we had in the field
over 1000 900 men, that our expenditures
were ST, 0o0,0 600 day, and when you look
at the fact that since 1861 the government
disbursed $50, 100000 you will find
the record shows that for every ZOO
collected and disbursed by the Democratic
party up to 1861 they lost 1921, and for
every 81 600 collected and disbursed by
the Republican party since 1861 the figures
show only SO cents on the thousand. Zap
olause.1 1t shows that the Democratic
sarty was more expert in stealing than the
Republican party has ever been.
They denounced the Republican party
Or having surplus of$450, 900, 900 in the
reasury, and called it the party of the
lonopolists, that taxed the people to
cath and piled the money in the treasury,
bile thousands OF men and women were
arving for want OF work and wages. It
as in vain we called attention to the fact
lat in October, 1884, there was only
rplus of SIS, 900, 900, and " hen re turned
'er the government, taking out the liabili-
es-the reserve funds and the trust funds
lily about $8,00O,0OO remained. Now,
Nv does it stand? On the 31st day
August last, the Democratic administra-
On had piled up in the treasury $40, 0OO,-
10 of surplus. 1t had always been the
.licy of the Republican party, when the
oney came into the treasury, when bonds
.came due Or option bonds could be
lied, to call those bonds and put the
oney IN circulation among the people and
OPP the payment of interest. Was the
emocratic party honest when in 1884
ley charged US with crime in having this
lrplus? Ii SO, is the Democratic party
onest now when it has a surplus five
mes as large IN its treasury under it's own
ADMINISTRATION? When we passed the Nor
son bill, or resolution as it was called, in
ructing the secretary of the treasury to
Ill bonds at given rate per month, keep
Q in the treasury the $1OO 600 900 for
le redemption OF the greenbacks, the Presi-
mt of the United States put it into his
,cket, and then, because the congressional
ections were coming on, they began to call
onds. Why call them now and not for
ght, nine or ten months prior To two
.onths ago?
The speaker then touched lightly upon
ne acts of the present administration,
yelling upon the ruin of John Roach, the
assage of the presidential succession bill
nd the refusal to admit Dakota as q state
ecause new Republican senator would
hereby be created.
The Democrats told you they would
manage this government with economy,
nd that the Republican party had been
areless with the peoples money. I only
want to say TO you that the appropriations
or the Democratic administration amount
20 $45,10S, 296.40 more for the current
year than the Republican administration.
In that is included SIC, 0OO,O 900 for pen
sions and 14,473, 900 for river and harbor
improvements. Taking these items out, it
leaves a Democratic appropriation of
$14, $50, 1854 for the current opera
tions OF the government. If they are
SO much more economical than the Repub-
ican administration, please tell me how it
is that they can have an appropriation of
100000 more than the last Republican
appropriation, and they did not get as