Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-08-15
Great Reduction of the Public
Debt Effected Under Re-
publican Rule.
Glorious Achievements in This
Direction Made by the
Present Administration.

ralgnntnJ OF the FepUD lean dumlnlStra-
ton. by the Maryland democratic conyen-
ton, as summary of current partian
fal,ehoohs the 3ocalled surplus and
1.-THE billion dollar congress" and exposes
them in the following clear and, effective
fashion:
The rebellion left the United S ates with
burden of debt amounting in 1867 to
s267S l26 l03S 81. From that time until
today 1t has been tie policy of the govern
mant to collect more revenues than we're re-
uuired for the actual expenses of aAmjnis-
tration, applying The surplus revenues 10
the rednction of this debt On March 4.
1885. when Grover Cleveland entered the
white house, he found an available surplus
of exactly S2l 63l .3Sl 81. He found that
dulinc the eighteen wears of republican
administration from 1867 to 1886 the out
standing principal Of the public debt had
been reduced from 81 678 1875. 103. 81 TO 81
8G2 964. S73. IA Tlp animal interest charge
has talen trom sl38 S92 451 SO in 1867 to
S470l4 1873 in 1885. aud the per capits
Debt from 500 26 to s24 So In the four
wears preceding Grover Coveland's term
Of offlte, they is from March 4, 1881. to
March 4, 1885 the face of the bondpd debt
had been reduced in the sum of S479 9S3, :
$50 IN average annual reduction of Si20.-
600 0OU This was done, as any democrat
may see, by collecting just that much more
money than was needed for the current
operations of the government, on the
theory that an honest people wished to
pay til, ir honest debts as rapidly as they
cou d.
But Mr.. Cleveland and his party had a
tariff plan that was not in harmony with
this theory. They were deadset for free
trade, and, as a means of working up
public sentiment i'm support of their
scheme, they stopped paying the public
debt except az they were absolutely com
PEELED 10. They boarded these surplus
revenues, and summoned the country to
witness how grievou,ly II was being taxed
by the republican tariff, urging as the
remedy for that iniqultous state Of things
their plan of free trade. But even in their
statement Of the size of the so.caled sur
pins they were dishonest. BY JUGGLING
with the debt statement they we've able to
make the surplus at one time fifty mil
lions, at another a hundred. hey even
got it mp as far as a hundred and twenty,
But. although the receipts of the govern
ment Daring Clevelands tern grew
larger each year, aud although he reduced
the bonded debr only S34l 1856 $50, or ex-
aGjy Sl3S 3S6, 800 less than it had been re-
duccd toy Arthur with smaller revenues at
bis mmand, yet 50 exTavagant were the
appropriations Of Cltveland's two demo-
cratic congresses that his surplus on March
a. 1889 when he gave way to Harrison,
VIZ. puly S4S,0SG, l58 50, or only SIC, 400,
oI6 81 more tnau the sum left Inn by
President Arthur! In other words, it be
had paid ~ much of the debt as Arthur
did be- would not have had surplus at
all, but deficit of 500 100000
This, then - s4S.096 1880 is the
boastcd Cleveland surplus left in the
treasury, according to the Maryland con
vrntlou, 10y an economical democratic adj
mlnis'ration, telling plain tale OF over
tdgition. etc. Now, say the Maryland
democrats. the people supposed that this
shocking condition would be Temedied by
Mr.. Harrison and his republican congress;
but the people were disappointed; the
surplus WIS not spent in reducing lhe pub
lie debt as it should have been, but was
wasted in the extravagant expenditures OF
a congress which appropriated more than
a hi.lo dollars; the revenues were no.
reduced, but unjust oyer-taxatlon was con-
tlnued. These charges are the current
democratic allegation, and they constitute
the capital on which the democracy pro
poses TO contest tie next national election
Aud every one of them is falsehOod
The surplus and six times the surplus has
been paid under Harrison m the lIqulda.
ton Of the public debt The surplus as
Cleveland left it, was S4S, 096 l5S 50. The
amount of the bonded debt discharged
under Harrison up to June 30, 1891. was
S-34 OAS $40. In two years AMI four
months hr has reduced the per capita debt
from SPA so. where Cltvt land left il, to
sl2 81 v here ii is today This j, the imam
clat management which the democrats
claim has caused commercial GAMES and
disasters. As every schoo hoy knows, the
distress Of last year was mainly caused ty
failure Of crops and the Barring tdli
urr IN London. and WIS relieved and dis
.lpa'ed here bv just the policy that the
Maryland Platform attacks. The 5li
eonWe-, II not appropriate ''ovar hll-
i"u dollar" but inst * tntly 1888 4D2 100
'r Si7J 4t6 269 more than the j0h con
gr-,. Ottms cxcas. S2j ,32l 907 vas for
"a pension deficiency which the democrats
s-- ga 543 50 was for postctiiae bills,
three iuurths Of which will We returned o
the treasury; s7357.l4G 70 was for the
purchase OF Indian lands that will ~
i"r three times their cost; sl4 042,344 81
"ss to meet contracts for naval vr-srl-
heretofore an horizal. and S62 6GS 52j SO
30 pay new pensions under the new sct
authorized by the people in 1888 The
balance went in cen-u. expenses, harbor
aorEsps and Improvements and worlt's
lar apprOprlatiOns As 90 the revenues,
They we're reduced, and unjust taxation
N5s not continued AS We have already
demonstrated In these columns. the people
are erlgine under the y, Knley Till a
Ef"a'trv l'uue Trade than ever before
"l1i- they ar paying less tax
% r tins hath honest truth dispose
Of democratic cutlery. The figures wt
Lave ven are every one official and they
prove hat the democratic hes about tn
%a-lai surplus. the bi.f7nn dollar appr0,
pria'lons and rhe continued oyer-ta1atlol
sfe utterly ~ kess.
Is pROTECTIONT.T