Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-26


SONS district it will DO remembered
that ex.President HARRISON among
other things SAID:
IF you have felt the effects OF the de-
preston; if you think more OF tuose el-
iects and prefer not 70 lead the country
through the slough Of dependency sno"
it 0y defeating Wilson.
What piece Of consummate assur-
ance and gall, coming from BENJAMIN
HARRISON. To appreciate it we have
oply 70 give but cursory Glance over
the published records Of the Treasury
Department.
The slough Of dependence" for
soota. The country was over its ears
IN that slough before HARRISON left the
White House. and il w9s HAEhIsoS and
MCKINLEY and REED who ran it there
full tilt 10 three short years Of HAERI-
SONS ADMINISTRATION.
Who was responsible for the financial
panic? Who, three times, deliberately
changed the public debt statement TO
cover up a bankrupt treasury? Who,
in the first seven months Of his admin
istraiion, paid out nearly S67, Oo0, 600 for
bonds? Who, IN three years, paid the
bondholders IN premiums about S4S,-
600, goo? Who looted a S54, 600, coo trust
fund covering it into the treasury as
available cash to cover I'D bankruptcy2
Who signed the Mckinley bill, reduc-
ing receipts in one year $4,000, Oo02
Who, under that law, refunded to q
porters as drawbacks over $500, ~
Who signed the acts Of the Billio9Dol-
lar Congress, which bankrupsed the
the treasury and dead the country
through the slough Of despORdency?"
Who but HARRISON, BENJAMIN Hart
RIsoS aad his helpers, who have, at
this late day, formed themselves into a
calamity band TO lay their sins at the
door Of the Democrats
When MIR. CLEVELAND. at the
expiration OF his first term, turned
the GovernmenIovsr to Mr.. HARRISON
there was in the United States Treas
ury the enormous surplus Of available
funds OF s33O369I6.I2. In addition
to this there was nearly four million Of
dollars which was held 10 pay gold,
silveraDd currency certificates then
outstanding, the total amount OF cash
in the Treasury being s723, 500. $3.50.
When HARRISON turned the govern
ment over TO MIR. CLEVELAND once more
in 1898 these millions had vanished and
the nickels aud dimes, the treasury
chicken teed, we're being scraped up
and counted as cash TO pay the running
expenses OF the government The
treasury which CLEVELAND had left
with an available surplus Of over $500,
600, 600 was returned TO him empty and
bonds had 70 be issued to maintain the
governments so,ysncy!
II is Interesting 20 note what became
Of the peoples money under the HAIR
Observation-Disclosures regime. Toe
treasury reports tell US exactly.
First came the bondholders, those
prime favorites Of the Republican party.
During the first seven months Of HAIR
RIsoN'S administration SEQ, 954, 500 was
expended in :he purchase OF bonds at
premium. Bur this aid not satisfy the
bondnoIders, or HARRISON, aud the raid
on the surplus was continued through
1890 and 1891, when it ceased only be-
cause there was no more surplus Dur
ing three fiscal years-1SS9-90-9 1-the
enormous sun Of S47,9e7, sO7.32 was
paid 10 the bondhoLders ds premiums.
In July, 1890, S54, 3Ss,475.75 Of the
trust fund was turned into ths
treasury as available cash and
thus HARRISON was enabled to continue
me purchase Of bonds at premium.
But the monthly debt statement began
70 show depleted treasury, and in or
der 20 make a better showing on paper
resort to Juggling with the statements
commenced. II the old form had been
continued it would have shown that
there was rot a dollar Of available cash 10
the treasury. Furthermore. $50, lO5,-
O13.2 derived frou the profits on coin
age during 1889 TO 1891 was used TO buy
bonds at premium, paying as high as
SIPS for them, at a time when the treas
ury was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The tariff taxes levied 90 the people
continued 70 rsplenIsh the depleted
treasury, however.
But protected manufacturers wanted
some part Of the plumber aud the Nc
Kiuley bill was passed. The receipts
from customs fell from S2l9, 522, POS. %
in 1891 to S177, 45s, 954l5 in 1892. This
with the billion dollar Congress created
CONSERVATION in the treasury. Another
juggle with ths debt statement must be
made or it would not show a dime Of
available cash. The statement for
June 1, 1891, gave toe net cash balance
at $50, SAP, 2OO.S6. This looked like
bankruptcy, aud July l, 1891, the state
ment was revised" or "recast. Prior 70
this date the nickels, dimes. quarters and
half dollars had appeared on the state
Sment as unavailable funds. They were