Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-11-22
RgPuellcAN puPllclTY.
How They Manipulated the Treasury ESn
der Harrison.

How They Manipulated the Treasury TIN
der Harrison.
The condition of the treasury at the
close Of Mr.. Harrisonss administration
is pretty well known to intslligens
people, but there has been systematic
effort by the republicans to misstate
it The official figures furnished by
Secretary Carlisle show that the net
balance in the treasury was S166, 600. goo
at the beginning Of Mr.. Harrison's adj
ministration, and S24, 600, 600 at the
close. Much is made of the fact that
a good deal of the public debt was paid
off under Mr.. Harrison, but Mr. Car
Isle shows that the reduction under
Harrison was S2S6, 0OO, 900, while under
Cleveland's first administration it was
SS4l, 900, 600. These two items show
difference of nearly $3.50, 000, 600 in
favor of the Cleveland administration.
Republicans have perSistently tried
to misrepresent the condition of the
treasury in the last days of the Harri-
son administrat ton. 1t has been
charged by Congressman Dockery and
others that Secretary Foster caused
plates to be prepared for the issue of
bonds Mr.. Foster took the precau-i
ton to have inquiries made at Wash
ington whether any letter of his was
on file there showing that he had done
this. He was informed that no such
letter had been found after a hasty
search. Then Mr.. Foster wrote let.
ter. in which he said:
mr.. Dockery was mistaken. No such action
was taken Its abSuEdity is so apparent that
wonder that q gentleman of Mr.. Dockery's
intelligence should make himself responsible
for such a blunder The only bonds authorized
then. as now, were those authorized by the
sumption act.p
Then a more careful search of the
treasury files was made. and the fol-
lowing letter from Mr.. Foster to the
chief of the bureau of engraving and
printing, dated February 20. 1898, came
to light:
You are hereby authorized and directed to
prepare designs for the per cent bonds pro-
vided in the senate amendment to the sundry
civil bill, pending. The denominations
which should first receive attention are SOD
and 81, 900 OF the coupon bonds and 500, 81 600
and $4,000 OF the registered bonds. This au-
thority is given in advance OF the enactment.
in view Of pressing contingencies, and you are
directed to hasten the preparation of the de-
signs and plates in every possible manner"
The bill providing for the three per
cent. bonds failed to become a law,
and they were not issued. But the es-
sential fact that there were pressing
contingencies" which made an issue of
bonds desirable, within two weeks of
the close of Mr.. Harrison's term, ap-
pears clearly from Mr.. Fosters letter
These contingencies were so very
pressing that Mr.. Foster thought it
imperative to have the plates pre-
pared before the law was passed. Yet
when testimony was wanted by re-
publican campaign managers to break
the force of this damaging fact, Mr.
Foster signed a letter saying that he
wondered that Mr.. Dockery would
make himself responsible for so absurd
statement.
The profigacy of republican admin
istrations has long been known. The
Fifty-frst congress saddled upon the
country expenditures which will last
for more than a generation. Yet the
republicans are asking that the purse
of the nation shall again be intrusted
to their keeping. The country has
suffered so much from the last repub-
hcan congress that it ought to be wise
enough to refuse to be plundered
again.-Louisville Courier-Journal.