The true northerner., 1895-12-27
You Cant Fool the People All the
Time

"The surplus In the treasury mas
increased during the term Of Secre-
tary Carlisle, from two million dol
lars to nearly two hundred million
dollars. Paw Paw Courier.
The astute political editor of the
Courier is evidently hard pressed for
partisan thunder 10 resort to such
woeful misrepresentation, or else he
is lost in a maze of densest ignorance.
Were he in some sections of the
country, it might do to try to make
the readers of a democratic paper
swallow such a story, but Van Buren
County democrats are not fools. In
deed, the sentiment against the hnan-
cial end of the national administra-
ton is so universal that none but
veritable "cuckoo" (the latest ver-
sion of this term is an Office holder
or one who is looking for something)
would undertake to defend it. The
facts are these, taken from official
statements of the treasury depart
ment:
When Mr.. Harrison was made
president, there was SlS3,S27, 100 20
in the treasury, including the full
gold reserve of hundred millions.
At the end of his term there was
S124,12S,0S7.SS, including the full
gold reserve. During his term of
office, the public debt was decreased
S259,O74,2OO.
When Mr.. Cleveland was made
president, there was $124, 12S, ,0S7.SS
in the treasury, including the full
gold reserve, and there was at the
time of Secretary Carlisle's statement
$177, ,406,3S6, including sadly
depleted gold reserve. In the same
time the public debt has increased
$162, ,315,400 The records can be
summarized as follows:
HARRISoN'S RECORD.
Decrease in public debt, Harrson's
administration s259, ,o74, 2oo. 90
In treasury at HarTi-
sons Inauguration sIS3 3,S27, ,I9o29
In treasury at end of
Harrisons term I24,I2o,oS7So
Loss of treasury.------- 5o,600, Io2. 81
Net financial gain, Harrisons term sIo9,375o97,59 SO
CLEVELAND'S RECORD.
Increase public debt Cleveland's
administration ------.--------- sI62, 81 400. 90
In treasury at present
time sIZ7,4Ob, $4,000
In treasury at Cleve-
lands inaugurat'n I24,I2S,oS7SS
Gain of treasury .------- s3,27S, ,2oS.I2
Net financial loss since Cleveland's
inauguration --------------- sio9,o37,ioI'o 80
In other words, while the country
had ffty-nine millions less of money
at the end of Harrison's term than at
its beginning, it also had two hundred
and fifty-nine millions less indebted
ness. While the treasury now has
fifty-three millions more of money
than at Cleveland's Inauguration,
the public debt has increased hun
dred and sixty-two millions. If our
friend across the way wants any
prosperity of this kind, he can readily
get it if he can only borrow the
hundred and sixty-two millions. But
as he is an honest man and calculates
to pay his honest debts, we presume
he does not care to have his debts
increase three times as rapidly as the
assets to pay them.
There is a ludicrous side also to
the Courier's statement. The two
million dollars represented as in the
treasury at the end of Harrison's term
would have just about paid two
days governmental expenses. We
really never supposed our nation
so near bankruptcy.
If our contemporary means by
surplus" the amount above the
gold reserve, there was only about a
dozen times as much as the two
millions represented, which is pretty
close for democratic fnancier.
The intent of the Courier's state
ment above quoted, was clearly to
claim an increase of hundred and
ninety-eight millions in the treasury
cash-which is only little matter OF
a hundred and forty-fve millions ode
Of the truth. Instead of there being
a hundred times as much cash in the
treasury as three years ago, there il
but | 2-5 times as much, and for every
| Ioilo, a., .~,,l.1,~