The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-01-05
REPUBLICAN, DUPL,clTv.
How They Manipulated tho Treasury Un-
HRrr1SO


der Harrison.
The condition OF the treasury at the
close of Mr.. HarriSOn's administration
is pretty we'll known to intelligent
people, but there has been a systematic
effort by tho republicans to na;sstate
it. The official figures furnished by
Secretary Carlisle show that the net
balance in the treasury was S16G, 900, 900
at the beginning of Mr.. Harrison's adj
1ainistra ton, and S2+, 900, 900 at the
close. Much is made of the fact that
good deal Of the public debt was paid
Off under Mr.. Harrison, but Mr.. Car
Isle shows that the reduction under
Harrison was 1896, 0OO, 900. while under
Cleveland's first administration it was
s341, OOo,Ooo These two items show a
difference of nearly $3.50, 100000 In
favor of the Cleveland administration.
Repu blicans have persistently tried
to .1nisrepresent the condition of the
treasury in the last days of the Harri-
SON administration. 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-
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 a let
Mr. Dockery was mistaken. No such action
was taken. Its absurdity is so apparent that
wonder that gentleman OF Mr. Dockerys
Intelligence should mako himself responsible
for such a blunder The only bonds authorized
then. as now, were those authorized by the re-
sumption act"
Then n 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 ana
printing, dated February 90. 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
which should hrst receive attention $40,
and 81 900 OF the coupon bonds ond 500. BLOOD
and $40 900 OF the registered bonds. This au-
thority is given in advance OF the enactment.
in view OF pressing contingencies. and YOU arc
directed to hasten the preparation Of the de-
signs and platcs IN every possible manner
The bill providing for the three per
ccnt. bonds failed to become law,
and they were not issued. But the es-
scntial fact that there were ''pressing
contingencies which made an issue OF
bonds desira ble within two weeks of
the close of Mr.. Harrison's term, APP
pears clearly from Mr.. Fosters letter.
These contingencies were SO very
pressing that Mr.. Foster thought it
imperative t. 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 letter saying that he
wondered that Mr.. Dochery would
make himself responsible for SO absurd
a tatenent.
The protligacy of republican a. Q "
istratiors has long been known. ne
Eifty-tirst congress saddled upon ;t:z
country expenditures which will -=se
for moro than q generation. Yet tho
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-
lican congress that it ought to be wise
enough to refuse to be plundered
again. Courier-Journal.