Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-07-29
SOME OFFICIAL FIGURES.

For several weeks past, the Cresset
has been doing considerable boasting
about the sound condition of the treas
ury during Harrison's administration
compared with Cleveland's. Of course
only such figures as would show up the
republican side were selected and such
facts that showed that Harrison sue
ceeded Cleveland with full treasury
and retired with it almost bankrupt,
were conveniently omitted. For these
reasons DR.. 1. w. Stout solicited a
statement of facts from Secretary Car.
Isle, which was cheerfully given in the
following letter. The Cresset published
the letter and commented to a consld-
cradle length. In this issue Mr.. Stout
replies. His reply follows the Carlisle
letter:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, d. c., July Is, 1896.
Mr.. l. w. STOUT,
MEDICINE LOnGE, KAs.
My DEAR SIR:-Your favor of the 18th in
slant is received, and, in response, have the
honor to say that in February, 1893, which was
before the Inauguration of the present admin
istration, my predecessor in Office SECRETARY
Foster, directed the Chief of the Bureau of
Engraving Printing to prepare plates for
the printing of per cent bonds, and that
considerable pros ress was made In the prep
| aration of these plates. However, the amend
ment to the law authorizing the issue of per
cent bonds, which was then pending In Con-
gress, failed to pass and these plates were
not used
When President Harrison came into office
at the expiration OF Mr. Cleveland's frstLerm,
the net cash in the treasury, exclusive of the
500, 100000 gold reserve, was $3.50, 349 916. r.
and In March, 1S93 when Mr.. Cleveland came
in the second time, at the close of Mr.. Harri-
sons term. the net cash in the treasury, ex-
elusive of the $1OO.OOO,OOO gold reserve, had
been reduced to $62. 45O.575.l8.
The real working balance in the treasury
department at the beginning of March. 1S93
excluding the gold reserve of 800 OOO, 900, and
excluding the agency account of $3S 1856, 3d. 90,
was 81, 0S4, 1925. During Mr.. Cleveland's first
administration the sum of $341, 44s, 449.2 20 was
paid on the public debt, and during Mr.. Har-
risons administration the sum of S236, 527 666 10
was paid on the public debt.
During the last four months of President
Harrisons administration just preceding the
first of March, 1893, the deficiency in the reve-
nue. was $4,O94, 02l38, that is to say-the ex-
penditures of the Government exceeded the
| receipts to that amount.
The so-called Mckinley tariff act was in
force during the whole of the fiscal year 1894,
and during that year the deficiency in the
| revenue was 1853, S03, 260.5S. During all the fs-
cal year 1895, except less than two month, the
Wilson tariff act was in force, and the def1ci
ency in the revenue was $40, sos, 222.1S The
Wilson tariff act was in force during the whole
of the fiscal year 1896, and the deficiency was
$25, 100000.
send you by mail my three annual reports
to Congress. Very truly, yours,
JIG. CARLISLE.
The above letter is sufficiently ex-
planatorV and nothing need to have
been added were it not for the misrep-
reservations emanatlng from the editor
of the Cresset.
Mr.. Axline says that 1.-The bill INC
KInley) proved very successful and fur
nished ample revenue until November,
1892" Secretary Carlisle say" During
the last four months of President Har-
rison's administration just preceding
the first of March 1898, the deficiency
i'll the revenue was $4,O93 ,O21.3S." Also
that when President Harrison came
into office at the expiration of Mr..
Cleveland's first term, the net cash in
the treasury, exclusive of the 500, OOO,-
600 gold reserve, was 1896, 349 ,916. 12;''
also that MIR. Harrison turned over to
Mr.. Cleveland in March, 1893 exclusive
Of the 500. 600, 900 gold reserve, "a work
ing balance" of $24, 0S4, 1929. A
grouping of these figures shows:
March, 1889 go $40 916. IL
Last four months of Mr.. Harrlson's admins
tration was deficit OF. ........ 4,O94 ,O21 .3s
March, 1893, working balance w "a ,OS4, 742 2s
Net surplus, November. 1892 ..... 2s.17S.7 63. &C
Deficiency during Harrison's administration
to Nov. 1S92..... .22, III ,152. 46
Thus it will be seen that Mr.. Harri-
son and the mckinley bill'' could not
and did not prevent the withdrawal of
the surplus and that the mckinley
bill'' lacked POP millions of supplying
sufficient revenue and had Mr.. Harri-
son inherited an empty treasury he too,
would have been compelled to sell bonds
to replenish it.
We submit that we believe the public
Will take Mr.. Carlisle's statement and
official treasury reports i'll preference to
Mr.. Axline's statements.
AS to Mr.. Axline's unsolicited advice
and uncalled for asperities in his clos
ing paragraph, viz: