Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-03-27
THE LIE FINALLY NAILED TIGHT

THE LIE FINALLY NAILED TIGHT.
There is not Republican organ or
Republican speaker in the country
that has not for the past four years been
charging the deficiency in the Treasury
to the Wilson tariff, DENYING emrhati-
cally the fact that the deficiency was
created before the Wilson blI saw the
light Of day. 1t was and is
also strenuously denied that be-
fore the end of the Harrison
administration this same deficiency
had grown to such proportions that
President Harrison's Secretary of the
Treasury. Mr.. Foster, had already or
dered the plates for an issue of bonds
Harrison. however. anxious to shirk
his lust responsibilities. putting a veto
on this plan, pompously declaring that
there should be no increase of the pub
lie debt under his administration. And,
so. Foster was compelled to juggle the
record. change the form of book-keep-
ing so that a Philadelphia lawyer could
make nothing of the debt statement,
and finally to seize S54,G00,0O0 of ma
tional bank trust funds in order to tide
over till the end of the Harrison term.
All this is a matter of record, and yet
it has been steadily denied by the or
cans of the Hanna Syndicate. Accord
ing to the exact figures the first Cleve-
land administration handed over to its
successor. in 1889. a net balance in
available funds of $9S,O96,14S in excess
of the S1C0,OOO,0O0. The second Cleye-
land administration received the Treas
INV in 1893 with a net deficit in avail
able funds of S9,641,OSS which impaired
| the gold reserve to that extent. 1t was
because of this condition the Harrison
administration was preparing to issue
bonds when it went out of power.
The second Cleveland administration,
it appears from the March Treasury
statement. just printed, handed over to
the Mckinley administration net bal
apce of available funds of $752S0, TIC
in excess of the $1OO,OO0COO gold re-
serve.
These figures show positively that
the deficit. which the Republicans are
now creating such a fearful hullaballoo
about and making an excuse for in
creasing the tariff taxes even beyond
the Mckinley rates, was actually Gre
ated under the Mckinley bill, which
Nj. Dingley has taken as model for
his measure. which is intended to in
crease the revenue! All of which re-
duces the Republican situation to an
absurdity. They still continue to lie
out of it." however. by boldly denying
these facts. To settle all doubts on
this score. therefore, Mr.. Gaines, Of
Tennessee. to clear up the dispute as
70 whether Secretary of the Treasury
Charles Foster had prepared to issue
bonds at the close of the Harrison ad-
ministration. secured from Score
fairy Gage a certified copy of the letter
dated February 20, 1898, in which Sec
retarv Foster had ordered the Bureau
of Printing and Engraving to prepare
mates for the bonds. The original of
This letter is now in the hands of the
director of the Bureau of Printing and
,,,.-;,,,, whore Mr. Gaines said. he
saw and read it. The body of the letter,
which Mr.. Gaines read, follows;
YOU ARE HEREBY AUTHOR
| IZED AND DIRECTED TO PREPARE
/ DESIGNS FOR THE THREE PER
CENT. BONDS PROVIDED IN A
/ SENATE AMENDMENT TO THE
( SJ-NDRY CIVIL BILL NOW PEND
ING. THIS AUTHORITY is GIVEN