The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-27
WHAT JEFFERSON SAID.
Great Americans Word On Govern
ment Expenses.
Chicago Inter Ocean


George B. Morse Of Marshalltown, Ia.
vice president and treasurer of the
Iowa Central Railway company, owns
the original of the following letter, writ
ten Jan. q, 1893, by Thomas jefferson
TO Governor John age of Virginia:
philadelphia, Jan. q, 1799-My Dear
! Friend: L enclose YOU herewith a copy
! OF GerryS correspondence after his
/ companions left him, and of Mr.. Pick
ering's commentary upon it. You will
| see reason to suspect Especially after
/ what papers say of a British alliance)
/ that the executive has taken some
steps on the presumption that France
! would declare was', to support which it
! is necessary to have ii believed that
! she will still make war Yesterday they
voted in the house of representatives
/ by a majority of twenty to retain a
/ clause in a bill opening commerce with
/ TouSSaint, now in rebellion against
| France. This circumstance, with the
] stationing of our armed vessels around
/ the French islands, will probably be
more than the directory will bear In
the meantime you will observe that the
raising OF the additional army and
building a great additional navy are
steadily proposed: and as this will re-
quire a great immediate supply of
money, a cost of s.. 600 900 is opened up
at the usuTious interest of per cent;
for fear that an immediate addition of
our taxes should blow up the whole
object. The following is a statement
in round numbers) Of our annual in
come and expenditure diyesten Of those
articles of the treasury report which
are incidental:
INCOME
'17S9-Imports, seven and a half mil
lions; excise, etc, five-eighths million.
''1799-Stamp and direct tax, clear,
two millions.
'Tctal-Ten and one-eighth millions
EXPENSE.
Civil List-Three- millions
Foreign Intercourse-One-ha mil
lion.
Interest on the Public Debt-Four
millions
Existing army (5,OOO)-One and one
half millions.
'Tofal-Nine and a quarter millions
Additional Army (9,OOOl-Two and
one-half millions.
Additional Navy exclusive of out
fit)-Three millions.
Interest On the New Loan-Four-
teinfhS millions.
''Total-Five and nine-tenths mil
lions.
"TOtal-Fifteen and one-seventh mil
lions
II Is SdIu, however, tndt the deuc1t
of five millions need not be added to
our annual taxes for year or two
These subjects, compared with Gerrys
explicit assurance that France is sin
cere in wishing to avoid war with us.
that she doeG not desire a breach of
the British treaty, but only to be put
on an equal footing. and that a liberal
treaty might have been had. / leave to
your own reflections. / am told
that if you will exert yourself you may
be elected to the next congress. Pray,
dear sir, leave nothing undone to ef-
feet it. We gain on the whole by the
new elections, and If those of Virginia
are uniform we shall have a majority |
Two years more OF such measures as
we have had lately Will ruin us beyond
recovery. Never did so important a
public duty rest on you before. for even |
a single vote may decide the majority. /
It is truly case of moral duty, and I |
know your conscience Will not be in |
sensible to ii If you viii indulge its !
suggestions. I write to my friends sell |
dom, because of the suspected infidei- |
ity of the postoffice. Present me re-
spectfully to Miss Page, and accept as
CT grent and unaltered after !
ton from, dear sir. your sincerely,
THOMAS JEFFERSON"