The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-07-02

Senator Thomas ]. Walsh this month intro
duced a joint resolution proposing the obtaining
of a site for a statue to Albert Gallatin, who
served as secretary of the treasury of the United
States in the administration of Presidents JEFF
ferson and Madison, and for whom the Gallatin
river and Gallatin county were named. Funds
for the erection of the memorial are to be obtained
by private subscription.
In introducing his resolution, Senator Walsh
said:
"The adventurous Virginians, Lewis and Clark,
having followed the t%ortuOus course of the Mis-
souri, for more than 500 miles through the ter
ritOry which is now Montana, found it originating
in the confluence of three noble streams which
they named, severally, the Jefferson, the Madison,
and the Gallatin.
'"The valley of the GalIatin, surrounded by i'm
posing mountains, including peaks e~ternally white
with the accumulated SHOWS of centuries, is ac-
counted by competent observers among the most
fertile valleys in the world, as it is among the
most beautiful. The name and the fame of Gal
latin are thus preserved to the people of the
state have the honor, in part, to represent in
this body.
"They are, however, the common heritage of
the people of the nation whose gratitude for the
large part he (Gallatin) had in making it great
and honored will be fittingly expressed in the
manner proposed by the resolution submitted for
the consideration of the senate"
Comparatively little is known by the general
public of the services of this distinguished citizen
to whom Senator Walsh asks the erection of a
memorial. Like Hamilton, the first great treas
urer of the United States, Gallatin was of foreign
birth. He came to America from Switzerland
J,7viDr Tho DovOIv4;Oo ooI fooTry IOoo4oJ ~, Dan
nsylvania. Gallatin got his first political exper-
fence in the Pennsylvania legislature, and was
chosen United States senator in 1893. He was
a member of the national house of representatives
from 1895 to 1901, and from that date until 1913
he served in the Jefferson and Madison cabinets
as secretary of the treasury.
After that, Gallatin went to Europe and helped
to make the treaty of peace following the War
of 1912. He served later as United States minis
ter to France, and then as minister to Great
Britain. He died in 1849 in his 89th year, having
at the age of 80 declined an appointment in the
cabinet of President Tyler.
Although a diplomat of no mean ability, Gal
latin's greatest service was in the capacity of
secretary of the treasury. He was an Outstand-
ing advocate of governmental economy, and made
a record for real efficiency in the administration
OF ms Office. he SCeaduy decreased Cne puDAC
debt from the time of his taking office unit
the beginning of the War of 1872. On January
1 of that year the public debt had been decreased
to $45,O 100000. During the eight years immed
lately previous, $8,OOO,OOO a year had been paiC
in principal and interest on the public debt, anC
the debt incurred by purchase of the Louisiana
territory from France had been paid in full.
These figures seem small in our day of billion
dollar financing, but it must be remembered tina
at the beginning Of the 18th century the Unite6
States was anything but a billion-dOllar country
And it is at least worthy of note that more thar
a hundred years after Gallatin was secretary o
the treasury, and at a time when a monument i
to be erected to him, there is another Pennsyl
vaniaH in the same position who is also MAXIM
a record in economy and debt reduction.