Year: 1868

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS DOM
DURING EIGHT YEARS OF WAR AND
STRIFE TO PRESERVE THE UNION, MAIN.
TAIN THE NATIONAL CREDIT AND PAY
THE DEBT WITHOUT EXCESSIVE TAX
ALTON.


OK the list of July, In the House of


Representatives, Mr. Blaine, of Maine. in


a speech on the Appropriation bill, said:
We have entered, Mr.. Chairman, upon


new fiscal year, and the last appropria-
ton bill TO provide for its expenditures has


been reported and is now before the House.
The occasion seems a fit one for a brief


survey of our financial situation and for


pertinent answer to the many misrepre.
| scntations so industriously set atloat in


regard to governmental expenditures. A
very labored attempt has been made


throughout the country by certain parties


and partisans to create the impression that


the expenditures of this Congress are on


a scale of needless and reckless eXtrava-


gance. propose to show that such is not
the fact, but that, on the contrary, the ex-
penditures are made with far more regard
to economy than distinguished the last
Democratic administration that was in
power in this country. The ques-


tion is one of figures and not of argu-


ment, and hence proceed at once to the
| figures.


It is important at the outset, to clear
understanding and clear comparison of
government expenditures at the present
time and the period Immediately preced
ing the war, to distinguish between those
expenditures which were the inevitable
consequence of the rebellion, and there
fore unavoidable, and those which may be
to certain extent controlled by the dis
cretion and fidelity of Congress. or those
expenditures which are the direct out
growth of the rebellion, count the inter
est on the war debt and the pensions and
bounties to soldiers and sailors. These
are expenditures which are not discretion
airy, but are impcratively demanded, unless
the nation is prepared on the one hand to
defraud its creditors, or on the other to turn
its back on the brave men who risked
everything that the republic might sur
vive.


The annual interest on the public debt
amounts to one hundred and twenty nine
million six hundred and seventy-eight
thousand seventy-eight dollars and fifty
cents. The pensionroll for the year will
be thirty million three hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, and the bountieS due and
payable will require about thirty million
dollars. These three items, which are not
discretionary, amount to the large aggre
gate of nearly one hundred and ninety
million dollars, well nigh two-thirds of
our total outlay for the fiscal year upon
which we have just entered. The fact
that so large proportion of our expendi-
ture is the result of the war, and is una
voidable unless we repudiate our obi
cations to our public creditors and our
heroic soldiers, cannot be too often re.
peated or too thoroughly impressed on
the public mind for it is idle to denouncc
these expenditures as eXtravagant unless
we are prepared TO withhold them and
whoever proposes to withhold them pro-
poses thereby to put the nation at the
same time under the doubly disgraceful
stigma of reputation and ingratitudc If
the Democratic party chooses to assume
that position it is welcome to all the glory
of it.


For the ordinary expenditures Of Gov
crnment for the fiscal year which has just
begun the appropriations are as follows:
Executive, Legislative, judicial, en-