Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1882 — From Eighteen Sixty-One to Eighteen Eighty, One. [ARTICLE]

From Eighteen Sixty-One to Eighteen Eighty, One.

[From the Plymouth Democrat. 1 “Can each things be and not excite oar special 1 wonder.” The management of the money af*» fairs of this country by the Eepnblletn officials has been each that an honest man is dazed ' jrith astonish* ment when he attempts to look over the facts and figures as they exist. It discloses such a mass of corrupt j ;b bery and robbery as to challenge belief, f nd has no equal even in i’ur key, where there is no pretension to honesty in public affairs. Could the voters know and comprehed the facts as they exisi, th**y would never return another republican to a public office we would naturally tbiuk. Let the readers of the Democrat take time to look over a few figures and fix them m the memory; facts taken from good Republican authority —the librarian of the Republican Congress. July 1. 1861, the total public debt was only about nino v and a half millions—iu round numbers (S9O 580,874) v There was cash on hand nearly three millions (2,862,213) leaving the debt, less cash, about eighty-eight millions ($87,718,660). January 1. 1866, the debt was over two thousand seven hundred millions of dollars ($2,773,236,173,) The Republicans had increased the debt in four and n half years over two thousand six hundred millions. From Ju ly 1, 1862, to July I. 1881, they c.ollcc ted from ordinary sources, besides loans, about six thou-aud five hundred- millions of dollars; and up to 1864, they hud put out interest bear ing obligations to overtorce thousand millions of dollars. January 1, 1866. Hie debt was $2,773,235,173; July 1, 1881, the debt was $2,069,013,569, be ing a reduction of only $794,222,604 What became of all the balanceof the immense sums they received from net revenues, besides what they borrowed in ehape of’ bonds, greenbacks, interest notes and in various ways? They have never told you and never will. So far, we have only considered the ordinary sources: customs, internal revenue, direct tax, lands, prsmiums and miscellaneous. Wnen we come to take in tha total receipts from all sources, from July 1. 1861, after Lincoln had been in nearly four months, up to July 1. 1879, including two years of Hayes’ term, we find they have received.from all sources, including loans, the enorinous sum of over fifteen thousand millions of dollars! ($15,760,458,807)Of this, they have got away with* $15,403,674,790, and on July 1, 1879, they had reduced the pnbli) debt less than eight hundred millions of dollars; the debt then being $2,24;5,494,' 072.

From June 30.1862, to June 30,1881, they had paid interest on the amount of over two billions; ($2,120,000,799) and for convenience we will credit them with three billions”paid on interest and on the debt, out of over fifteen billions. What became of the other twelve billions? Did it take that sum to run this government eighteen years—over four times the cost of the four years of war? From the begin ning of Washington’s term down to and including the first four months of Lincoln’s term, the total receipts from all sources, including loans, and the expenses of carrying on two wars, (with England and Mexico,) besides the Indian wars, a petiod of seventytwo years, were a little over two billions of dollars only ($2,230,947,173), leaving on hand a little over twentyfour millions of dollars and about ninety millions of dollars of debt. With only eighteen years of Republican management, the receipts are over fifteen and theree-quarter billions, disbursements over fifteen

billions, leaving on hand about $57,' 000,000 only, and over twenty-two hundred millions of debt! How could this enormous sum of money disappear by any other means thali fraudulent practices in the administration of government? stealing by one set and neglect by another that can neither be explained, palliated or forgiven? It is not a question as to Repeblican or Democrat, but one of citizenship; of national and personal hernor; of decency or disgrace. From July I, 1862, „o July 1,1881» the average yearly receipts from or dinary sources—besides loans—have been nearly three hnndred and fifty millions of dollares/ ($349,611,379.52.) The average populatition has been 41862,223, making the average to each person--man, woman and child—over eight dollars and thirteen cents; or to each head of a family of five persons an average of $65.04 per year. This sum has actually been paid in as revenue. The man of small means has paid in his share in the duty on iron, coal, salt, leather, books, paper groceries and whatever he has had to buy, and In other ways, and much more with that has] gone into the pockets of those protected by a high tariff.

The average yearly interest paid has been over one hundred and eleven millions of dollars! ($111,583*726). This is an average of $2.66 per to each person,or sl,3oJaverage to each head of a family, yearly. In 1861, the popu. lation was 35,228,000 and the debt per person was seventy-elgnt dollars and a quarter; or $391.15 to each head of a family, while tne interest person annually, was four dollars and twentys nine cents; or $21.46 to each head

a family. In 1881 the population had increased to 51,660,454. The receipts bad been oyer fifteen billions of dollars; but the debt was still $35,22 to each person and the annual interest $2.46 to each person; or $136.10, and $7.25 to each head of a family, respectively. What an appalling exhibit is this to contemplate? What unpardonable villainy is confessed by these statistics? And yet, much has been con-

cealed, no doubt,. Is not any kind j of change better than to continu e j such knaves in office? Are the repre. j sentatives of the people like the , people; and are the people willing to admit that this is.i tie way they would look after a sacred trust? If not, these officers|are knave? and incompetents, who steal or people should turn them out and: put in those more honest. Just heaven, only think of it! Over fifteen thousand and seven hundred millions of dollars colleoted in actual money. Over two thousand one hundred millions paid as interest on a debt uselessly created. Allowing three thousand millions for the coat W)f the war (and much of that was stealings), and after the war has been over seventeen years, here is less than one-third of that debt paid, and over twelve thousand millions of dollars have been used up i,n time of space, without the rebellion or any other war to count for it. Would any other people than the American stand under such a load of fraud and corruption, put upon them by those se looted to administer government? Yet this is the exhibit given us by the Republican officials who ask our further confidence.