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Valley Spirit: May 5, 1869 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Naturalization
(Column 01)

Summary: The paper criticizes Republicans for taking steps to prevent the foreign-born from receiving naturalization papers and voting.

The Registry Law
(Column 03)

Summary: The paper criticizes Republicans for writing registration laws that promote voting rights for blacks, but make it difficult for the foreign-born to vote.

The Plundered People
(Column 05)

Summary: Launches an attack on Republicans in the Legislature for wasteful spending. Shows how salaries of government officials and government expenditures have risen dramatically since the war. Says if people don't turn these men out of office, they will only have themselves to blame for the scarcity of money.

Full Text of Article:

If the speech of Hon. William A. Wallace, which we print today, does not open the eyes of the people of Pennsylvania to the enormities of Radical misrule, then indeed must their eyes be hopelessly shut. The stubborn facts set forth in this speech are enough to alarm any man who feels an interest in the welfare of the State. It must be clear to any mind capable of understanding the most common affairs, that the Radicals who have ruled Pennsylvania for the last eight years have plundered her people of more than sixteen million dollars.

Mr. Wallace shows from the reports of the Auditor General and State Treasurer that the amount received into the State Treasury from 1861 to 1868 was over forty-five million dollars--$45,346,506. He also shows from the same sources that the whole amount of State debt and interest paid from 1860 to 1868 was a little over twenty-four million dollars--$24,291,196. Deducting the amount paid on State debt and interest from the whole amount received, we have a balance of more than twenty-one million dollars--$21,055,399. What has become of this balance?

The expenses of the State government, as shown in the official reports referred to, from 1861 to 1868, were less than five million dollars--$4,842,658. Deduct these expenses from the balance left over after paying the amount above given on State debt and interest, and there is left the enormous sum of more than sixteen million dollars--$16,212,741. What has become of this enormous sum? It was left over after paying twenty-four millions on State debt and interest and all the expenses of the State government. Where has it gone? It is not in the Treasury. Who has got it?

The plundering disposition of the Radicals who have had control of our State government is shown by the growth of salaries and the general increase of expenditures. Before the war, the Governor got $4,000 a year, the Secretary of the Commonwealth $1,700, the Auditor General $2,000, the Surveyor General $1,600, the Attorney General $3,000, and the Adjutant General $300. Now the Governor gets $5,000, an increase of $1,000; the Secretary $3,500, an increase of $1,800; the Auditor General $3,300, an increase of $1,300; the Surveyor General $2,500, an increase of $900; the Attorney General $3,500, an increase of $500; and the Adjutant General $2,500, an increase of $2,200.

The expenditures of all the Departments of the State government have increased enormously. The worst of it is that they keep on increasing. They are higher now than they were during the heighth of the war. They were higher in 1868 than in any previous year in the history of the commonwealth. In 1863, under the Governorship of Curtin, who was not at all distinguished for economy, when the State was exerting all her energies to aid the General government in putting down the rebellion, the expenses of the State government were less than half a million--$446,456. In 1868, under the Governorship of Geary, in a time of profound peace, when no extraordinary expenditures were required, the expenses of the State government reached well up towards a million dollars--$845,539.

John W. Geary, under whom this extraordinary increase has taken place, will be a candidate for re-election next fall. The plundered people of Pennsylvania will then have an opportunity to condemn his extravagant administration of their public affairs. They will then have an opportunity to say, in tones that cannot be misunderstood, that this corrupt and reckless waste of money must be stopped. If the people withhold from him and his partisans in the Legislature the condemnation they have richly earned, then let them not complain that "times are hard" and "money scarce." When people allow themselves to be plundered year after year, money must and will be scarce with them.

Married
(Column 05)

Summary: Philip D. Crider of Hamilton and Margaret A. Coble of St. Thomas were married on April 27th by the Rev. A. G. Folker.
(Names in announcement: Philip D. Crider, Margaret A. Coble, Rev. A. G. Folker)

Married
(Column 05)

Summary: Jacob Claudy of Pottsville and Miss Willie M. Youst, daughter of William Youst, were married on April 26th at the residence of the bride's parents by the Rev. B. S. Schneck.
(Names in announcement: Jacob Claudy, Willie M. Youst, William Youst, Rev. B. S. Schneck)

Married
(Column 05)

Summary: Peter E. Clement and Miss Mary Armstrong, both of Franklin, were married by the Rev. S. Barnes.
(Names in announcement: Peter E. Clement, Mary Armstrong, Rev. S. Barnes)