Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1839-08-24

pufsuade the people, that every mail routs
and post Office established since 1929,
ought to be discontinued, and every i.n-
provement in the speed and frequency Of
the mails Withdrawn, that the expenditures
may be reduced 10 tho level Of that year?
The common sense Of the people would
laugh 10 scorn any such proposidon.--
They would say that although the 5000
new post Offices added G, 900 men 10 "the
army Of office holders" whom il is at
tempted to render odious, and although
the 1851 additional mail routes added at
least 1900 men 10 the Recipients Of pub-
lie money, and although both together
have added s3,0o0,DG0 to The pubic ex-
penditurcs, yet, inasnuch as they were
necessary 20 the public accommodation,
and yield revenue sufficient for their
support, the Governor would have deserv-
cd censure if they had not been created,
and would be justly denounced if they
were 10 be abolished.
The same principle pervades every
other department Of the Government The
grow III Of The country produces necessity
for enlarged establishments FOR its accom-
mediation and defence, rs matter of
course increasing the public expenditures.
TO build up these large establishments in
obedience 10 law, SO far from being a
crime in The Administration, is lis impers
alive duty. 1t would deserve ibe public
reprobaiion, if it did not take the respon-
sibiliiy OF doing so, whatever might be the
consequent increase Of the public cxpen-
ditures.
A few instances will make this matter
plain:
The act Of 1882. extending the pension
system brought into the War Department
applications for pensions by tens Of thous-
ands which required some ten additional
clerks at an annual cost Of $l3,4 to ex
anime them. Who does not know that it
was The daty Of the Administration 10 APP
ply for,and appoint these additional clerksf
The prodigious increase in the sales Of
public lands, threw upon the General
Land Office more labor than the clerks
ALLOWED BY law could possibly perform,
and 10 1886 it became necessary 10 ask
for, and appoint, severity-nne. a3ditioaal
officers and clerks, at an additional anr,ii-
al cost Of Ss4, $50 10 bring up the basiness
Of the offico, md get out patents 10 The
purchasers. Would not the Adminislra-
tion have been dercIiet in duty, il il had
not asked for and appointed these clerks,
notwithstanding the increase Of public ex-
penditures therein involved?
We mention these cases, not because an
increase Of force has not been necessary in
other Departments Of ibc public service,
but TO illustrate a general principle. We
do i 10 show that so far from being censu-
rable for an increase Of the public exren.
ditures, when the public service requires
II, The Administration would be wanting
in duty, and justly obnoxious to attack, If
it did not recommend and promote that
increase. We do II for the further pur~
pose Of giving instances illustrative Of the
general progress Of our country, which.
from year to year, continually and neces-
sarily enlarges the number Of persons EN-.
ployed in the Government, and adds 10 The
public expenditures process which
must 90 on until our territory is settled,
our population becomes stationary, and
our trade cases 10 increase,
The fact that The public expenditures
have increased is. therefore, no argument
against the Administration. Itisits duty.
70 recommend and promote an increase as
the necessities Of growing country re-
quire II. Giving to these considerations
their due weight, the people will disregard
and contemn this general and sweeping
argument Of the Federal Orators. They
will call upon the disclaimers to specity
ttc cases in which the Administration has
called for unnecessary appropriations, Or
made expenditures not required for the
good authorized BY law. For such and
such only are the Administration Justly
unswerable.
We aver that The Increase Of expondi.
lures which the Administration has recon.
mended Of favored, is only such as was
necessary 10 consequence Of the rapid
growth Of our country, or Of emergencies
affecting the public peace which It could
not avert. We aver further, that much
the largest portion Of increase now come
planned Of BY the Federal Jeclaimcrsehsn
been forced upon i against It's will, and
mainly By hc revy party uhich folC tnakss