Columbus Democrat., 1839-08-24

ul5uss ~ Wisconsin and Iowa; the numerous
commercial towns Which have sprung up ON the
shores %. our lakes and rivers the rapid Increase
OF old States and cid cities still advancing IN pop
ulollon and trade, and wealth, whl,e sondug
swarms o.! erlgrauts into the Iutsriob all al au.
/ sNer this question IA language which no uau
can misunderstood. Never has our county, IN 50
i short umc, made such rapid 'ades as wihin
! the last ten years. There Is nothing TO equal II
+ IA he history Of the world.
What Is ,ae natural aud inevitable consequence
/ Why, considerable increase OF the public bx.
pendhurgs the establishment Of new custom.
houses aud additions to the force OF the old ones;
4 the creation Of new land Offices an increase OF
F The army and navy an extension OF the national
/ judiciary un addition Of four Senators and
+ large number Of Representatives to Congress a
/ ptopoiuouate augmentation OF force IN ne ENe.
culye Departments. Al these are The necessa.
I ~ incidents 10 the growth OF our country, aud
/ they produce necessary increase Of the public
/ expenditures.
/ This the fedeal orators well know bu, they
+ keep u ont ol sight, and endeayor TO make tho
/ people thuh that the administration Is eNtfava.
+ giant because the public expenditures are not as
small as hey Wrc ttecn OF twenty yeats ago
/ Let Us illustrate the absurdty of this position
4 by reference 10 the Post Office Department
which noJe than any other grows with the growth
oI the country;
1 In ls25 the number Of post oihcos was 6,767
4 In 1898 1t was 1857
In 1920 tho number ofpost routes in operation
was about 1909
ln 1888 it was about 1,S7o
In 1925 hc revenue Of the Department
was Sl,252OGl
In 1888 il was SI,C622l5
Within this period 6,900 had been added 10
the number u post offices, 60 10 the number
Of post routes, aud S3G0U,OoO 10 the revenue
OF the Department. Inlsmuch rs It Is the prac.
tee ol the Department TO apply the entire revc.
nue. TO the mail service, 1t followed is a necessary
consequence that the expenditures were increased
about S3,0uO,t00 also.
VIII any man say that the establishment of
new post routes by Congress- or of nqAApo oiR.
cts BY the Postmaster General, Incfvasng the
expenditures Of the Department, more than three
fold, arc matters for which the administration IS
deserving Of censufe Were they not neces4a-
~ for the accommodation pI our entcrprisng and
prosperous people Would not the admnistra.
ton have been wanting in duly if It had not pro.
moicd this increase Of public expenditure, II be.
my necessary TO extend the ben,hs of the mail
system 10 now settlements aud towns, aud IN.
crease HE facilities Of old ones Or viii the
federal orators undertake TO rursuade the people,
/ That every mad route aad post office established
SINCE ISIS, ought TO be discontinued, aud every
improvements ~ the speed aud frequency Of tho
mails Withdrawn, that the expenditures may be
reduced to the level Of that year ! The common
sense Of the people would laugh to seotn any
such proposition. They would say tha, although
/ the G,9vU now pos, Offices added 5000 men TO
" the amy OF Office holders whom ii Is attempt
ed to render odious, aud although the ,66l add.
tlonu mad routes added at least 5000 men to
The lcclPIents OF public money aud although
both together have uddod S3,0tO,00O to the pub
lie Expenditures, yet ln1smuch as they were no.
cessaty 10 the public accommodation, aud Yield Il
revenue sufficient Tor their support the Govern.
mcnt would 56so deserved censure II they had
not Been created, and would be justly denounced
If they were to be abolished.
Tie same principle peryados every s,r de
iatlmcut OF lhe Government. Tho growth Of
the country produces a necessity Tor enlaiged ss.
tabdshmenls or lts accommodation aud defence
as a matter ol course increasing the public ex-
pendaures. 10 build dup these enlarged cSab.
Iishmeuts ~ obedience 10 law, SO lar from beng
Il crime 10 the Administration, Is rs imperative
duy. II would deserve the puDlc fcprobauon,
It II did uot take the responsibility ol dom 50,
whatever m GIT Ov the consequent ucfcaso oi the
pubic expenditures.
A low instances vii mako this matter pIaiu.
Ia act Vi rs 2, extending the pension sys-
tcm brought INTO the War Department appltca
ions tor pensions ny tens oi lhousanGs winch re.
quIred some ten additional clerks at an annual
cost Of sl3,l5O 10 examine ,h3n. Who does
not know that II was hc duty Of the Admjnlstra-
uonto uPPy Tor, and appoint these additional
clerks!
The prodlglous increase IN the sales Of public
lands, drew pon tho General Land Office more
Iubol ,aan the clerks allowed by law could posi-.
BY pcnolu, aud 10 1886 il became necessary 10
ash iof, and appoint, seventy one additional Off.
Gers aad clerks, at an additional annual cost Of
9sl,J3D to bring UP the business oi the office,
aud get out patents 10 the purchasers. Would
not the Administration have bces dcrelicl IN du
ty, 4 II had not asaed lJr and appointed these
clerks, notwithstanding tho increase OF public
expenditures therein involved!
We mention these cases, not because an IN.
crease OF force has n9i been necessary IN other
departments q! the pubic serylce but to illus
tate a general puncips. We do j, 10 show that
50 iarir beng censurabIe for an increase of
The public expenditures, when the public service
requires Il, the Administration would be wanting
IN duty, aud justly obnoxious 10 attack, II 1t DID
not recommend aud pfonoe hai increase. We
DO Il loI the further purpose II giving instances
illustrative OF the general progress Of or coun-
Try, winch, from year to year, continually and nc.
cossarlly onlarges tue number Of persons en-
ployed IA the Government, aud adds to the public
eXpenddufes--a process which must 20 on until
our territory IS seulcd, our population becomes
stationary, and our trade ceases to increase.