The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1840-06-13
G, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PA. SATURDAY, JUNE 1a, 1910.
Number 2.

particulars. mentioned the increased
number of custom.house officers.
Mr.. BUCHANAN. The gentleman referd
generally to the custom-house officers
What kind of bill of particulars s this p
If the the number of custom-house officers
has been increased, let it be shown that this
increase was made without necessity, andM
was not required by the public service.-
This think will prove to be a difficuItN
task Let the subject be minutely invests
gated.
This is not question to be carried by
eloquent appeals, bu! by close examination (
of facts and figures. The Secretary of the
Treasury has laid the case fairly open for
gentlemen, and if there has been any expen-
diture not justified by necessity, am will
ing to unite with them in condemning it,
Three years of the expenditures Of the pres.
ent Administration are now before the coun-
try; and shall expect an early day, to hear
from our friends in the opposition on this
subject. repeat again, let them point ou.
the items Of extravaganza; and if we who
are the political friends of this Admnistra-
ton cannot defend each one Of them in de-
tail, we must suffer the consequences. The
people of this country have a right to know
whether any, and, if any, what amount Of
the thirty-seven millions Of dollars paid out
of the Treasury during the last year, has
been expended without necessity,
Sir, the necessary expenses of this Go:
vernment must 60 on increasing. No hu!
man prudence or foresight can prevent it.
All that we can do, is to take care that not
dollar shall be expended which is not ne
cessary, to promoe the interest or defend
the honor of the country. You might, with
equal propriety, say that the same quantity
of cloth would make garment for the full
grown man, which was sufficient for him
when he was little bov, as to allege that
the necessary expenditure for this country;
now embracing twenty-six States and three
populous Territories, should be limited by
/ what they had been ten or twenty years a.
t go. The position cannot for moment, be
, maintained.
agree with the Senator from South Car.
olina Mr.. Preston that sound policy die.
tates TO us to increase our navy. Il is our
, best and most natural defence against for.
3 eign foe,snd our commerce, which ID spread
E over every sea, demands additional protec
ton. But, according to the positions as
sumed by gentlemen, the appropriations
| which may be made by Congress to carry
this policy into effect would constitute, in
the aggregate Of the account current, a hea-
Wy item Of extravagant expenditure against
the President, who should execute our
will.
The'present issue is precise and limited
in its character. Have the expenses of the
Government been extravagant since the 4th
of March, 1887 -! We are ready for the
trial. This question, however, is not to be
decided by comparing the aggregates Of ex-
penditures for the year 1887, 1888, and
1889, with the aggregate for previous years
when there were no Indian wars-no Indi-
an lands to be purchased, nor Indians to be
removed, and none of the other enumerated
extraordinary expenses to be incurred.
have nothing more to say.