Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-01-07
mG;3,:I.,ss.@N
FRIDAY MORNING JANUARY 7, 1912.
WING EXTRAVAGANCE."

been more extravagant in its expenditures
than its " ilustrious predecessor" Our
amable neighbor of the Sentinel and sew
eral other Tory papers in this State have
rePublished the article under the captivating
head of "FEDERAL ExrRAvAGANce." Now
we are ready to admit that the Tories, as
party, are very skilful in arithmetic. They
have process, unknown to mathe maticians
OF any other school, by which they increase
quantities by subtraction and division, and
diminish them by addition and multipica-
ton. As an Illustration of this mode of com.
putation, our readers will recollect that, some
twelve or fifteen years ago, the Tories were
accustomed 10 denounce, in unmeasured
terms, the Administration of JOHN Quincy
ADAMS as intolerably profigate and extraya-
CANT because its annual expenditures amount
ed TO thirteen millions of dollars. Such
reckless and unparalleled pronigacy of ex-
penditure, in the opinion of these patriotic
Tories, should not be endured for moment
by frugal and economical people. Give
us the power said these disintcrcstcd patriots
and we will bring down this "Ftderal en-
traragance" to the standard of Democratic
economy. Their smooth-tongued promises
of retrenchment and REFORM" fell, like
charmed words, upon the popular ear. The
'nsnspecting people, believing them to be
sincere in their professions, discarded from
their service the incompatible ADAMS, and
elevated the Tories to power. Then began
the era of "Economy." After an uninter-
rupted possession of power, for eight or ten
years, in every branch Of the Government
the House, the Senate and the Executive
by species Of reduction peculiar to the
Arithmetic Of the Tories they succeeded in
cutting dorm the expenses of Mr. ADAMS
outlay of thirteen, to the trining, democratic
item Of thirty-nine millions Of dollars per
annum. This was Tory retrenchment.-
This was prudence and economy. Thirteen
millions year in Mr. ADAMS was prohga,e
Federal extravaganza, while thirty-nine mil
lions, in the "gracetM Philosopher" of Kin
derhook, was economical, frugal and demo-
cratic. Blu! this all arises from the skill of
the Tories in cyphering. For as we said
before, they have mode of diminishing
quantities by multiplication peculiar to them
selves and unknown TO any other class of
mathematicians. And they are also able to
increase quantitics'ey subtraction and divis-
ion-of which fact the article from the Bos-
ton Post, copied into the Sentinel, furnishes
a capital illustration. For even according
TO the ridiculous and random assertions of
the writer IN the Post, the expenditures of
present Administration, during the first year
of its existence, will only amount to about
thirty-two millions of dollars, while the dis
bursements of its two frugal predecessors
ranged some years from thirty-seven to forty
millions per annum. Is this, exclaims the
Post, the great reduction of expenditures you
promised us evidently regarding forty mill
ions, according to the Tory method of COM
putation, as much less sum than huty-two
But the writer in the Post draws as largely
upon his imagination for his statistics IN gen.
eral as he does for his mathematics. He as
serts, for instance, that the expenses of the
present Administration, for the first three
f quarters, amount to s24,734 ,346. Whereas
of this amount nearly five millions were ex.
pended by the Tories, from the first Of Jan.
, uary to the 4lh Of March 1871, before the
present Administration came into power
And large portion of the remaining expen-
diture was occasioned by appropriations made
by the Tories themselves before the Wing
Administration commenced. The appro.
priations, for the current year, outstanding
! on the 4th of March last, made by Tory
Administration and Tory Congress, wer,
more than thirty-one millions of dollars, ant
n yet the Boston Post has the unblushing as
surance to charge this upon the present Ad
q ministration as specimen of Wing extrav
= agance. Another fact, essential to form
: proper estimate of the justice of this cry o
i extravaganza, is, that these appropriations
made by the Tories themselves, greatly ex
d ceeded their own estimates as made by tina
accomplished fnancier, Mr. Levi Woodbury.
Mr. Stanley Of North Carolina shows ihi
Q conclusively in the following extract from
e speech which he recently made in the lIous
). of Representatives on this subject. Gu
n readers will recollect that Mr. Jones is
e prominent Tory member from Virginia an
y was at the time of the dialogue here relate
N by Mr. Stanley, Chairman of the Commute
Of Ways and Means:-
''On the ed of March, 1871, Mr.. Jones, charma
le Of the Committee of Ways and Means, said, in an
OF wcr to question from Mr. Sergeant as TO The pr