The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1843-01-06

expenses Of he State ila aunsii State tax beng
sufficient fo, that pdrFn.r, and ol'o for The .ccU.
mu'a''nn III the Treasury, Wiihia the succeeding
seven Years, OF u surplus OF more lhan : 600
This is the origin Of the school fund.- these the
men who conceived the plan, these their motives
and these the circumstances under which it was
created, not as MIR s. would insinuate, by men
who build castles in the air, hut by men who
were the pillars of the State, men Of bnnevolence
and philanthropy, who regarded the cause Of the
poor and needy as paramount 10 the speculalions
of the hcartl'ss political demagogues, who would
rob them Of the boon designed for their posterity
that they may become enshrouded, in ignorance
and superstition; and of course \ more easy prey.
This fund thus created, was suffered TO nccumu-
ate without jealousy or contention, until by the
sslravagance and misrue Of federalism the State
was plunged in debt, when TO conceal their mis-
management and avoid the mental rebuke of the
people, the dominant party are seeking 10 rob the
poor, TO crafty the extravaganza Of the rich The
project 70 apply the school fund TO the payment of
the State debt originated in the chicanery and in
trigue Of modern whiggcry and WAS frs, developed
in the columns of the Vermont Watchman and
has been reiterated by its satellites; and tina, doc
lrne is nj present sustained only by political gam
blers and those selfish, misery wretches, who had
rather the earth should be consumed than pat with
few dollars Of their i'll gotten wealth for the conf
mon benefit OF their lellow-men, and by no others,
Aud how muchsocver - may regre, the party
aspect Of this matter, this truth does and will stare
him in the Cit is teieral plan.
Blu, how came the state in debl' This bring.
me to ry first proposition. viz; to show the flsily
of the statement, that "lhis debt was incurred by
building the State House" And for this purpose
applied to official Hhig documenis
Mr. Berry, Auditor in the Treasury department.
in his report to the House in lSil, fixes this debt
at Sl56,6ls,Sl. BY his annual report the same
year. the balance of income over the expenditures
is stated n, S767,6l, which deducted from tho
above, leaves a state deb, Of $l55,S5l, 90. BY
the report OF tho same officer for 1912, it appears
that the expense of,he State for that year, exceeds
the income by more than $4,000. 1t also mp
pears by the report Of the Directors Of the State
Prison, that, the balance against that institution is
more than SIG, 100, add the amount Of these two
items to The other and we have State debt Of
SlS6,95l,2O on the 3Olh dry Of Sept. last. BY
the report Of the auditor Of accounts, o. PIERCE
in 1889 i,appears that the whole expense Of the
State House was Z 2,6l2,s 3 and that the Town
Of Montpelier paid Of this sum $,5 900. which to-
gelher with the amount refunded by NIessrs Eds-
erlon and Young deducted from the whole sum
leaves Sll7,077,23 rs the actual cost Of the
State House to the State. |, appears also by the
auditors Report in 1888 tina, there wa, n surplus
in the Treasury on the 3olh Sep, 1882 Of $l5,55s
81, Dcduc, ihi, sum from tho above, and wt
have SOL, 5iS,9 o. as the amount Of deb, OCCASION
ed by the building Of the State House. deduc, ,hi,
from the whole amount of deb, as above and ws
still have balance of deb, to the amount OF Ss5
Of the State House. This amount is proved con-
clusNely from official documents, emanalin. from
Uhig sources, and Of course these doc umcn.s OF
the statements of"S" nre FALSE.
But the report Of the auditor in 1871 was doubt,
less incorcc, for i, will be perceived lhn, he hn
included nothing for special appropriations O
outstanding orders, which last item ii seems wal
something over $4,000. and il is susceptible o
proof and in fact has been proved that the deb,
tho date Of that report was over $500 900, and i
at present more than $l3o, 900 ettiusire Of Ma
arising from The Slate House. Now il wing log
c can 20, rid OF this, e, it do so.
LYCuRGuS.