Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-03-09
PUBLIC EXPENDITURES.

that ssecoaorly in public expenditures" Is one
of the issues upoa which the Democracy must
90 before -, eornsv in the next Presidential
election. ..1Hese expenditures The says) have
now reached the enormous sum of fifty millions
of dollars per amman, and, unless arrested in
their advance By the strong arm of the Demo-
crazy of the country, may, in the course OF
few wears, reach one hundred Millions
What the expenses of this government will
amount to Sin the course of a few years. we
shall not undertake to conjecture, but of this we
feel assured, that if they continue to advance
until ARRESTED by the strong arm OF the De-
mocracy,'' their movement will be one OF lnfl-
mite progression and there is principle OF
mathematics, pure, speculative or mixed, by
which a Newton or Leibnitz could ascertain
the point at which they are destined to stop
We apprehend that the Sage of Wheatland''
will nd to his cost that it is too late, by at least
quarter of century, for the Democracy to
raise the cry of ECONOMY and retrenchment."
That cry served their purpose once, Blu t It will
hardly do it again. 1t is one OF those buried
humbugs of past era, which gavanism itself
cannot waken even into momentary manifesto
ton of vitality. Mr.. Buchanan's public expe-
rience may authorize him to presume largely
on popular gullibility, but we humbly submit
that he carries the matter little too far in pro:
claiming at this late day, the absolete Demo-
cratic text of 'retrenchment and economy" in
the face of the practical commentary on that
text, which is afforded by the course OF the
Democracy whilst in power.
1t was mainly by their clamorous denuncia
tions of the extravaganza of Mr.. Adams's ad
ministration and their equally clamorous pro-
LESSONS of determination to bring about re-
form in this particular that the Democratic
party succeeded in driving Mr.. Adams into re-
trement, and placing General Jackson in the
presidential chair. The former had expen-
ded about thirteen millions annually and the
people were told then, as Mr.. Buchanan tells
them now, that they might rely upon the strong
arm of the Democracy to arrest this wastefu
and unheard Of prodigality. But how were
these promises fulfilled! We have not the Of
fetal document. bearing on this subject at hand
but we may venture to assert without the fear
of contradiction from any quarter, that the ave-
Gen. Jackson's administration were doubled in
amount compared with those of the proceed
ing administration. The s'strong arm of the
Democracy instead of being employed, as had
been promised, to arrest the career of public ex-
travagance, was thrust elbow deep into the trea-
sury.
Gen. Jackson succeeded by his adopted
hair Mr. Won ho
ton it was to follow in the footsteps of his il
lustrious predecessor, aud of whom it may be
emphatically said in the this connexion, sssequi-
tur patren, non passibus cquiS." He certainly
followed his political sire with .'unequa steps,
for we learn from the official statements of that
day, that he expended during the four years
of his administration the sum of one hundred
and thirty-three millions, or about thirty ght
millions annually, besides leaving heavy debt
tobe paid off BY the Waig administration of Gen.
Harrison. Tla p3o.,l, had overlooked the
failure of the hero Of New Orleans to carry out
in good faith TIA D nocratic promises of re-
trenchment All a:o iony; but they were not
equally indug ,-t to ,tls his successor, and the
administration of II. Van Buren, was swept
epoch, we have heard but little from the De-
mocracy, on the subject Of expenditures. 1t
has evidently been sore topic to them, and we
are somewhat surprised that the veteran aspi-
rant from Pennsylvania should have been indis-
Greet enough to revive it.
Passing over the administration of Mr. TYLER,
for which neither party, we believe, holds itself
raopopofhja &c D.
Whatr egard the Democracy exhibited for econo-
my in the public expenditures during the course
Of that administration, is well known to the
country and need not now be dwelt upon. Suffice
1t to say that Mr.. Polk whilst in power expended
all the accruing revenues of the government and
bequeathed a debt of sixty or seventy millions
to the nation 1t may be urged that the greater
portion of this amount was expended in the
prosecution of the Mexican war, but we an
swer that that war was Democratic measure,
and that the Democratic party are alone respon-
sible for its consequences. And if the expenses
OF the government now amount to fifty millions
annually, as Mr. Buchanan asserts, we have
no body but the Democracy to thank for it.
For every man of ordinary information must
be aware that our recent territorial acquisitions
which are the fruit of Democratic policy, have
CONSTRUCTED to swell the expenditures of the 60
vernment to enormous extent.
The history of the democratic party from the
year 1928 down to to the present time, show.
most conclusively that swhen in power, they
have squandered the public money with reck-
less prodigality, and we cannot but look upon
the attempt now made by Mr.. Buchanan to
make ECONOMY in public expenditures" one of
the issues in the approaching Presidential cleo
ton, as one of the --LATEST and silliest humbugs
of the day.
But we fearthat this revelation from the Usage
of Wheatland' is not happily calculated to win