Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1852-09-04
who Is ResponsIbIel

Inc Aoc0Ioco pePefs are making great
outcry against the oxtryagance Of Mr. Fill
more's administration; and the Democrat inli-
mates that the censures ofcertain acts Of Mr..
Fillmore and his confidential advisers, which
have appeared in certain Wing newspapers,
have had their origin in desire to escape, By
repudiating the administration, from all res
possibility for its extravagance. This is
sheer absurdity; for if there has been an ex-
tTayagant expenditure Of the public money
the Locofocos themselves must answer for il.
They cannot fasten the blame upon the ad-
ministration until they can show that money
has been taken out of the public treasury
without the authority of an act Of Congress.
The editors Of the Democrat very well know
that Mr.. Fillmore cannot take dollar oul
of the treasury, until authorized to do SO BY
the present LocofocO Congress; and in al
tempting to hold the present administration
responsible for the expenditure of the public
money. they are willfully aud deliberately at.
tempting to deceive their readers. The Con.
stitution provides that "no money shall BE-
drawn from the treasury but in consequence
of appropriations made by law" . wise pro-
vision, that efectually makes Congress &C
countablc for the expenditure Of the public
money. No Locofoco newspaper has yei
been so utterly reckless oftruth and decency
as to charge the President, or any member
Of his cabinet With taking money out Of the
treasury without an appropriation; and until
such a charge can be made and sustained
the last and the present LOcofoco Congress
must bear the undivided responsibility 0
spending the public money.
In the present House of Representatives,
there is an overwhelming LocOfoco majority
and that party has the entire control of th,
Senate.
Every dollar which has been expended BY
Mr.. Fillmore's administration. has, necessarily
and unnvoidably, first received the sanction
ofa Congress thoroughly Locefoco in both it
branches, The President and the Heads
of the Departments are merely the Agent.
of Congress; be and his subordinate officer
disburse the moneys of the Government. on
ly in the way and for the purposes which ar,
designated by Congress. That body is there
fore solely responsible and must bear tn
entire blame.
The attempt to hold tho Wings responsi
BILE for any improper expenditure Of the pub
lie funds. when the Congress is in the hand
of their opponents, is fraud that the mos
abandoned political proAigate might be sup
posed to have lingering sense Of shame
which would prevent him from adopting.
But the certainty that exposure woul
come upon the heels Of the fraudulent chsrg
has not deferred some editors from maxim
lit; and no frequency or fullness Of exposur
will prevent them. from repeating aud reiter
atng it during the campaign. There is
class of Locofoco editors who believe that
lie will stick to us better than the truth
with such, this will be q favorite charge, AM
f We expect them TO ring every possible varie
/ Ity ofcharge upon it, until election day. The
d know the character oftheir readers better tha
E we DOVE suppose,yet We cannot but thnk,the
have an exaggerated estimate of their igns
rance and party blindness, if they hope
deceive them with such shallow frauds.
But in point of fact, the expenses Of Fill
more's administration is less than that {
D Polks The expenses under Folks admins
j tration was $4S.s97. Ol6 per annum.
We have the official volume before u
called AnnudE Message and Aeeompdnyin
Documents, ls5I-2. On the 1lth page
the Presidents message we find this stat'
ment: "The total expenditure for the las 6sc
year was $4s, ,50o,s7s 6s."
But let US see how this is made up. o
: ths same page the President says: Since th
i lst of December last, the payment in casl
en- account of the public debt, exclusive Of 81
terest, has amounted to the sum of &7,5oI AS
D The same page says the public
J. debt amounts to $62. .56o,395 26.
The interest on this, which was
paid that year. would be over $s.75o,0o
$lI,25I, AS
Here is over sIsvsn and quarter million
3 of dollars to be deducted before we arrive .