Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-20
PIunder of the Federal Treasury
Public Printing.

The General Government seems to be con-
Quoted, in these latter days, with a view sole
ly to the consolidation and perpetuity of par
ty that the Federal treasury may be plumber
ed under cover of law. Every stump-speak-
er, pamphleteer, journalist and biographer.
who, in the name of patriotism. has blcd free
ly in the pocket or prostituted the brain in
political campagn-in fact, every demagogue
who, since the late Presidential campaign,
bends low and in bondsman's key gives in
his adhesion to the dominant party, imagines
that the doors of the treasury should open to
him as readily as the doors of the golden cave
to the daring robber in the Arabian Tales.
And too often for the good of the country
does the ''open sesame" of the shrewd dema-
gogue prevail.
1t has been well said that if man knew
the amount of the tax upon his coat, a spirit
Of rebellion would flash through his mind.
The thing is done SO indirectly that the taxa
ton is scarcely felt. If such would be the
case. how much more E.bellious would we feel
did we possess full knowledge of the enor-
nous amounts of the peoples money annual
ly distracted from the Federal treasury by
the spoiismen who congregate by Thousands
in Washington City. Verify, we should cry
out with Hamlet:
there's meier a william, dwelling in all Denmark
But hos III arrant knaVe."
Let us briefly look at one branch of the
grand robbery scheme-the public printing.
When this matter was brought before Con-
gress but a little while since it was found
that the cost of Government publications was
increasing to fearful extent In the Thir-
ty-second Congress the pnblic printing
amounted to S950000, in the Thirty-third
about 81, 900, and in the Thirty fourth
S2,333,000l Some $4,000 have been expen-
ded for wood cuts; in many cases, Of insi gnif-
icant patents deposited in the Patent Office,
and we see it stated that the extravagant sum
of $4,000 was paid for u single plate in the
Patent Office Reports. of no particular value
to any body. Of course these engravings are
done at the North, and the South is compelled
to assist in footing the bill.
Again. The publication of Gillis's Astro-
nomeal Expedition is stated TO have cost
Sis 900, EIuOry's Report S347 600, and Pa
cific Railway Survey some SS33,OOO
Thus it is, a single contract, after all eX-
penses are paid. is frequently quite sufficient
to make the fortune Of the contractor Is 1t
any wonder then that the public printers rea-
lie fortunes, and that some of the more hon
est members Of Congress should express their
establishment that such extravaganza should
be perpetrated at the expense of the nation
Is it any wonder that the contract system
gives rise TO "log-rolling' and lobbying :"
and that a scramble should ensue for the
Government printing?
1t is suggested that Congress, in order to
cure this growing evil, or rather this growing
robbery, should only 'order such printing 10
be done as is absolutely necessary, leaving
the rest to private enterprise" But this will
never be done SO long "a the Government is
made snbservient to mere party purposes.
The present Administration, for example,
seems mainly to consider what means should
be adopted to secure the permanently of the
National Democracy, aud thereby benefit the
oitice-hoiders, the place hunters aud the party
bondsmen who meekly follow its leader and
bow TO his mandates.
In this grand scheme Of public plumber, the
South, as usual, suffers most. Millions of dol
lars are uselessly squandcred every Congress,
and Northern men are principally enriched
by the operation. The public printing is but
one item iii this enormous expenditure.
And yet we find Southern men crying aloud,
with a devotion amounting to inexplicable
insanity, let the Union be saved at any price
let it be saved at the expense Of principle,
of money, of everything near and dear to the
South. WHAT we would be if our resources
were kept at home. any sane man, with slate
and pencil, could determine in single hour.
~ o. DeLI.