Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-10-06
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES.


ever localities of the Union they may be found
whether in those northern ones in which they dis
mite supremacy with the democracy, or in those
southern ones in which they can only indulge the
ango-Saxon's inalensbe and favorite prerogatve OF
grumbling- greatly at loss for something
else to Hrumble about, grumbling of the ertrao
oqance Of the administration. Bankrupt here
Of principles on which to make q contest with the
democracy, they are INDUCING horror, natural to
bankrupta but affected in this case, of exravagant
expenditures There can be. no better evidence ofs
demoraIized opposition, bankrupt of all legitimate
grounds of hostility to ar administration, thsn an
INSCRIPTIONS outcry against government extrava-
gance.
The government expenditures, except SO far as
they have been augmented by extraordinary and
temporary causes, and by the natural expansion and
outgrowth of the country, are no greater, proper
tionaly, now than they have been for the last ten
wears but the opposition, silent for whole decade,
during which they we're shriekipg over bleeding
Kansas and lamenting the lot of Uncle Tom are sud.
denly reused to the evils ofpubc extravaganza and
to keen appreciation Of the frghtful waste of filthy
lucre. From visionary philanthropy they have de:
sended to the incubation of practical economy, and
are exhibiting much of the extravaganza and folly
of conduct in preaching up the last which they have
been in the habit Of doing in agitation for the first
That public economy should be rigidy enforced
upon their servants by the people, is true enough;
but if we examine the condition Of things in those
several years past shall find their practice very
different from their preaching on this subject. and
be convinced that the country were to trust its fed
era affairs to the management ofthis party, i: would
very realize the uncomfortable fact that it had
leaped from the simmer of the frying.pan into the
consuming blazes of the fire.
We shall Law before readers in the course of
few DAYS full exhibition of all the facts of govern
ment expenditures; from which it will be seen that
these xpendures are for the greater part fixed by
general laws the administration having power to
augment or materially diminish their amount and
from which it will be that It has been the habit
of Congress for several years to order larger expen
ditures than have been demanded by the estimates
of the departments the democratic members OF Con-
gress opposing the only strenuous opposition to these
appropriations that was made at all 1t will be
shown especially that the opposition House OF Rep
resentatives of the 34th Congress voted at single
session ten millions of dollars than democrat
ic administration asked for, and sixteen millions of
dollars more than the present administration would
expend.
The expenditures of government are fixed by law;
and the cases very rare in which the admnistra-
preparations made by Congress The responsibility
for any magnitude of public expenditure that may
appear for any special year is traceabe in every case
to Congress and, if examination is made as between
parties in Congress to find on which of them this re-
sponsbility should rest, it will appear in every case
ed while large majority Of the opposition in Con-
gress supported, the extraordinary expenditures
It is the most unjust thing in the world to hold up
an administration before the country as responsible
to the people fora annual expenditure Of sixty to
eighty millions, when the regular expenditure is but
little over fifty millions, and this is fixed and author
lied by Congress while the excess Of ten or thirty
millions over and above this figure is directed to be
expended upon objects conceived by other persons
than the administration, and originated BY Con-
gress.
Nor is it a fair comparison, even as against Con-
gress to- exhibit the annual expenditures Of govern
ment thirty years ago at fifteen MILL MS in order to
contrast it with the present expenditures, which is
about seventy. For, in the first place. every inter
es: of the government has nearly trpled in magni-
tude within this period of thirty years; while the
value of one dollar formerly, as everybody knows
in his domestic economy, was as great as two or
more dollars is now. The country has tripled in
population, in dimensions in habitable and cultiva.
ted area, and in external commerce, doubled in ex
tent of seaboard. quadruped in shipping and exter
nal commerce, and sextupled in internal and coast
trade during this interval.
If therefore, fifteen millions was legitimate an
nual e penditure in 1928, three times the amount
forty-ive millions, would be legitimate now, if
the value of mouey had remained the same, but, as
two dollars now will 60 no farther than one did in
1928 scale Of fifteen millions of expenditure thirty
years ago was about equivalent to what ninety NIL
lions would be now that the government has trip;ed
in the magnitude of its great interests and now that
money is deprecated to half its former value.
We do not state these facts in defense Of in ex
cuse sor large annual expenditure by the federal
government This ought not to be over sixty or
seventy millions per annum for all objects, exraor-
binary as we'll as ordinary; and, in the name Of the
6sv q s d943 ha the
Of economy; and we pledge our party to a sincere
and jealous operation its part with them in all
honest efforts in this direction Wash. Union.