The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-09-09
9oljtiral
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
The Increase of National Expenses
Where the Money Goes.

The extraordinary increase of our Ma
tional Expenses, certainly demands some
consideration at the hands Of the people.
Passing by any theory of frugality and
simplicity in Republican government;
passing by the rigid economy of JET
PERSON, GALLATIN, MACON, or the con-
slant professions of Democracy, as among
the things gone by, we should, at least,
pay some regard to the appearance of
consistency in the eyes of the world
When PAINE addressed his work on the
Rights Of Man to the people of Eng
land and Europe, he dwelt most elabo.
rately on the cost of kingly and aristo-
cratic government, and appealed to the
common sense of the people, against a
system which extOrted the fruits of their
labor to expend on the lust of dominion.
the pleasure of fayorites, or the pride Of
the government. He told the people
of England that two millions of pounds
(ten millions of dollars) per annum.
was more than sufficient for the support
OF the government of England. This,
he said, was more than the expenses un-
der the prohigate CHARLES the Second.
The argument of Paine was one of great
force; but, looked at from our point of
view, he must be regarded as a mere sim
pleton, to have supposed that the pos
SCISSORS Of America would initiate the
example Of Sparta, when they could
pursue the splendid career of Imperial
Rome. Had Paine understood the ma
ture of man as well as his great oppo-
nent BURKE did, he would have arrived
.at more practical results. As it is, he
has left behind him a most admirable
argument in favor of simple, ooonomi.
cal government, without any nation to
practice upon it. Our own government
has, since his day, increased its expen-
ses thirty fold, and its people about ten
fold. In other words, great as is our
growth, our national luxury and oxtrav-
agance IS greater We are not among
those who are disposed to complain of
liberal expenditures. On the contrary,
had the government expended even more
on science, education, or the encourage
ment of commerce, we should be pleas
ed with it, The money expended on
useful objects is never lost. The Coast
Survey, the National Observatory at
Washington, the Schools Of West Point
and Annapolis, the Japan Expedition,
even the Pacific Explorations, costly as
they were,) we regard as well spent, in
promoting the national knowledge and
the national elevation. 1t is not such
expenses that we condemn, nor any, for
useful purposes. But it is the lousfc. in
contracts, pensions, grants Of land, army
and navy that we think should be rough
ly scrutinized by the people, and brought
to the test Of honesty and economy
Why are we borrowing Hirty millions of
d0llarSin one year2 There is no real ex-
cuse for it, except the 10aui of foresiqht
But has a.statesman any right to give
want ~ foresight as a reason for fnan-
cial blunders? II is a fact, that for two
years past the Government has had an
immense revenue, and it is fact, that
Notwithstanding temporary commercial
embarrassments,t these years have been of
great and solid prosperity. It is a fact,
that such had been the extraordinary
drain of gold to pay for excessive i'm
portations, that any reasonable man
should have anticipated a diminution of
trade, and falling of in the revenue;
yet it was not done, and the nation is
now borrowing money to meet its cur
rent expenses. The revenue now is am
ply sufficient, ,butHe erpeRse8 are too great.
This we shall in due time show, but at
present let us refer to the increase of
expenses. The following is view of
the increase Of expense averaging each
period of five yearsfor thirty years:
Average annual expenses from 1924 to
1000 sa.1-.-s.- ~ 900