The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-17
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES.

ones in which they can only indulge the anglo-Sax
ons inalienable and favorite prerogatiye Of grum-
bling being greatly at loss for something else to
grumble about, grumblpg of the extravaganza of
the administration. Bankrupt, everywhere Of prin-
cples on which to make a contest with the democ-
racy they are INDUCING horror, natural to bank
rupts but affected in this case Of extravaganza ex-
pendisures. There can be no better evidence of
demoralzed opposition, bankrupt of all legitimate
grounds Of hostility to an administration than an
INSCRIPTIONS outcry against government extrava-
gance.
The government expenditures, except far as
they have been augmented by extraordinary and
temporary causes, and by the natural expansion and
outgrowth OF the country, greater, proper
tionally now than they have been for the last ten
years; but the opposition silent for awhoe decade,
during which they shrieking bleeding Kan
sas aud amenting the lot of Uncle Tom suddenly
reused to the evils of public extravaganza and to
keen appreciation of the frghtful waste Of filthy cre
From visionary philanthropy they have descended to
the incubation Of practical economy, and exhibit
ing much of the extravaganza and folly of conduct in
preaching up the last which they have been in the
habit Of doing in agitating for the first
That public economy should be rgidly enforced
upon their servants by the people, is true enough
but if we examine the condition of things in
those States in which the opposition have had
sway for several years past we shall find their
practice very different from their preaching on
this subject, and be convinced that if the coun-
try were to trust its federal affairs to the man
agement of this party, it would very real
ize the uncomfortable fact that it had eaped from
the simmer of the fryiDg-pan into the consuming
blazes of the fire.
We shall lay before orr readers in the course of
few days full exhibition of all the facts Of govern
ment expenditures from which it will be that
these expenditures are for the greater part fixed by
general laws the administration having no power to
augment or materially diminish their amount and
from which it will be seen 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 Repre-
sentahves of the 34th Congress voted at single
session ten millions of dollars more than demo-
cratic administration asked for, and sixteen millions
of dollars more than the present administration
would expend.
The expenditures of government fixed by
law; and the very in which the
administration is allowed by law to exceed the deini
tive appropriations made by Congress-. The responsi
bilty for any magnitude of public expenditure that
may appear for any special year is traceable in every
case to Congress and, if examination is made be-
tween parties in Congress to find which of them
this responsibility should rest it will appear in
every case that a large majority of the democratic
party opposed, while large majority of the oppo-
siton in Congress supported, the extraordinary ex-
penditures Itis the most unjust thing in the world
to hold up an administration before the country as
responsible to the people for annual expenditure
OF sixty to eighty millions when the regular expend
iture is but ttle over fifty millions, and this is
fixed and authorized by Congress; while the excess
of ten thirty millions over and above this figure
is directed to be expended upon objects conceived
by other persons than the administration, and are
originated by Congress
Nor is it fair comparison, even as against
Congress, to exhibit the annual expenditures of
government thirty years ago at fifteen millions
in order to contrast it with the present expend-
ture, which is about seventy For, in the first
place. every interest of the government has nearly
trpled in magnitude 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 habit
able and cultivated area, and in external commerce,
doubled in extent Of seaboard, quadrupled in ship
ping and external commerce, and sextupled in
internal and coast trade during this interval.
IT, therefore, fifteen millions legitimate an
nual expenditure in 1928, three times the amount or
forty-ve millions, would be legitimate now, if the
value Of money had remained the same but, two
dollars will go farther than one did in 1925
scale Of fifteen millions of expenditure thirty years
ago was about equivalent to what ninety millions
would be now that the government has trippled in
the magnitude of it's great interests and now that
money is deprecated to half its former value
We do not state these facts in defense Of or in
excuse for, large annual expenditure by tho federal
government. This ought not to be over sixty or
seventy millions per for all Objects extraor-
binary well as ordinary and, in the name of the
democracy Of the Union, rejoice that the opposi-
ton have consented to express themselves in favor of
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