Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-10
TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 10, 1859


Col NETRERLAED and his organs are quoting the
authority of prominent Democrats in the Senate
and House Of Representatives, in favor of retrench
ment and reform. 1t is gratifying to find our Oppo-
nents compelled TO pay this unwilling compliment to
the sOundness of Democratic principles and prac-
tees. Whenever they seek any just views of ecOnO-
my they are forced to resort to Democratic
If they wish examples of corruption proAigscy and
extravaganza they must refer to the conduct of their
own party.
The Opposition campaign paper published at
the Offices Of the Nashville Patriot and Banner is
filed with extracts from the speeches of Messrs.
GARKETT and STEPHENS, Democratic Representatives
in Congress, and of Senator's TooMBs and JOHNSON,
cOndemning extravsgsnee in the expenditures Of
government and advocating reduction in the ap-
preparations of public money.
We can supply our contemporaries with other and
still higher evidences that Democrats are opposed
waste, prohigscy and corruption. They not only
condemn these things in their speeches, but they
condemn them by their votes. $500 .--.-
The largest expenditure of public money ever
made was in the fiscal year 1873, when S72 29l,~
1l9 20, exclusive Of the payments the public
debt, were expended under the legislation of the
Know Nothing Opposition House of Representatives
Of the 34th Congress The extravagant appropriaN
tOns in that, as in previous Congresses, sup
ported by q msjOrity Of the Opposition and
opposed by the body of the Democratic party.
The Opposition clerk of the Know Nothing House,
WILLIAM CULLoM, Of Tennessee, spent ST.,
1929 O5 more than had ever been spent
by any previous clerk and $4,000 according to
the best estimates that can now be made more than
M L.
ed. Four Opposition members Of that same House,
proved to be guilty of the grOssest fraud and
corruption, by committee of investigation which
recommended their expulsion. One Of these OpposiS
ton malefactors testified that nearly every member
of his party IN the House had received brides in
consideration of their votes in favor Of grants Of
Land TO Railroads and other purposes. Thus, under
the control Of the Opposition party, the Congress
of the United States became open market for the
purchase and sale of votes, while the public money
was squandered with profigacy that threatened
the nation with bankruptcy.
The next Congress was Democratic. Democratic
members rose in their places and denounced the
travaganee and corruption Of the proceeding Con-
gress which they had been unable while in minor
ity, to prevent They determined, in the language
Of Gov johnson, to 'cleanse the Augean stables" and
reduce the public expenditures to the lowest amount
required by the public service. At the very first
session of that Congress they reduced the e1peB-
SEES of for the year 1913 to 6S OOO OOO Of
which S4Os OOOwas appropriated to carry OFT sol
emn treaty stipulations entered into with Denmark
some time previous to the commencement of the
present administration; $685. 900 was paid for the
expense of Investigating Committees, portion of
fsrraf nf fhn
official conduct of WILLIAM CULLUM, the late Oppo~
sitiOn Clerk S84l, $50 So for printing ordered
but not paid for by the last Know Nothing House;
and about four millions for the expenses of the
Mormon war, growing out of the appointment Of
BRIGHAM YOUNG as Governor of Utah, by Mr.. FILL
MORE, and the timid policy pursued by him towards
the Mormons. Dsducling these amounts from the
sum of 90 600 COO it makes the actual expenditures
of the Democratic House $50, 2l5,O79 a., being
reduction below the expenditures of the last session
of the Opposition House of about ten millions of
dollars.
At the beginning of the last session of Congress
the President sent in his annual message, in which
he said:
al invite Congress to institute rigid scrutiny to
ascertain whether the expenses of al the Depart
ments cannot be still further reduced and promise
them all the aid In my power II pursuing 'Ae Az
vestigation."
Accordingly rigid scrutiny was instituted and
the expenses of the government for the fiscal year
90 CO. were reduced at the last session of Congress
70 ffty-three millions of dollars, by the efforts of
the Democratic members of that body, with the aid
and cooperation of the President and Departments
being reduction Of more than eighteen millions Of
dollars below the amount expended under the legis
Iation Of Opposition House.
If. then, Col. N. and his party desire other Demo
cratic authority against the extravagant use public
money, they may point to the acts and votes, as
well as the speeches, of the Democratic party in
Congress. They may refer to the message Of the
President, urging further Tetrenchment in the
expenditures, and an actual reduction in compliance
with his Recommendation of Is millions of dollars.