The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-07-08

kansas, now one OF the editors OF the |
Memphis Enquirer. supported Gen. Pierce
upon the ground that the expenses of
Government under Fillmore exhibited n
rate Of increase calculated to alarm every !
citizen. He made a speech in the Senate
to show that Fillmoro's Administration
cost the country more than Folks. w
on the accuracy of his figures, as con-
tamc,l in that speech, we do not propose
at present to comment, but merely TO call
attention to his argument Showing CON
clusivcly the enormous and wicked ex
trovagancc Of the present Administra-
ton to be far greater than was ever
charged upon any of its Predecessors
In abiding to his position in support of
Gen. Pierce, Mr.. Borland, the editor,
Says,
But were the leaders Of that Dsao0acg
with whom we were then united and
cooperating in denounclng and opposing
the senormous extrayagance" OF a Why
administration they equally sim
cere, or have they been at all consistent
in their course? Lot us examine the
record, in order to get atruthful answer
to this question.
First, there was General Pierce (mcn-
toned by name, only as the representa-
tive head of his party.) who, lifted upon
the wave which the ''cry" Of Wig crtya-
Udgdncc and Democratic economy had raised,
was swept into power on its crest. 1t had
been the "cry" of him and Of his party,
that Mr.. Fillmore expenditure of SiO,-
000,0 900 per dtuUdn twas enormously eX-
travagant," and, unless reduced las they
pledged themselves to reduce it, would
very speedily ruin the country; this
amount. be it remembered, having been
reachedby an increase Of 100 per cent az
erery period Of tCelre years,-or at the rate
of 81 per cent per d8aim. But when Gen.
Pierce, at the head of this party, of rigid
economy" came into power, did they re-
deem their pledges and reduce the eX-
penditurcs? Far from it. On the con
tmry, during the four years Of his admin
istration, instead of reducing, he increased
the expenditures from S4O,OOO,OOo, to
500. 100000: that is, 50 per cent. in four
years.-or at the rate of l2l per cent per
arn,1,; at which rate, the expenditures
of the Government, instead of increas-
ing, as always before, 100 per cent. in
| y
per cent. Tor become double) in eight
years. That is, Democratic .con0my did the
Z same amount of evil in only eight years
lor two-thirds of the time) which it had
required Wig ertaraguce twelve years to
perpetratel
Next came M. Buchanan, himself the
author of the "cry;" who, although left
out in 1862, was chosen in 1886, and in
the language Of a contemporary, ''has lived
not only to be President, but to fulfill his
own prophecy" as to the ruinous extent
to which extravagant Expenditure might
be carried, under II corrupt administra
ton of the Government. He not only
raised this "cly," but he swelled its notes
, and heightened it out, by declaring not
only that the expenditure of Sj0,OO0,OOl
was already too great, but could be 'c0H
4 sdcaJly reduced, with advantage both t
the Government and the people," UpoT
this loudly reiterated and long drawn out
/ he went into power. Has he reduced eX
penditures below the S50,000,00O as he
declared, before his election, they ough
2 to be reduced, and could be Consider
ably" with advantage to the Govern
ment and peoplew Nor so! On the con
2 trary, he has gone farther and NOR,
, rapidly in the career of increased eNpen
ditures, than any of his predecessors
: For while Mr. Fillmore only went to $40,
| 0QQ,C GEE per l.I-.--lEl land Pierce went Il
, 100000 600, which is an increase of fit,
3 per cent. during his whole term of tou
o ylara; Buchanan has already gone mp {,
$50, 600, 600 which is more than .ftty pc
f cent. increase during the first tr0 years, 0
n only one half of his terml This increas
, is at the rate Of about thirty per cent pl
: aau,n: which would douJic the expcnd
Q lures in little over Hree gears instead @
n t,oelre gears, as under FU'morc; Or in abou
T. one third of the time!l This is the sam
; Buchanan who, before he was President
> and in an orgasm of anxiety TO becom
q so, originated the "cFy," not only that
WIG administration was ruiningthe cour
/, try by eXpendng $4,000, 600, and ougl
T, TO be turned out for it, but declared tina
n the government ought to be, and coul
!, be- administered with increased advar
n tages to the people, for considerably
f smaller expenditure. And vet, when lac
y himself, becomes President as a Denu
q Graf, of the "rigid economy" school, husl
q es his own "cry," violates his own pledges
( and, in the short space of t,0O gears, il
d stead of reducing, actually adds nor
than .fJty per cent. to the expenditure
even as compared to the extravaganza {
G his immediate predecessor Pierce's las
It year 1856 consumed 500 l72,40l; b
J chanan's first year consumed S64, l1S, S2S
. and his second year (lSjS,l SS3, S56,T2l
In his letter above, Mr.. buchanan, j
II amost refreshing tone of patriotic sole
l. tude, gives the prophetic warning to h
= countrymen that, unless arrested by Ia
.. "strong arm of DcmocyacNP the eXpend
= lures, at the eXtIavagant rate at wlic
Il they were then going on, under a WI
II administration, would 'reach one htmolrt
n millions ma fe,o yeqrsFy He was right fo
= at that rate, they would have done so j
T. about twelve years. But, under his ow
u "rigid economy" Democratic Administri
3 ton, they will reach that amount at tn
d rate of 30 per cent per annum an
:. starting at $50, 100000 last year, they wi
fulfill his own honihc prophecy, at lea,
y by the end Of the present year, even
n they have not done so, and reached 500
e 100000, or more, ALREADY. What hay
q Democrats to say to this? Have the
leaders been sincere and consistent? Til
o facts we have stated are beyond disput,
t, The differences which logically flow froI
g these are no less Irresistible. What hay
1 politicians, sound economists, frank, "a
minded, patriotic, honest men, of a
a parties, TO say 10 these facts, and thes
II differences? We pause for reply.
: MUaoAL.-our friend !. W. Mco'orC
! of the Pulaski Citizen, has a fine ear fc
music Witness the following amiabl
exhibition of his weakness in that dire,
ton
!. Musioal- Very-The whining of thos
\ oussed hound pups, just across the stree
i from here. They won't let US sleep, {
! write, orread, night time or day time.-
= Our friends are invited to call very 500