The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-07-19
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES

| GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES.
| The pamphlet entitled "What it costs to be
Governed" which is in circulation ia the variou:
Congressional Districts of this State, (says the
Standard,) abounds in the most s,aring falsehoods
intended to mislead and deceive
For example, great cutlery is made over the
cost of the Capitol at Washington, and the furni
ture of the various rooms, and the whole of this
cost is charged upon the Democratic party. Now
the facts are that the Improvements on the CAPT
tol were advised and planned by Mr. Fillmore; that
he appointed the officers who allowed the accounts
and made the disbursements; that the appropria-
tions were made by an Opposition" Congress; and
that much of the fitting up was carried on by
Cullom, the Know-nothing Clerk of the House,
who was detected in fraud, and who has been in
dicted for misapplying funds entrusted to his USE
During that whole Opposition" Congress the great
body of the Democratic members voted against all
extravagant appropriations, the journals will
show; but these appropriations carried by the
friends of Fillmore and the black Republicans.
These are the facts; and yet in the face of these
facts Messrs Leach, Gimer Smith, Vance and
others are attempting to hold Mr. Buchanan's ad-
minstration responsible. We tell the people that
they it to themselves and to the cause of truth
to receive with many grains ofallowancc any poll
tlcal statement which Know -nothings make. They
were sworn to deceive and mslead in 1856, and
we do not think they are better now than they
were then.
1t is also charged in the pamphlet referred to
that the expenditures of the federal government
increased from 1852 to 1858, some $4,000 900.
This is not true. We have taken the trouble to
investigate the matter, and we find that this PAM
phlet contains the grossest fasehoods, as we will
show. 1t states, for example, that the expendi-
lures under Mr. Fillmore in 1852, were $50, $50, :
$50 81; under Mr. Pierce in 1885, $50, 172, 4O1 81;
under Mr. Buchanan in 1857, S64 ,77S.S2S IS;
aud under Mr. Buchanan in 1858, SS3 ,S56,727 90.
Now, what are the facts? Why, the entire ex-
penditures for 1852 rs Mr. Fillmore himself states
in his message, were s46,O07 ,S96 20, from which
S9,455,Sl5 SO are to be deducted on account of
payments on the public debt; leaving the sum as
above given from the pamphlet. Now, if the au-
thor ofthis pamphlet had given the expenditures
of subsequent administrations in the same way--if
they had deducted the payments on the public
debt, their statements would have been fair and
true; bu. they have done such thing. The cx-
pendtule for 1856 were $50, 172 401 81, as given
in the pamphlet but from this is to be deducted
the sum of S3,OOO,O00 paid in execution of the
treaty with Mexico,--leaving S57, liz, 40l 81 as
the amount for 1856. The amount for 1857 is
given correctly in the pamphlet, find ref
erence to Mr. Buchanan's message; but the amount
for 1858 is greatly overstated. The expenditures
for 1858, as stated by Mr. Buchanan in his mes
sage, were SS1 ,5S5,667 76, 27I ,059 "a less
than given in the pamphlet; but from this is t. be
deducted the sum of s9,GS4 ,537 90 on account of
the public debt, which leaves ST ,9O1, l29 II as
the amount for 1858, showing a difference of
eleven millions, nine hundred and ffty-fve thou
sand, five hundred and ninety dollars and
that given in the pamphlet The authors of the
pamphlet deducted for Mr. Fillmore, without stating
the fact, SO to exhibit a small expenditure for
him. but they added for Mr. Buchanan, without
stating the fact, so to show large expenditure
for him during the last fiscal year. Was that
honest? Can the people believe confde in such
men?
Bear in mind, therefore, that the appropriations
for the federal Capitol were advised by Mr. Fill
more and passed by an "opposition Congress;
and that the statements made by the Opposition"
as to the expenditures under Mr. Fillmore, Mr.
Pierce and Mr. Buchanan, are, as a general thing,
unfounded and false.