The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-06-10


InlA6 PRESIDENTIAL canvass of 1852, says
the L}nchbnrg virginian of late de-.
one 81 tho muin arguments of the iismos]
cra< against the Wings was the cxtrava-]
canoe Of the Administration of Mr.. Fills1
|srndse. The Democratic Journals Of thas
day declaimed with unusual JUNCTION and
extraordinary fervor, against the "enor-
nous expenditure" of Mr.. Fillmore's
Administration. Those enormous" ex-
penditures amounted to fifty-fvc millions
per anmrm--a large portion of which,
however, was expended in paying off the
war debt contracted by the 'Administra-
ton of Mr.. Polk.
We find in an exchange an extract from
the Nashville Daily American of Septem-
Der l852-a Democratic organ then under
the control of Major Eastman, the lead.
ing editor of his party in Tennessee. 1t
is curious to see the indignant manner in
which Mr.. Fillmores Administration was
denounced for Extravaganza" Wemakc
the following extract from the Americans
article of that date:
Tho Wing administrations of General
Taylor and Mr. Fillmore, have cost the
country in time of profound peace with
all the world and the rest of mankind"
and without the spending of a dollar for
| internal improvements, the enormous
| sum of S55, Az, 4Sl, per annum. just
| look at it---nearly two dollars spent at
every ticking of the clock. That is more
money than half dozen men could
count, (if it were all in dollars,) working
ten hours q day. Farmers what do you
think of it? If you wish the extrava-
CANT expenditures continued vote for
Scott. The expenditures during Mr..
Folks administration in time of war,
were 1897 ,Sl6 81 per nnmim. The
Wings expend in time of peace nearly
one-third more. -.
The reader will observe that great
cutlery is made because Mr.. Fillmore en-
pended fifty-ive millions sin time of
peace" while Mr.. Polk expended only
forty-three millions in time of war. The
truth was, Mr.. Fillmore was paying off
Mr.. Folks war debt. His average peace
expenses were but very little over forty
millions.
Such complaints, however, read curl
ously enough to us of the present day, in
view of the fact that our expenditures at
this time of profound pesce, and when
we have no war debt to pay of, have run
up to very nearly one hundred millions
of dollars! Mr.. Fillmore was condemned
for spending forty millions-but Mr.. Bu-
chanan may 60 scot-free for spending
nearly one hundred millions!
Though the Democratic organs of that
day were particularly bilious upon the
Wing administration, the most of them
are now as silent as mummies upon
a Democratic Administration which is
spending just exactly double as much
One cannot help being irresistibly re-
minded by this circumstance, of Esop's
fable about the goring of the farmers
OK.
Old Buck, himself, at that period, pre-
tended to be very much exercised about
the extravaganza of Mr.. Fillmore, and
wrote famous letter--or rather an infil-
nous one-declaring that such profgacy
must be checked by the strosg arm of
the Democracy" But as soon as Old
Buck got into power himself, the only
checking he did was to check out of the
Treasury just about double as much as
the enormous expenditures" of Mr.. Fill
more, of which he had made such hypo-
critical complaint.
These objurgations about Mr.. Fillmore
extravaganza were uttered little over
six years years ago. If the expenses of
the Government increase from forty to
one hundred millions in six years, in six
years more, at the same ratio, they will
mount up to two hundred and fifty mil
lions per annum! And in SIX years more,
at the same ratio of increase, we. will be
spending annually six hundred and twen-
ty-five millions of dollars At this lick,
it is manifest that the Government, both
in capital and credit, will be irrcdcem-
ably swamped and ruined!
But sit is long lane that has no turn
ing"-and the Democracy, having ex-
hausted the Treasury of the nation, are
now at the end of their rope. The con-
dition of the country, under Democratic
misrule and profigacy, is now similar to
that of the beggar, as feelingly described
by himself, who "defined his position" by
five outs and one in
"Out of money, and out of clothes,
| Out at the heels, and out at the toes,
Out Of credit, and IN debt"
The LEGISLATURE IN VIRoINIA.-The
Abingdon Virginian, of the 4th says