Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-07
The niaeranpe-

main arguments Of the Democracy against tne
Whirs was the extrasaganoe Of the Aduinistra-
l~tratioa Of Mr.. Fillmore. The Democratic journals
of that day declaimcd. with unusual JUNCTION and
extraordinary fervor, against the enormous ex-
penditures'' of Mr.. Fillmore's administration
Those .enormous' expenditures amounted to
fhy-6ve millions per annum-a large portion Of
which, however. was expended in paying of the
war debt contracted by the Administration Of Mr..
Polk.
We hnd 10 an exchange an extract from the
Nashville Daily American Of September l852-a
Democratic organ then under the control OF Major
Eastman. the leading editor of his party in Ten
nessee. 1t is curious to see the indignant manner
in which Mr.. Fillmore's ADMINISTRATION was de-
nounced for "cxtrayagancc." We make the fol
lowing extract from the Americans article of that
date:
The Wing administrations Of Gen. Taylor and
Mr.. Fillmore. have cost the country in time Of
profound peace with ali the world and the rest
lof mankind" and without the spending IT n dol
lar for internal improvements, the enormous sum
'of $55 .4i2, 4Si GU per annum. just look ut it
nearly two dollars spent ut every ticking of the
clock. That is more money thnn n half dozen
men could count. tf il were all in dollars work
ing ten hours u dny. Farmers what do you think
Of it, Ii you wish the extra,agant expenditures
continued, vnte Cor Scott. The expenditures du-
ring Mr.. Polk's administration in time of war.
were S43. S97 SIG 81 per annnm. The Wings ex-
pend in time Of peace nearly one-third more.
The reader will observe that a great cutlery is
made because Mr. Fillmore expended f%fty-iiye
millions lin time Of peace while Mr.. Polk ex-
pended only iortythrce millions in time of war.
Tho truth was, Mr.. Fillmore wns paying of Mr..
Folks war debt. His average peace expenses
were bur very little over forty millions.
Such complaints. however, read curiously enough
to us Of the present day. in view of the fact that
our expenditures at this time Of profound peace,
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 spend
ing forty miilions-but Mr.. Buchanan may go
~scot-frec for spending nearly one hundred millions.
Though the Democratic organs OF that day were
particularly bilious upon the Wing Administra-
ton, the mus, Of them are now rs silent rs mum
mics upon a Democratic ADMINISTRATOR which is
spending Just exactly double rs much. One eau
not help being irrcsistibly reminded by this cir
cumstance. Of Acsop's fable about the goring of
the farmers OK.
Old Buck. himself, mt that period. pretended to
he very much exercised about the extravaganza
of Mr.. Fillmore, and wrote n famous lcttcr-or
rather an inlnmous nnr-declaring that such pro-
figacy must be checked by the strong arm OF
the Democracy" But ns 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 IA tie "enormnns cxpenditure," If Nh.
Fillmore, OF which he had made such hvIocritic Al
complaint.
These objur.ations about Mr.. Fillmore cx'ray-
agance were uttered Il little over six years ago. If
the expcns, rs Of The Government increase from for
w to one hundred MILL ms in six wears, in siy ears
more, Mt the same ratio. they will mount uI to two
hundred and fifty millions per annum. Ard insix
years more, ut the same ratio of increase. Wa will
be spending annually six hundreds and twenty-five
millions If dollars. At this lick, it is manifest
that the Government, both in capital and credit.
will be Incidentally s%manped and ruined.
But 'it is a long lane that has no turning
and the Democracy, having exhausted the rrcasu-
ry Of the nation, are now at the end Of their rope.
The condition Of The country. under Demo-
cratic misralc and profigasy. . now similar
to that of the be,gar. IA ieelingly dc. cfibe |
by himself, whp defined lis position by five oa't
and one tn