Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-08
The Hobby OF the Know-Nothings.

We have shown that the extravagant sPprOiri-
atoms, during the Congress of 1861. we're made
by Opposition votes The Patriot replies. that if
all the Democrats in Congress had voted against
these appropriations, they could not have passed
The argument Of the Patriot is a capital illusra-
ton of the theory of the Opposition that all appro-
priations are extravagant unless they are made by
Opposition votes and go into Opposition pockets.
Another theory seems to be that it is the business
of Democrats to watch the Know -HOthings, andkeep
them from spending the public money. We can
assure the Patriot that we intend doing this here
after. The Know Nothing trick of 1855, which
put an Opposition msjority in the House, was too
strong for us at the moment, but we now guard
ed against similar surprises. The experience of
the country with that fusion will be safe lesson
for the future.
We give a specimen Of the Patriots logic:
"On Mr.. Duun's motion to send q Travelling Com.
mittee to Kansas-cost in all the expenditure re-
sulting from it over $4,000. Yeas, Dem. g. 0ppo.
10l. Nays, Dem. 6S; 0ppo %" Here, likewise,
if oil the Democratic members had been present and
voting in the negative the result would have been
chsnged-l2 Democrats absent"
You see, the point made by the Patriot is, that the
Democrats were not all present, and did not all
vote against the Opposition! Suppose we were to
grant this. We don't like the plan which the
Patriot suggests of reforming the evil to elect
but Opposition men to Congress. That would be
Just as wise as was the conduct of the boy who was
set to watch the potatce patch. The pigs got in
through hole in the fence, and the boy, instead
of driving them out opened the gate and let in the
old SOW to manage them. We propose, on the con
trary, to make the fence secure against the Know
Nothing pigs and to fasten the gate safely against
the old Black Republican SOW.
The Banner, also, which ste itself fat in 184C
with OoLE's gold spoons, is again feeding itself and
its readers with the provsnder of those days snt
with nothing else. We shall not object to its dis
pensing this food, so long as we have confidence
that the people remember its results upon the BODY
polite in l841-5. We object, however, to its prin
eipal illustration of the charge Of extravaganza
Il charges the expenses of the year ending sou
June. 1858, as being over ninety millions. Wesay
on the contrary, what we have often said before
that the statement is gross eEaggeraticn of tn
expenses of the Government for any one year; tina
the appropriations for that year were made by 81
Opposition House of Representatives; and that tn
appropriations now complained of weremainly mad
by opposition votes in the House.
The opposition talk economy when out Of Office
bat they never practice it when in Office. We're DR.
BURTON to come before the next Legislature and de
! clare that there is extravagance in our State Gov
eminent and that if again elected to the Office o
Secretary of State he would accept the Office 70
half The salary, it would not be greater stretch
ippulence than for the fusion leaders arragn tn
democracy on a charge of extravaganza.