The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-08-04


ances of appropriations extending int
this year, at Sle,46s.9 .902 28-amount
+ ing in all to S65. .344,327 rs, to which
j add the amount of the Post Office Ap
preparation Bill, $50, ,495. 788, now being
! anticipated by the Postmaster General
f and we have s2.849.115 rs for the fs
cal year ending June 80, 1860. To this
J. sum must be added the amount of the in
definite appropriations. and the interest
on the new public debt of $50, 900. 600,
authorized at the last Congress. Hence
it is not probable that the expenditures
will fall far short of $4,000, 900, for til e
year ending June 80, 1860.
1t will be seen from the official records
cited, that the expenses Of the Govern
ment have increased from an average OF
about $50, ,OOO.OOO in l840, to the enor-
nous amount of 100000, 600 per an
mum, under the rule of this newly organ
lied Democratic party.
And when the attention OF the people
is called to this proaigate use of the
public treasure, the more candid leaders
of the party in Iowa admit the expendi-
ture of the money. but defend its neces-
sity and deny that the amount is extrav-
agant.
AS an llustrious example of all the
rest, l have before me carefully pre-
pared printed speech on the " Expendi
lures of the Government" purporting to
have been delivered before the Demo
cratic Club on the 10Th of last Septem-
Der, by Charles Mason, Ex- Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court Of Iowa, and Ex-
Commissioner Of Patents, in which, af-
ter verbal criticism at hominem-better
suited to smaller man, as puerile and
inconclusive in logic, as incorrect in da-
ta-the author labors through twelve or
fourteen pages Of solid matter in mas
terly defense of the expenditure of SS4.-
600, 900, by this Administration as justi
fable and economical! The argument
when analysed is deduction from a
comparison OF the average annual expen-
ses Of the government during the eight
years of Mr.. Monroe's administration,
which he states at $l2, 500, 900, with the
expenses of the current year, considered
in connection with the increase Of our
population, claimed by him to have be-
come three fold, and the expansion of
our Tsgsi5erss iH sSjd ss dhniaafon hH hir Of the
value of the dollar. no he soys to lees
than two-thirds-and the exclusion Of
certain revenues and expenditures, (as
those of the Post Office Department.
now included in the estimates, which
were then excluded. He suggests that
an increase of expenses in proportion to
the increase of population would require
$37 800, 900 per annum-and If in pro-
portion to expansion of our possessions,
$50, 100000 per annum, and adopts as
mean between them, $40, 900, 900 and
observes that $40, 900, 900 in 1920 was
of more intrinsic value than $50, 900, 900
at the present day"-and insists that the
expenditure of the remaining S26 .O0O.-
600 may be satisfactorily accounted for
from other causes. The conclusion of his
agument is in these words:
So far from being liable to the charge
of increased and increasing extrava-
gance. feel justified in asserting. that
the Government during the present year
will be administered with more compar-
alive economy than was that of President
Monroe"
will not enter into detailed expos
ure Of the fragrant errors of his data as
stated, and the glaring falacy of his rea-
soning. This is no more necessary for
my purpose than unweaving the meshes
OF the SPIDERS web across his path is for
the progress of the traveller, admire the
genius displayed in its construction, and
have no ill-wil FOR the author but as its
only design is to entrap the unwary, l
propose simply to brush it away.
As a sample of inaccuracy and decep-
tive character of the whole speech, and
Of those which will follow during the ap-
preaching campaign, from this AS a text
book, now cite the following from page
seven: 81 aa L1
1t was stated by Mr.. Letcher on the
floor Of Congress, and not contradicted
as far as know. that in 1915. the States
and organized Territories of the United
States covered space of 759. .5s4 square
miles. while at the present time they en-
brace an area of 3,268,00O. Since that
time and prior to 1890, We acquired the
the Floridas, with surface of $4,000
square miles. But even with these ad-
ded, we see that the present area is
more than four times as much as it was
in 1920"
Compare this with the statement Of
the area of the United States. on page
32 of the census report for 1859. From
this statement il is seen that the Terrific
ry of the United States was, in 1890,
more than two-thirds of its present size !;
and hence the expenses of the Govern
ment. according to this ratio Of increase
should be but Sl8, ,750, 900 per annnm,
and not .Jitiy millions as assumed. This
one correction will make sad havoc with
his conclusion, if we were to admit, which
we cannot, the correctness Of every 9TH
er element in his calculation.
1t is no part of my purpose to inquire
whether his Democratic friend, Mr..
Letcher deceived him, or whether the
learned Judge intended to deceive the
people with a mere play on the words
.torganized territories"