Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-02-01
startling Facts for the People.


That there is very general and very unusual
movement among the peoplein opposition to the
ruinous policy of the dominant party, is patent
to the most careless observer of current events.
There is an uprising that reminds US of the flood
Of popular indignation which swept the corrupt
administration of Martin Van Buren, from pow
or in the memorable campaign Of 1910, and we
are inclined to think that the same causes are
at work now, which produced the desirable re-
sult.then. Prominen tsmong these causes, is the
reckless and extravsgant expenditure OF the pub
lie money, which is destined at no distant day
to overwhelm the nation with irretrievable
bankruptcy, unless promptly stopped by the
voice of the sovereign people. A movement has
been made in the right direction, commencing
here, in the old Commonwealth of Virginia,
which we would fain hope is not to cease until
those who have done the mischief and promise
to do more, are discharged from public employ
ment as unfaithful stewards and Improbable SER
wants We do but repeat the admissions of
Democratic newspapers, and almost in Their
very language, when we say, that the Democrat
ic party processes a special repugnance to ex-
trayagant appropriations; that they came into
power Oh a protest against the prohigacy of the
Adams Administration, since which time the ex-
penses of the government have increased five
fold, and that their very last enunciation OF
principles in the Cincinnati platform implied
pledges of ''retreuchment and reform" How
those pledges have been fulfilled, let facts gath
cred from Democratic documents answer! The
figures show, (and figures don't tell "Whig lies'')
that the expenditures OF the Government have
almost doubled in the last eight years, aud ex
coed by nearly forty millions the revenues of the
government, and that too without foreign wars
"a year or two ago." says the Richmond Elk
aminer, "the treasury was full to OVERLOOKING
there was plethora of revenue-now we have
I'D empty treasury and are borrowing money
The expenditures have increased nearly ninety
per cent. in eight years, whilst the revenues
have fallen off from seventy-three millions in
1858, to forty-six millions in 1858.
"a few years ago we were devising ways and
means to get rid Of the rapidly accommodating ma
tional treasure--now we are borrowers. II
1858, to meet the expenditures, we had S17,7O0
600 in the treasury, and borrowed $23, 100000
For the current year, ending June 6Oth, 1859
we have already borrowed 80, 100000, and the
government is authorized to borrow $40, 000, 00C
besides issuing treasury notes for 81, 100000
For the current year it is estimated that the ex
penses will be $73,O0O,000, and we feel well as
sured that they will be upwards of $50, 100000
To meet this the Secretary of the Treasury esti
mates the revenue from the Custom Houses a
only S40,000,0O0; we have therefore, upwards
of $40,0O00Oo to raise by loan"
With the finances of the country IN such
condition, it is proposed by the President ant
the party to increase the burden and saddle up
on us large national debt, by the construction
of Railway to the Pacific aud the purchase o
Cuba To what is the nation tending-but Il
inevitable bankruptcy9
Alarmed at the condition of impending ruiz
to which we have been brought by their owl
inexcusable misrule, and foreseeing the doom
that awaits them at the hands of an indignan
people, Democrats themselves are catching NJ
the cry that has been gathering volume among
the soyereigns of the soil-the toiing millions
and are among the loudest to demand "re
trenchment and reform" Was there ever 8
more barefaced and ridiculous attempt to perpe.
trate the stop thief" game upon an intelligent
public We are much mistaken, however, il
this eleventh hOurrepentanc viii do the Democ.
racy any good. The mischief has been done and
they are responsible for it. The handwriting
is upon the wall-"Aele meme, tekez, upharsin'
weighed in the balances and found wanting
The Washington Estates" truly says the issue
upon which they are destined to fall is ''the cor
ruption and extravaganza of their administra-
tion.n