Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-29
FizrIns Away The Public Money

The Council, Wednesday night, put through,
in short meter, an appropriation Of 81, 900 for
the Fourth Of July celebration. We would
like to be informed where the Council find
the authority to give public money for sucha
purpose. They have just as much right TO
put It in their own pockets. What will the
people have for that $l,O0O2 Perhaps
national salute Some dull sounds will strike
the ear at regular intervals, and 500 or 5000
will have been expended for tho public en-
joyment Perhaps fireworks. A iz, astreak,
pop, and several stars, like lightning-bugs,
and ifthe fzis afirst-class fz three or five dol
lars Of the public money has been enjoyed"
And 80 on; few dozen squibs goneina fash,
and thousand dollars will have been squib-
bed and fixed into smoke. This is one Of the
American ideas of public festivity. Perhaps
the 81, 900 win go for Refreshments for the
favored-the City Courcil always being fa-
vored first. Who ever knew any public
money appropriated for festivities or cele-
brations that was not thrown away2 That
is spurious patriotism which wants to cele-
brate, and calls on the Council to pay the
ignorant as to suppose that because this
money comes by taxes on property, it is no
matter TO them but il might as well be said
that the load which is put on the superstruct-
ure does not come upon the foundation.
Property or capital is as eternal as the
elements, and will always take care of IT,
self All the burdens heaped upon it
come ultimately upon labor. Look at
England, where property and capital nomi-
nally supports the immense burden of the
Government, and of the public debt, yet
nowhere is property and capital so cumula-
tive; and then look at the condition of the
laborers who nominslly bear none of this
burden, yet their sweat and si1ews really
pay the interest on the whole eight hundred
million of pounds of public debt, and sup
port the splendor of the Government None
should be so watchful against every increase
of the public burdens, as the laborer who
has no capital to be taxed
The sum in this case is small, but the prac-
ticeis great enc. The city needs new pub
lie buildings. The matter has recently been
discussed, and city paper lays it down as
matter of course that the money must be bor
rowed. When will the city be able to pay
as it goes, if with its great wealth and pros
perity, these demands for loans are constantly
increasing? A thousand dollars would have
begun the foundation. 1t would have fur
nished thousand days works to laborers
no need them. Would not this have been
as glorious to the city as fiz and flash and
a pop, and perhaps some guzzling2 A few
thousands more that the city fools away
every year, because it goes in small amounts,
would have brought the foundation to the
surface. A similar application next year
would have put on the first story, and in less
time than it took TO build Rome we should
have had City Buildings, honestly paid for,
instead ofswindled out of somebody by aloan
which, like the rest of our loans, would only
be settled by reputation. Now, we can not
begin to build because the treasury has not
fifty or a hundred thousand dollars TO spare;
so we shall do nothing until we make a loan,
and then we will have buildings that will be
"a credit to the city" at cost of half mil
lion, or a million; as if any thing could be a
credit to city that was a monument of city
ebt.