The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-11-10
lseOnony. Retrenehment and Re.
form.

EeonOmy. RetrellehInent and Re.
form.
We have before US stray number of
the Oregon Argus, dated October IL,
1852, edited by Billy Adams, late Col
lector of the port of Astoria. Billy was,
and is, one of the bright and shining
lights of Radicalism; consequently any
position he assumes may be regarded as
that of the party. In an article entitled
"Corruption," in which he takes occasion
to rasp down several officials on this coast,
he remarks: "This Administration came
into power under pledge to economize,
60 correct abuses, aud install reformatory
measures generally"
Ne one, we presume viii dispute this
assertion. Let us see, for few moments,
how this pledge has been redeemed. In
1860, whea Lincoln was elected, the Uni
ted States were at peace, not only among
themselves, but with the whole world
We then had 10000, 900 of people, and
the expenditures of the federal govern
ment during that year were s63 ,000, 900,
including the interest on the public debt.
This was under the much reviled Demo-
cratic Administration of James Buchanan.
Scarcely had old Abe became fairly
seated in the Presidential chair, ere
Civil War broke out in the United States;
a war which, had he wished to do so,
might have been avoided by adopting the
Crittenden Resolution as basis of settle
ment of the then pending difficulties
But he, and his party, did not wish to
settle peaceably. They pretended to be-
lieve that some blood-letting would do
good to the Union. 1t was necessary to
baptize US in blood and as one Protest
ant political divine expressed it, to ''purge
the nation of Its sins'-thus virtually
thrusting aside the blood of atonement as
of little or no account, and embracing the
pagan idea that the shedding of human
blood will wash away the sins of individ-
uals and nations Lincoln and his party
had determined, if possible, to produce
war, and they had also resolved that it
should not close until slavery had been
abolished. We charged this on them at
the time, aud subsequent events prove
beyond the shadow of doubt, that it is
. true position.
But, to this question of economy, &c.
From the beginning of our Government in
17S9, when we had, in round numbers,
100000 of people, the expenses of the
Government, including interest on the
public debt, were at the rate of one mil
lion of dollars for one million of people.
In 1860, at the end of the seventy years,
the rate of expenses was $4,000, 900 for
100000 of people. Now, with 80, ,000,-
600 of people, the same annual chlrges
are more than s2O,O00,O0O to 1000, 900
of people.
Every man is conscious that heavy
burdens are upon him. In almost every
thing he buys, or uses, or eats, or wears,
he is met with augmented price. The
merchant, the dealer of every kind, the
lawyer, the physician, the banker, the
broker, the agent, the manufacturer, must
have license to follow their lawful bus
iness. The manufacturer must pay a
monthly tax on all he makes, and year
ly tax on all his profits as income the
farmer must pay tax on all the profits of
his land, and beginning has been made
In taxing the crop itself in the case of
cotton and tobacco. The principle once
admitted, it will extend to corn, and
wheat and grass, and to timber cut from
land.
This is singular way to economic,
to correct abuses, and to install reforma-
tory measures generally" One way in
which this pledge was redeemed was to
send Beast Butler to New Orleans, where
he became millionaire by stealing, and
robbery and fraud Another way was to
let Cameron stay in Office until he had
gorged himself with public plunder, and
then let him down easily and nicely by
sending him as Minister to st. Peters
burg. Another was to let federal Gen
erals steal cotton; federal offce-holders
all over the land, including Mr. Lincoln
himself, have fat government contracts,
by which they rapidly became the snObs
and nabobs, and the Goldfish aristocracy
Of the land.
Economy, retrenchment and reform,
indeed The country has had too much
of such economy, and the sooner the peo-
pie hurl from power those who have been
prominent in inaugurating this state of
things the better it will be for all con-
cerned.
DEMOCRATIC ACCEssIoNs TO LINN
6. B. Stone, Esq, late of Montana Terri
tory, but now Of Albany, subscribed re-
Gently for the DEMOCRAT; and before we
narted he informed US that he is not only
no-,oo-ok aDd aypeots tn live and die