The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-12-17

These provisions should be at once
annulled, for, while the first light,
in times of great emergency, seri-
ously embarrass the Executive in
his efforts to employ and direct the
common strength of the nation of
the United States for it's protection
and preservation, the other is con
trary to the express declaration of
the Constitution, that q well-regula-
ted militia being necessary to the
security of free State, the right of
the people to keep and bear arms
shal not be infringed. tits believed
that the repeal of all such laws would
be accepted by the American people
as at least partial return to the
fundamental principles of the Gov
ernment, and an indication that
hereafter the Constitution is to be
made the nations safe and unerring
guide. They can be productive of
and should not be PERMITTED to stand
as so many monuments of the de
ficient wisdom which has character
lied our recent legislation. The
condition of our finances demand
the early and earnest consideration
of Congress. Compared with the
bulk of our population, the public
expenditures have reached an
amount unprecedented in onr histo-
ry. The population Of the United
States in 1880 was nearly four mil
lions of people. Increasing each
year about thirty-three per cent, it
reached, in 1860, thirty-one millions,
an increase Of seven hundred per
cent. of the population in 1890.
In 1869 it is estimated that it will
reach thirty eight millions, of an
increase of eight hundred and sixty
eight per cent. in seventy-nine years.
The annual expenditures of the fed
eral Government in 1871 were 81,
100000, in 1920 $lS,200,O0O, in
1850 $4,000, 600, in 1860 3,O00,-
600, in 1866, nearly $1,3O0,00o,000,
and in 1869 it is estimated by the
Secretary Of the Treasury in his last
annual report, that they will be 1912,
000,O00. BY comparing the public
disbursements Of 1869, as estimated,
with those Of 1871, it will he seen
that the increase ofexpenditure since
the beginning Of the Government
has been S,6l0 per centum, while
the Increase of the population for
the same period was only S69 per
centum. Again, the expenses ofthe
Government in 1860, the year OF
peace Immediately preceding the
war, were only sixty three millions.
while in 1869, the year Of peace
three years after the war, it is esti-
mated they will be three hundred
and seventy two millions, an in
crease of four hundred and eighty
nine per cent, while the increase OF
population was only twenty one per
cent. for the same period. These
statistics further show that in 1701
the annual national expenses, com
| pared with the population, were lit
tie more than one dollar per capita,
and in 1860 but two dollars per
capita, while in 1869 they will reach
the extravagant sum of nine dollars
and seventy eight cents per capita.
It will be observed that all of these
statements refer to and exhibit the
disbursements Of periods Of peace.
It may, therefore, be of interest to
compare the expenditures of the
three war periods-the war with
Great Britain, the Mexican war and
the war of the Rebellion. In 1914
the annual expenses incident to the
war of 1872 reached their high est
amount, about 1881 100000, while
our population slightly exceeded s,
100000, showing an expenditure of
only three dollars and eighty cents
per capft1. In IS4S the e2pend-
itures growing out Of the war with
Mexico reached S55, 100000 and the
population about 100000, giving
only s. 60 per capita for the
war expenses of that year.
In 1865 the expenditures
called for by the rebellion
reached the vast amount of twelve
hundred and ninety millions, which,
compared with population of thir-
ty-four millions, gives thirty eight
dollars and twenty cents per capita.
From the 4th day Of March, 1889,
to the Sd day of June, 1861, the en-
tire exr enditures ofthe Government
were seventeen hundred millions OF
dollars. During that period we were
engaged in war with Great Britain
and Mexico, and were involved in
hostilities with powerful Indian
tribes. Louisiana was purchased
from France, at cost of fifteen
millions Of dollars.
Florida was sold to the United
States by Spain for S5,000,000. Cal
ifornia was acquile ed from Mexico
for S15, 900, ,000, and the Territory of
New Mexico was obtained from Tex
as for the sum Of $40, 100000.
Early in 1861, the war of the re-
bellion commenced, and from the
Ist of July of that year to the seth
day of June, 1865, the public ex-
penditures reached the enormous
aggregate of So, ,30O,o00,00O. Three
years Of peace have interviewed, and
during that time the disbursements
of the Government have successive
ly been S520,000,000, S346, 100000,
and 1898, 100000. Adding to these
amounts S372,O00,000, estimated as
necessary for the fiscal year ending
June so, 1869, we obtain a total
expenditure of $1,000, 100000 dur
ing the four years Immediately sue
ceeding the war, or nearly as much
as was expended during the seventy
years that proceeded the rebellion,
and embraced the extraordinary ex-
penditure already named. These
startling facts clearly illustrate the
necessity Of retrenchment. in all