The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-08-25
From the National Intelligenasr.l
Citizens, Is It NOT Time For a
Change9

-sf OAhSAAso oOs
Fifteen hundred millions OF dollars
have been paid BY the people to the Gov
Iernmsnt Of the Unitsd States since the
war endedl
All the public buildings in the Union,
from the magnificent Capitol at Wash.
lington, to the scounty court.houses in all
the States, have not cost SO much public
money: 1t would buy the navy of Great
Britains 1t would lay pontoon bridge
across the Pacific ocean. It would
dig down and cart into the sea the highest
mountain in America. 1t would rebuild
Baalbec, Persepolis, or Palmyra. 1t
would buy . barrel OF -four for every
family on the globe, and the quarter Of It
would give Bible q piece to the hu-
man race. This enormous sum is more
than three hundled dollars each to every
white voter in the United States. It has
been paid by the people. What has been
done with it?
Has the national debt been paid? The
national debt is growing larger instead
of smaller. 1t drinks up every year a
sum greater than any Administration
ever cost before the war, without making
the debt dollar less. go
Hasit been expended in compensating
faithful Union men on the border for the
spoliations and impressments rendered
necessary for the Union cause during
the WARP No. The laws allowing the
liquidation apd settlement Of that part
Of the public indebtedness exclude loyal
men, even soldiers in our army, if they
were residing within certain States
More just legislation will yet cost score
Of millions under that head.
Has it gone to uphold civil authority
in these times ofmilitary viee;to strength
en- the laws against the sword; to pay the
expenses of administering justice by a
benefcent judiciary No. The entire
judiciary fund is less than two millions
of dollars.
Has it gone to pay the expenses Of the
postal service2 That service supports it.
self substantially, without dollar out
of the Treasury. It is not the courts
nor the mails whoae blessings cost the
money.
Is it any branch Of the civil seryice?-
The figures show sums SO inconsiderable
for all the expenses of carrying on Gov
ernmeut on the basis of peace, for which
governments are made, that they leave
the tremendous sum of fifteen hundred
millions almost unaffected, as startling
conception Of quantity. Whittier has it
gomez ai 5sare l5w .e
Nearly two-thirds of it (S917.117,043}
was disbursed by the War Department,
exclusively Of what was derived from
the vast sales Of war material; Of the
known and unknown millions poured forth
from the department of Vagabondage;
of expenses of the navy, and of every
thing Else but strictly army expenses
Nine hundred millions to support an ar
my without foei Every white voter in
the Union, as it were, paying $3.50 for a
negro soldier to stand guard with his
bayonet over him and his vote!
But it is not only that this prodigious
ious sum has gone to army account. 1t
IS morally certain that the most of 1t has
been plandered, The army is known to
have been Immediately reduced after the
war, and is now set down at $4,000 men.
Before the war the military establishment
was, we believe, estimated at 81, 900. But
the whole expenses of the Buchanan Ad-
minis.ration for the last year was S70,.
600, 900; while here, with an army scarce
ly more than trebel, the money swallow
ed up by it alone is nearly four times
greater than the whole expenses Of the
Government in 1860; being at the rate of
nearly two hundred and eighty millions
q year! Citizensl Is 1t not time for a
change9
= Il