Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-05
EXPENDITURES.
SPEECH OF,
Hon. w. G. WhitthOrne.
OF TENNESSEE.

OF TENNESSEE.
In the House of Representatives, JAM
nary %, 1874, ON the Army APPrO-
priation Bill.
Mr.. Chairman, it is in the consideration
of the appropriation billst that the people are
brought to an examination OF the conduct
of those to whom they have delegated the
trusts of Government. When the EXecu-
tive Departments demand of us the means
that they deem necessary to the due exc
cution of their agency, il bchOoves us, who
are the Representatives of the people, to- a
uuire into the expendiency and necessity
of the estimates they submit. The events
of the past twelve months; the recent de-
mand of the Executive Departments Of the
Government, for an increase of taxation;
the admitted fact that the Secretary Of the
Treasury is daily adding to o. immense
volume of debt; that within less than four
months this debt has been increased about
S25. 100000; and that a deficiency in the
revenues of over S40.0o0-000 is before us,
all are facts which have brought the people
seriously to the consideration of the ques-
tions. What shall be the admin
i~stratiye characte of our Government ?
Shall il be one noted for its SPLEEN
dor and magnificence, OF for its simplicity
and purity? Shall it be one for the favored
few, protected, enriched, and advanced by
sIecial and class legislation, or n where
in s1equal and exact justice is done to all,
and exclusive privileges granted to none?"
/ did not participate in the recent discus
sion in this House on the salary question.
Had / lone so, | would have a~ntagOniZed
the position assumed by gentlemen in favor
of high salaries. / was opposed last March,
as L am now, 10 the increase OF salaries.
The indebted condition of the country did
not warrant the passage of the act of
March, 1873, and the tendency Of the meas
ure in all of its details, from the highest to
the lowest officer benefited by its provisions
was to make a splendid and luxurious Gov
eminent. 1t was the passage of this meas
ure, following rapidly the eTpOse of the
Credit Mobilier, that has more particularly
arrested the attention of the country to
the increase Of its expenditures, and to the
growth of abuses which have crept into
nearly all of its Departments.
There can be no question of the earnest
ness of the people in their demands for re-
trenchment and reform in the Government,
and their determination TO purify and sim
pity the character Of its administration.
Without asking or considering what may
be our individual fates in the future, let us,
Mr.. Chairman, look at these demands and
this determination, and see if they be not
such as, in our characters as citizens, anX-
ious TO perpetuate free institutions and a
popular form Of government, as an inheri-
tance for those who are to succeed us, meet
the concurrence of our judgment, and such,
particularly as that, in our character as
Representatives and servants of the people,
require our approval. This is the duty L
now propose to myself. 1t is appropriate,
in the consideration of n of the apprO-
priation bills. l repeat, the Executive De-
partments of the Governments demand of
the people in the way of taxes, by these
bills, whit in their opinion is necessary to
the discharge Of the agency with which
they have been invested. They submit
their estimates. In their consideration
there are two proper questions to be solved:
First, their necessity; second, the means
and resources of the people. Grouping the
two questions together, the consideration
of these bills means an inquiry into the
state and condition of the whole country,
in making which we will necessarily solve
the propriety of the complaints of the
people and the justice of their demands.
What. then, is the state and condition of
the country? Turning first to the census
tables for 1870, we find the total population
of the United and Territories to be $685.
81.
Out of this number of ~3S,55S,371 people
there are of those over ten years of age, but
1866, 923 engaged in all classes of Occupa-
ton.
And this number so ''engagedin all class
es of occupation" is divided,as appears from
report of the Superintendent of the Census,
rs follows:
In agriculture. 5,922,i71
Professional and personal. ............. 2,6S4,793
Trade and transportation. ......-.... /, lSl, 23S
Manufacturing, mining, and mechani-
Z,iUt, III
Before making any comment upon this
table let u go a step further and look to
the amount of public Indebtedness and
public taxation which rests upon these
classes.
Quoting again from the report of the Su-
p-erintendent of the Census, 1870, l find
National Indebtedness .......... 81, 400, 562, 52
State and municipal indebtedness. S6s,676,758
2S,l
huNh lou ltlGCs lLdL AllS GilOuAb uOtS
not include the private and Individual in
d~ebtedneSs of the citizen, and especially
that part incurred for works of improve
ment by him directly, you will agree that
this is indeed a heavy load upon the pro-
ducing classes of this country. Going yet
a step further, we find the annual burdens
resting upon these classes TO BEL again
quote from same report
Taxation, 1870, national .............sll.255,47
Taxation, 1870, State and municipal. 2sl ,ISO,3 81
Speaking in round numbers, it would ap-
near, Mr.. Chairman, from these statistics
that the labor of the producing classes OF
this country pays annually for the support
of their national and local governments
$1,000 0,000-a large and oppressive
amount; one that no wise statesman would
increase; one that a prudent and wise peO
pie would make haste TO decrease. But
does this amount rest upon the labOrS Of
the twelve millions, as separated and CLASH
fed by the Superintendent of the Census
The actual producers of wealth donot mum.
Der ten millions. l am not one Of those
who make war upon the professional labor
er or those engaged in trade. They per.
form useful and necessary aid to the actua.
producers; but yet, in considering those