Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-01-13
I'll EVIL OR TIE DAYn


winces at corporation expenditures,
at the issuance of county warrants
and at State and National appro-
priations as if every cent to defray
these expenses must come out of
his own pocket.
As a people-or rather q nation
we have grown too fond of luxury
and consequently too extravagant.
Our eeatra Government is con-
Quoted altogether On ae high
pressaFe system and TIE Goa
tagfen Of its bad example spreads
TO the States and 10 the people. 1t
builds for lbs courts and pest-ofIiess
palatial structures; it pays its
President a sum altogether out OF
proportion to the duties he is
called upon to perform, with an
equal disparity between services
and salery down through all the
grades of officials and employees.
Day after day, through every ses,
sion, bills are introduced in Con-
gress praying for appropriations
for custom-houses here and for
river and harbor Improvements
there, as if the National Treasury
were the source of wealth and
money. II does not seem to enter
into the minds of those who ask
for these things that every cent of
money expended by the central
Government was brought into ex-
istence by the sweat of some mans
brow and that it found it's way into
the U. S. Treasury without an
equivalent being given by the Gov
eminent. But so it is. Every
cloud of smoke we blow from our
pipes is the shadow of a destroyed
stamp purchased of the Govern
ment. Every tip Of the convivial
glass rattles an iota of the drink
er's hard earnings into the Gov
eminent till. Each passing year
sees the the poor grown poorer and
riches farther from every mans
grasp. Foolishly we clamor for a
Government appropriation for one
thing and another, little thinking
that the general effect of every
dollar spent by the Government is
to embarrass the whole people and
thus make times hard and q living
or a competency a thing very diff
ficult of attainment, by any one
and everywhere. Thus do we
thoughtlessly draw upon ourselves
hard times and financial crises and
failures great and little.
We need not look for the return
of better times until we have, by
hard toll and constant thought,
drawn from the true and only
source of wealth enough to pay
our bills and place us in easy cir
cumstances. While doing this
and it is hardly necessary to say
that it will take many years to do
tive may ameliorate our unhappy
condition by stopping these mil
lions Of leaks by which the Ma
tion's Treasury is constantly being
drained. We must cut down our
army to an effective force. We
have been supporting numberless
Skeleton" regiments, with fifty
officers TO watch over ten men
where there was need only of a
small, compact force Our Navy,
toe, is altogether out of proportion
to the demands for lbs services
The Military Academy ean be to.
tally abolished witlfuHt any hurt to
the people, rs it ismeFely o nuusery
of sUobbery and a hOt-h eff pagale
bondage. Fbe Presidents salary
should be reducrd 10 the &gaBes,
which all hOnest Presidents in 4As
past have found sufficient for
their needs and pay. Avarice only
could whine about q reduction or
have accepted the increase. And
in a thousand other ways we could
stop the drain upon the resources
of the Treasury. y
In the State we can also effect