The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-05-15
CONGRESSIONAL.
DRnATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRE-
sENTATIyES.
SPEECH OF MR.. BOND, CT oHIo.

m<at Jy0m tie Press
Mr. BOND said he rejoiced that the attention of
the House and OF the country was sgain invited 10
the subject Of retrenchment and reiarm. he was
aware thai these terms had become somewh back
neyed and he almost feared thai their frequent re-
petition here had rendered them triie and unmean-
ing. They had been used, as was well known, with
great effect, to put down one Administration and
elevate another That end being attained, they
seemed 10 have performed their Office SO far al least
as the party now in power are concerned. All must
admit that We have had no practical retrenchment
or reform.
MIR. b. said he wished gentlemen now IN power TO
admit that they bad amused ii not deceived the Peo-
pie OF this country, with mere fancy sketch" III
they would not make this concession then he called
upon them 10 specify any retrenehment or reform
which they had accomplished. But sir II they fail
in this, as l think they must, then demand their
reasons for not carrying our their great and saulary
system of reform, for which they stood solemnly
pledged before The country
am unwilling TO believe that the terms retrehch-
ment and reform have lost their Just and yiriuons
sense. The People Of this country will determine
whether the necessity for such measures had passed
away with the simple elevation Of certain men TO
power
You, Mr. Speaker, must be well aware that some
thing more Than this was promised. You professed,
SIR, mean the party with which you act protested,
to be moved BY the pure and most sacred regard for
the welfare ofihe People. We find recorded here,
and in the Senate, solemn pledge 10 carry into eff
feet systematic reform, If you should be placed in
power. This was done, sir, in March, 1929 and
you have held uDdislurbed possession ever since.
During that time, now going on ten years, what part
of your pledge has been redeemed
desire 10 conduct this discussion fairly, and with
entire accuracy as 10 facts wish so 10 state Them
too thai all may form Just opinion in relation 10
the sincerity and good faith OF those whose conduct
may be brought under review.
Was il really true, sir, that the expenditures of
the Government were unnecessarily large Had
the President too much power and was there ne
far rsxF naI 1 Nae he n
the Government so enormous as TO require checks
10 be placed on Il Was this patronage used forpo-
iical ends, especially the patronage of the press
Was II true that the freedom of the press and the
curty of our liberty demanded that The printing pa
tronage should be Withdrawn from the several De-
par,menls and The Stale Department in particular
All these inquiries are suggested by the declara-
tons and avowas Of the present dominant party
when they sought for elevation. But lest gentlemen
may have forgotten the precise charges made against
Mr.. Adams's Administration, beg leave TO read
from certain documents Of this House and OF the Sc
nate, which these gries and complaints, with the
promised reforms, are duly recorded.
The first, in point OF time, is report made 10 the
Senate in 1896, by aselect committee, (of which Mr.
Benton was chairman,) TO which was referred a
proposition to inquire into the expediency Of reduc
ing the patronage of the Executive Government Of
the United States" In this document Mr.. Benton
rePorls
20 That, after mature deberation, the committee
of opinion that is expedient 10 diminish or 10
regulate by law the Executive patronage of the Fede-
raj Government, whenever the same can be done con-
sisteny with the provisions Of the Constitution and
without impairing the proper efficiency OF the Co
vernment. Acting under this conviction they have
reviewed as carefully astime and other engagements
would permit them 10 do, the degree and amount of
patronage now exercised b. the President, and have
arrived at the conclusion that the same may and
ought 10 be diminished by law"
For this purpose that committee then reported six
bills; one of Them proposed to regulate the pubica-
ton OF the laws and OF public advertisements; an
other had This imposing Iite--"a bill to secure in
office the faithful collectors and disbnrsers Of the
revenue, and to diSplace defaulters" But besides
its allurng title, that bill also contained the follow
ing provision
" That in all nominations made by the President
TO the Senate TO fill vacancies occasoned BY the ex-
ercise OF the Presidents power to remove from
office, the fact of the removal shall be stated the
Senate at the same time the nomination is made,
with statement of the reasons for which such Off
Ger may have been removed" ".".y."
The other four bills also looked to the restraint
reduction Of the Presidents power and patronage
II is unnecessary now to read them. The report
proceeds: .... .....
THE committee do not doubt but that there are
many other branches of Executive patronage, in ad
dion to those which are comprehend in the pro-
visions Of these bills, which might be advanageouSly
regulated by law. Far from thinking that they
have exhausted the subject, they believe that they
have only opened it, and that nothing more can be
done al tis time than TO Ian the foundation Of sys
tenn, tote followed up and Completed hereafter"
Mr.. BOND said that, Notwithstanding series Of
years bad elapsed and Mr.. Benton and his friends
had full power, the people had looked in vain for
superstrucluIe on this foundation of system Of
REFORM, which this famous report proposed TO have
laid. 1 hal same committee, too, assert and claim
for the Senate, the control over appointments 10
Office, and say they believe that they will be acting
in the spirit Of The Constitution in laboring to multi
ply the guards and to strengthen the barriers against
the possible abuse of power" This is necessary,
ire o. ntptb nv oil and
military officers, by armies and navies by courts of
justice, and by the collection and disbursement Of
revenue, with all its train Of salaries jobs and
tracts; and where, in this aspect of the reality,
behold the working OF patronage, and discover the
reason why many stand ready, in any country and
in all ages, TO flock 10 the standard of power where
soever and by whomsoever it may be raised" The
number Of office holders is spoken Of as large and
still rapidly increasing, and the report proceeds
Each person employed will have circle of greater
less diameter, OF which he is the centre and soul
"a circle composed Of friends and relations and of
individuals employed by himself on public or on
private account. BY way Of illustrating the great
number Of office holders and their combined power,
Mr. Benton then turns to the Blue Book of the
Repablic," which he also calls "a growing little
volume" aud says it corresponds with the Red
Book OF monarchies." @.
Mr.. Speaker, this Blue Book is indeed growing
little volume, bu, il has grown more rapidly in the
nine years Of this Government administered under
the advice OF Mr. Benton and his friends than ii did
in double that time, before they came into power
present now, sir, for your inspection the Blue Book
for 1923 and that for the last year. 1881 is plain
that the last is nearly quite double the size OF the
former and II the contents of the two are compared
the number OF Office holders their salaries and com
penSaton, the various divisions and subdivisions of
every Department, II viii be seen that, under this
boosted system Of reirenchment and reform, nothing
has been curailed but, the contrary a great in
crease in the number of office holders with ncreas-
ed salaries To this, too is to be added a most
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