Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1838-06-05
P0DRlT5PTOAT
From the COluubus (OhiO.) Register.
SPEECH OF Mr.. BOND.


We have read many good things, bu
nothing more to the point-many caustiC
speeches, but none more seyere-than the
one recently delivered in Congress by Mr.
Bond, member from the Chillicothe Dis
tfict. The professions of the prominent
men now in power, made in 90 with 81
the vehemence of a demagogue and afec
ted candor of the hypocrite, are in an ad.
mirable manner contrasted with the after.
piece of those same men. We shall take
an early occasion to lay the speech before
our readers. lnthe meantime we canno
forbear glancing at some Of its disclo
sures.
Mr.. Bond very properly opens hi.
speech by copious citations Of the com
plants urged against Mr.. Adams Admin,
istration, Of faHoritism and extravaganza
and then proceeds to show that not only
have Van Buren,, Benton, Buchanan, anc
so-forth, failed to fulfil their pledges to The
People TO retrench expenses and correct
abuses, but that they have increased the
one and greatly extended the other.
Mr.. Benton in his famous Retrench.
ment Report of 1926, gave list Of all
the officers, with their salaries, at the Gus.
tom.house in the city of New York. The
number was Iva, and their aggregate pay
$4,000 SO. Benton exclaims-a A
formidable list, indeed !-formidabl in
numbers, and still more so from the vast
amount of money in their hands. The
action of such body Of men, animated
by one spirit, must be tremendous in an
election" Mr.. Benton continues at length
to expose the dangerous tendency of the
patronage at the Presidents command,
and to show the necessity of checking it.
So much for the Precept.-Mr. Bond
IshoWstha the number of custom.house
officers has grown from ia to Ala! and
their compensation from $I16,620 SO to
$409,669 81 besides extra pay allowed
for the year 1886 Of $4,000! Further:
Mr.. Swartwout was recently turned out
of the Office Of Collector for protesting
anti-Sub- Treasury opinions, and new
Collector supple instrument-appoin-
ted in his stead. A few days ago this new
Collector discharged one hundred of the
officers Conservatives and Wings and
gave their places and pay to men who will
do more work for the party at the next
election. Great complaint was made in
1928, on the score Of Executive and Le-
gislative patronage of the press. The
Retrenchment Report states tina. in three
yUSsGS SSf SlEO uuGf1lIBlStI GVAIs Au.
ans, the Executive Departments paid for
printing and advertising $71, $50 81. Mr..
Bond shows that in three years of the Re-
formers, the same Departments paid for
the like purpose, $17O,O59 Is! The
committee pronounce extravagant, the
expenditure during EIGHT years precee-
ding December, 1927, for printing for
Congress, the sum Of $27l 1888 81. Mr..
Bond shows that In the SIX years precee-
ding September, 1887, there was paid for
the same purpose, the enormous sum of
$75I, 5e4 50? In SIR years the Refor-
mers expended nearly three times as great
sum as the Wings did in eight years.
OF the reform which has occurred in
the Executive Departments generally,
Mr.. Bond makes full exposition. We
extract from his remarks on this head lib.
orally:
Precept. committee reported
that " the privilege of newspapers to the
members ought to be abrogated;" and
that the practice too often INDUCED in by
the House of voting TO themselves copies
of books" ought to be discontinued. The
privilege and practice continue, and with
out restraint.
Precept-The contingent expenses Of
this House were reported 10 be extraya-
giant. During the year 1923, the last Of
Mr.. Adams administration, they amoun-
ted to $4,000.
PTa, tice-During the year 1886, the
last wear of the jackson reform admins
tration, this item was 100000! And,
during the year 1886, being the first year
of the successor" who promised to
tread in the footsteps Of his illustrious
predecessor" these expenses are $780,
600! This must be the ''magician's way
of working in the rule of reduction
was certainly unknown to old Thomas
DIworth.
Precept.- The committee Of which a.
gain repeat, the gentleman from New York
7Mr. Cambreleng) was member, repor-
ted that they had obtained information BY
which they were satisfied "that by a judi.
cious system of reform, instituted by the
Executive officers themselves, at least one
third of the (then) present number o.
clerks in the departments might be reduced
with safety to the public interest.
Practice- The number Of clerks has
NOT been reduced in any one Of the de-
partnents, but, on the contrary, there haz
been considerable increase. will prove
| It. The State Department. ID the year
1898. included the Patent Office, and the
whole number Of clerks was sixteen the
salary and compensation of the Secretary
and al his clerks and mes eDgers, amour
tedto 827, 750
The whole number Of clerks now EN-.
ploved ID TIE State Department ana tne
Patent Office IS forty. The JOINT saioIle.
and conopensation amount To @O6s9l0 !! 4
THE Patent Office ii 1898, vas man,
aosd 81 i SupeFinte ndent with salary q
81 500, and teO clerks and Z messenger
whose ioinf compensation was ,4O0. 4
Il non. under The charge 81 ono q the Ae
formers Ire title ol Superintendent I
e1chanasd f5T llask of commissionsr
and the change 81 titles comes ta'
lcbanos & salary from q 500 70 $4,000
pYis.. .,@.1.er of eIt Il Increased from