The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-12-04
THE MADISONIAN
REFORM.

..,.., SREHOHM.
We have already mentioned one prolific
source of the existence of abuses in the admit
nistration of the Government--the defect in the
laws. The remedy in this case is in the hands
of the Legislature. Let the old laws regulating
the duties, especially of officers receiving and
discussing the public money be revised, or new
ones enacted, whose provisions shall be such as
to entrust as little as possible the discretion or
honesty of any agent. The preventive remedy
is always in the power Of Congress-the cura-
tive is not so readily accessible to them. In
stead Of encountering the trouble and perplexity
of enumerating many reasons which combined
have rendered every effort at reform by mem
bers Of Congress imperative, and endeavoring
to assign to each its portion of the effect, we
will mention one only into which we believe
they are all ultimately receivable. The process
through which business goes in the National
Legislature will develope our idea.
member suspecting the existence of abuse
in some special department, sends down reso-
luton to the proper officer to obtain full informa-
ton on the subject Of his suspicious. His
"call" is answered He receives the informa-
tion--and there the matter rests-or at best ter
inmates in fash of defamation. Another
generally young one-hushed with the zeal of
reform and determined-to use the fashionable
phrase-to clean the Augean stable, and to in
troduce thorough reform in all the Depart
ments of the Government, dispatches to differ
: ent officers series of inquiries to ascertain
where the mischiefs luxuriate, and to arm him
self with facts to prosecute vigorously his con-
templated scheme of a complete reorganization
OF all the movements of The administrations
ton, and being completely ignorant of the de-
tails of business, his queries are of so superficial
character, that he can find the answers to them
in the documents printed for his use, if he would
but take the trouble to look into them. He oh
tains, however, the official replies eractly fitted
to his interrogatories, and discovers that he has
obtained but few elements from which to form
his intended compound. Finding at last, that
he has embarked as commander in devious
channel, and SO ignorant that he hardly knows
asextant from marlingspike, with crew as
ignorant as himself, his zeal begins to flag, and
hopeless of success, he in despair at last ceases
to labor. Queries useful to the cause of reform
perience: and the queries being without object,
the answer must be nugatory. ..r... ....a..
Such is the plan on which matters of this
kind are operated in Congress, and under such a
progress, need any surprise exist, that after all
the defamation about reform, little or nothing
of it has been effected? .---.--.
Assailing only that which is Immediately
within the reach of their immediate inquiries
and attacks, the members of Congress, except in
special instances have never attempted to go
beyond an investigation Of the affairs of the De-
partments in Washington-in which they have
fancied or discovered the existence of the much
talked of abuses So contracted have been all
their ideas Of reform, that the five buildings in
Washington are the limit of their discoveries
But can abuses not exist elsewhere except under
the eye of the President and the Cabinet2 Can
none exist in the Army or Navy, or among In
dian agents, or in custom houses In scheme
of general and thorough reform it appears rea-
sonable to US that the investigation should ex-
tend through all the branches of the Government
especially among the officers entrusted with
the public money. And yet gladdened with the
semblauce of an irregularity in the conduct per
haps Of single clerk, with what exultation has
the discovery been proclaimed and reiterated -
Such conduct is degrading to liberal and en-
Iightened legislation. And yet we believe it
has at all times been the course pursued in Con-
gress. .t... ....... ... -... .,...., .......
After detecting and exposing the error, it
may be deemed incumbent on US to indicate the
course which is to be pursued. We do not ad-
nit the inference, but still, with all our igno-
rance, we think we can give some hints--not as
to the abuses themselves, but of some methods
by which they can and ought to be corrected.
We have asked, in a preceding paragraph,
whether abuses do not exist elsewhere, than un-
der the eve Of the Executive2 We ask again,
do they not exist 10 the Capitol, with the toe-
rance of Congress itself? We do not say that
the members are conscious Of the liberation
but we ask, why, when acute in the discovery
Of delinquency, they are blind to what takes
place immediately under their surveillance
We think we can give some hints on this mat
ter, which may be beneficial, but we shall defer
the performance of the task to another opporu-
nifty.