The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-09-09
TUE EXCUSE MACHINE.

We had lew words 10 say to the great eX-
cuse manufacturers yesterday, and we have a
few more TO add to-day, that the public may
Judge of the wonderful consistency of the won
derful Intelligencer. In their leading article on
w ednesday, in speaking of the late Congress,
they said
"For W hat they Che Wing niembers) have done,
they are well entitled, good and faithful servants,
To the thanks of their constituents"
We have repeatedly asserted that the lntelli-
gencer would give all credit for all things to the
late Congress but to show how seven-sided
that nanar has haan. or rather ,nn" "-'--'--o -
session, we ask attention to few extracts from
the House paper, of various dates. In speaking
of the debate in the House on the Loan bill, the
Intelligencer March 2D said:
"The present emergency demands prompt action,
and MOI prolonged debate. Every moment wasted in
needless debate, by which debate aside from
he qucsion--is additional infection of disgrace
upon the nation whose dishonored notes already
running down to one, two and three per cent. below
the par of current bank notes, because have
been provided wherewith 20 pay them"
ian diinhiction Of disgrace" of course,
by the majority, for it was of them the Intelli-
gencer spoke.
On the 18th Of March, the Intelligencer en-
deavored to create the idea that Mr.. Forward
was a mere nobody, by saying that it did not
believe the publication of his report on the Ia
riff, would serve to instruct any one and as for
his recomme ndations, Congress may or may
not think proper to follow" them.
April II. The Intelligencer undertook TO de-
fend Congress for the delay, and gave>a compar-
alive list of the bills passed by Congress dur
ing the long session of the 26th Congress to
the 18th April and the bills passed by the
House, to the same date during the long session
of the 9th Congress. This is an odd way Of
comparing business but the Intelligencer
is publicly and VIGOROUSLY known only as an
excuse manufacturer, why the comparison was
all right in Greek-lhough very far from it in
pure English.
On the 18th of April, in speaking Of the pas
sage tf the Loan bill, the Intelligencer contra
dicted what it had said on the 1lth, in the fol-
lowing brief sentence:
awe heartily congratulate our readers on this
first step towards placing the fiscal affairs of the Go
vernment upon respectable footing"
So, the Inteligencer congratulated its
majority leaders, that the first step was taken
by Congress TO support the Government, when
that Congress had been in session four months
and nine days! Mark-that paper acknow-
lodges that four months and nine days had been
wasted before the g first step was taken" yet
now it claims (September ~ that the majority
have proved themselves good and faithful ser,
wants."
But let US examine little into this faith and
goodness, mouthed so long, and swallowed at
last by these excuse making champions.
The President, in his opening message TO
Congress, notified both Houses that on the first
day of January there would be deficit in the
Treasury of no less than 100000; and that
this would be greatly increased by payments to
meet expenses and appropriations for the first
quarter of 1912. The Secretary of the Trea-
sury in his report, sent in at the same time by
the President confirmed the announcement by
figures and tables. Soon after the opening the
reference of the Presidents message was taken
up in the House in a series OF resolutions; and
when the one relative to the reference of the
Tariff came up, it was debated several weeks
before any action was had upon it, and to the
exclusion Of all other business This debate
commenced ON the 18th of December, and was
not disposed of until the third of January In
the meantime, all the other succeeding resolu