The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-21
THE IoBBY-THE REpuBIIcANs AND THE Elk


bourg meeting entirely into the shade"
THE LOBBY-THE REPUBLICANS AND THE EX-
PENDrTUREs OF THE GOVERNMENT.
One of the chief sources of the hostility of the
opposition to the President is to be found in the fact
that by public message he declared to Congress he
would sign no bill making appropriations of money
which should be presented to him within the last
twenty -four hours of the Legislative session. The
object of the President to be able to fully in
vestgate the merits Of that class Of bills particu
larly, and, knowing that they the most difficult
Of any to comprehend, he demanded time to exam
inc them. This simple and reasonable rule, thus
resoutely enforced, was fatal blow at the whole
lobby scheme, nine-tenths of which is in the
hands of the republicans. They had every rca-
son, Of course, to feel that the President most
unfrendly to all their interests and to set to work
with all their known energy, force, and ability, to
denounce his administration by every conceivable
misrepresentation. Their minds, naturally enough,
resting upon grand schemes to defraud the govern
ment, they were particularly exercised the sub
ject Of alleged extravaganza nits departments and
"the frghtful increase of the public expenditures"
Receiving for few years past larger amounts of
revenue than we're sufficient to meet the current
OUTLAWS, the treasury had redeemed many millions
of its six-per-cent. bonds at large premium, thus
saving ono or two years interest. The revenues
again rapidly falling under sudden suspension of
trade. it became necessary to issue new bonds and
call the money thus paid out back into the Treasury
Forthwith this movement everywhere heralded
as proof Of the extravaganza Of the admiDistra-
ton charging them, in point of fact with the effects
Of q commercial revulsion which extended all over
the world This magnificent idea seemed at ono time
to promise so well that large body Of idiot poll
ticians rushed out of this city into various parts
Of the country, determined to inaugurate presden
tial movement for 1860 upon it. They were not
very we'll informed upon the subject they undertook
to discuss but having tried their utmost to enlarge
the appropriations to the highest possible point,
with view of embarrassing the treasury, and doubt
less believing that they had been successful no
time was to be lost in throwing the whole RESPONSE
bility upon the President. The movement-it was
called "the peoples movement collapsed in about
six weeks and it turns out that the people" en-
gagged in it were that delectable body of gentlemen
known % the Washington lobby, assisted by half
dozen vagrant politicians whose patriotism exploded
in attcmpting prove that the President the very
man they most admired, reckless Of the public inter
ests and extravagant in conducting the affairs Of the
government
The peoples movement having failed, we find
Mr.. Trumbul Of Illinois, picking up tho tools which
Mr.. Crittenden and Mr. Humphrey Marshall found
90 inoonvenient to handle, and battling away with
them with more than Quixotic energy. Mr. Trum-
bull, who votes for every conceivable appropria-
tion and strains every muscle to increase the ex-
penses Of the government is utterly amazed that it's
affairs are not carried as cheaply as they were
whom we were collecting fifteen twenty millions
Of revenue. Mr. Trumbull is guilty of inefable
meanness in pointing out those places where de-
tective revenue force is required, the expenses of
supporting which, Of course, are greater than the
revenue collected at the several points, and then
charging the responsibility thereofto the administra
tion. We cannot, Of course, speak for the inteli-
gence of Mr.. TrumbuIl's audience. They may be
idiots for aught we know. Certain it is, he puts a
poor estimate upon their capacity, or very high
ono upon his own testimony. But Mr.. Eumbull is
an aboitionist acting upon the maxim that the end
justices the means While he is charging extrav-
sgance, Mr.. Cobb is busily engaged in cutting off
every Unnecessary charge upon the treasury and is
daily receiving complaints that the revenue force is
being reduced below tho actual demands of safety.
Now, III this indicates vagrant partnership be-
tween the ccrruptlobbytes and the various branches
Of the opposition We need not tell the reader that
those who oppose appropriations in this city, and
use every exerton to limit and cut down the public
expenditure democrats and that those who vote
for every scheme looking to the increase of the
pensss and to the sqaaudsring of the means Of the
government are republicans and Americans. As we
have said. they organized regular presidential
campaign only two months ago the strength of
their own wicked extravaganza in voting away the
money Of the people; and were defeated only by
the stssdy opposition Of the democracy, both in and
ont of Congress-.
Senator Pugh will address the democracy Of Knox
county, at Mount Vernon, on the 9th September.