St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-03-24
National Pr0tligacy.

At a time when the people Of this
country are studying economy, ana
when the revenues OF the government
are inadequate for the most carefully
regulated expenditures, our rulers
should be held to a strict aCcounta-
bility for their administration Of the
national finances. They require to be
watched in small things as well as
great, for when prohigacy becomes
habit, its abuses are general, and cor
rection must be applied at every point.
This is strikingly true of the present
administration at Washington. Its
corruption on q large scale, in every
department of the government, has
been proved by incontrovertiblc evil
dcnce. Indeed, it is in danger of be-
ing looked upon too much as a matter
of course, so persistent is the policy,
and so far removed is it from those
ordinary subjects of expenditure, with
which the people are familiar. Some
items where less money in the aggre-
esntn is -uasted- MAY serve TO show
the prevailing vice in even a more
impressive light TO this end we
draw upon the excellent speech Of Mr..
Cragin Of New Hampshire, lately de-
livered in the House of Representa-,
tivcs.
Here is the way in which the public
money has been wasted upon the new
Capitol at Washington. Forinstancc,
the two front doors of that rcmark@-
bic building, with their outside trim.
mings, cost $i7,072 In addition to
this, the designs and models for these
doors cost $4,000. BY the original
estimate these doors were put down
at 5000 ! One of the bronze doors
leading into the new Representative
Chamber will cost, according to est
mate, Sl4 ,4lG-the design and model
having already cost $4,000. 1t is no
wonder the ancicnts had a high idea
of the position Of ga doorkccpcr."
Each window has cost about $1,000
exclusive Of glass. "The sprcad-eagle
hand-rails for the private stairways,
in both wings, cost $4,000 and
yet they are i'll such dark places that
1t is proposed to tear away one of the
cOmmlttec-rO0ms, in order to let lit
tie light shine upon one of them. So
much by way Of dctall-mcrcly enough
to prevent any wonder when we state
that the appropriations for the Capitol
already reach S5,O75, 900, and that it
is estimated that the building cannot
be completed on the present plans for
less than 100000
The same inordinatc expenditure
also extends to the furnishing of the
various rooms. Thus, the furniture
of the Speakers room alone cost $500.
Everything is on a grand scale of
expense, at least. Mr. Speaker Orr,
for instance, Withdrawing from the
arduous duties of the chair, rcfrcshcs
himself by surveying his portly per-
son in mirror which cost $3.50. If
| the light is not sufficient he arrangcs
the brocatcllc curtains for which the
"dcar people" have paid 5000. Should
he discover any dust upon his brow,
he repairs to washstand worth $50.
He can then select some interesting
$G68 take his choice between a $4S
and Il S95 chair and a 800 lounge
and thus enjoy himself till $40
clock tells him it is time either to write
a note from a $50 inkstand Oh S95
writing table, or else take his coat
and hat from SAT clothes rack, and
temporarily absent himself from a
room oil Such republican s'mphcity.,
And so it is throughout the Capitol
The room OF the Committee OF Ways
ana Means Is furnished at an expense
OF $2'49-ohe OF the items beng Il
" Inc oook,dcSN ana case 5000" The
desks and chairs OF the Representa-
tiyps hall cost Sir coo aud mnralv
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