Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-01-20
objectionable Extravaganza.

the people cannottoo jealously watch
and guard against.
| In times, like the present, when SO
many of the people are struggling
under adverse circumstances, to re-
gain that competence which they
had before cruel war came to
snatch it from them and to entail
upon them the consequences OF a
grinding taxation, it would seem
more than ever their bounden duty
to see that the monies thus accruing
to the public treasures should be
properly and economically admin
istered. E =@Et s4Hss
1t is stated that the printing for
Congress, during the last year, cost
more than tvo millions Of dollars
This is enormous, and ought by the
people to be held to be insufferable.
Even paper so Radical as the
Chicago Republican, fearing damage
will be done to its party by such
shameful waste, says, through its
Washington correspondent
cit threatens to exceed this sum
this year. | learn that it will take
two years to print what Congress
will order this session and what has
already been ordered, if a stop is not
put to the prodigality heretofore
exhibited"
The same proaigate extravaganza
says the st. Louis Republican, runs
through the whole list of expendi-
lures authorized by Congress and
the State Legislatures generally
dominated as these bodies now are
by reckless set of politicians Of the
Radical order. The way in which
the Legislature which now afflicts
the suffering people of Missouri
makes the money fly, is notorious.
The majority of that Legislature
imagine that they can make the peo-
pie stand anything and everything
in the way of taxation. They sit
day after day, making lavish appro-
priations, and rewarding partisans
with useless offices and salaries ride
ulously high for the services rem
dered, while there is no way of get
ting the money to satisfy this reck
less greed, save by crushing down
the people by load Of taxes.
An exchange, speaking of the in
excusable extravaganza of Secretary
Stanton, in purchasing at the expense
Of the people, Ford's Theatre, and
fitting it up as repository Of the
rebel relics, says:
"The contractor at Ford's Theatre
has finished his twenty-eight thou
sand dollar annular job of remodeling
that building, and has turned it over
TO the authorities. 1t is now ready
for rebel relics. So says Wash
ngton dispatch. But Of what use,
IS this show-house, which will cost
he people half million p
Remarking upon which, the Tren.
,on True american, with more truth
han poetry, observes:
1T may be interesting to our con-
to know that Secretary
Stanton, who ordered the remodeling,
has discovered that the building
wont do for the purpose at first in-
and proposes another appro-
Driation to make it do for something.
The partisan contractors who got
he job don't complain, but what do
he taxpayers say to such reckless
'quandering of the public monies"
If not entirely "disloyal," remarks
he Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer,
We would inquire whether that ex-
oenditure Of twenty-eight thousand
lollars was authorized by Congress,
n was made by the "war power"
rested in Secretary Stanton To
outsiders it seems strange that any
department. should be allowed to in
lulge its whims to such an extent.
LETTER FROM STEPHEN r. MALLORY.
,tephen r, Mallory. ex.Nayal Sec.