The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-11-25
DAILY PRESS.
Monday Morning, November 25. 1867.

PORTLAND.

Monday Morning, November 25. 1867
The Csmmittee ON Approprias ions.
1t is to be hoped that rumor for once is
right, although it is a Washington rumor OF
which we write, and that Speaker Colfax has
determined to disregard in the composition
OF the House commit ees all cor siderations
except the qualifications of members for the
duties OF the several posts. Heretofore this
has been too often the last consideration
The "claims" of this Or that State, clique or
member have been pressed as eagerly and ef-
fectually for chairmanships in the House as
for clerisshipsin. the Departments, and with
the same inevitable result. Incompetency
and indifference have usurped the places
which of all others demanded consummate
ability and strictest application, and the only
wonder has been that the public business got
itself done as well as it did,. The traditions
Of the long succession Of Democratic admins
tratiOns since Jackson still linger about the
national capital 1t is the duty of the Repub-
lican party to reaffirm the doctrine of the
founders of our government that no man
has any claim to any post or office, except
what flows from his ability to render the SER
vice required. 'is"I31 iaagntGt & pt.aai
1t is further rumored that Mr.. Colfax, pro-
ceeding upon this principle, will name for the
craftsmanship of the important Committee
on Appropriations Elhu B. Washburne OF IL
linois. 1t is to be hoped that this runor is
true. Mr.. Washburne is a man who has al
ways taken firm stand against lavish ex-.
penditures, and at this time, when every dol
lar is demanded for the payment of sacred
obligations, it is right and fit that such man
should audit the accounts presented to our
trustees in Congress assembled. The money
with which the war was prosecuted was ad-
vanced by the American people, withdrawn
from its uses for business and pleasure, con-
verted into gunpowder and army wagons,
and burned and destroyed. We are the poor
er to-day by the whole amount of the nation
al debt, and more. Families which were in
easy circumstances when the war began have
without complaint found themselves obliged
to practice closer and still closer economy
They have lived on palmer fare, and worn
humber garments-of other sacrifices we do
| not now speak. When the war was over,
they submitted still without complaint to a
severity of taxation almost unparalleled.
Does anybody suppose these sacrifices were
made to furnish Congress with means TO dis
play its generosity? If so, it is time to wake
from that dream. The people who sent their
representatives to Washington TO provide for
the suppression of the rebellion at all hazards
and at any cost, and who after the great work
was accomplished expected and demanded
rate Of taxation sufficient to secure the debt
they had voluntarily incurred, want now to
pay that debt-not this year, nor next, but in
good time-and meanwhile they do not want
and they will not endure any profusion on the
part of Congress. tg Ittif II
The time has arrived when the taxes may
be safely reduced-not only rearranged, which
Freedmen's Bureau has performed its work,
and Gen. Howard now recommends its dis
continuance. The army will soon be Ieduc-
ed to permanent peace footing. The speedy
reconstruction of the Southern States may be
regarded rs a thing assured The Yankee
Pentarchy was organized for a temporary
purpose-the maintenance ofpublic order in
the Southern States during the anarchic peri
cd preceding the revival of the State govern
ments. When the people of those States are
prepared to set in motion the machinery of
civil government, the occupation of the mill
tary commanders will be gone. A. great re-
duction of expenses in the War Department
may therefore be expected at an early day
The Departments ofState, of the Navy and
of the Interior are already on peace footing,
''''a - - T----t nfice Department paws its own
way, or very nearly. OnIy ruv- .n.oa.,,.u -
mains. The immense aggregate of business.
in that Department cannot be at once reduc-
ed to the old limits, but it can and must be
simplifed. A revision of the internal reve-
nue. laws, after faithful study of the whole
subject, will unquestiouably give us law
more difficult to evade and requiring the SER
vices of a much sma Her number of officers
The subject was new when Congress first be-
gan to le9lslate upon it. We have had time
now to profit not only by the recorded expe-
rience Of other nations but by the practical
lessons of our own. fiaa FaeaI7ila
The people who have waited so long and
endured so patiently, expect to profit by these
advantages. They viii not bear to see their
money squandered on fine editions of worth
less documents, or railroads to the moon, or
real estate in Utopia. Whatever expendi-
ture is essential to the national safety or
prosperity they will authorize. Whatever
balance remains after such expenditure, they
WIN jealously look to see applied in such a
way as to relieve the burden of taxation. If
Secretary Seward thinks he Is gratifying his
eountrymen by taking just this time to buy
polar provinces and tropical islands, he is
greatly mistaken. The Anglo-Saxon passion
for land may be strong; but common sense
is another attribute of the race, which it will
not do to overlook. The necessity of the
hour is economy. We do not need the Da-
nish West Indies. We did not need Wal
russia. We could have lived very comforta-
bly, without the one, and we can live without
the other. We are not suffering just now
for an island in the Mediterranean, or in
Oceanica. The nation is in debt, and until
fits debts are paid must contrive to do with
out these and other hnxuries. The small ex-
penditures as well as these larger items must
be carefully scrutinized. The Committee on
Appropriations has an opportunity to render
service to the country which viii not 60 un-
marked.
General Grants Animal Report.
Gen. Grants annual report as Secretary or