The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-03-18
TnE New York Tunes, in noticing the |

The New York Times, in noticing the
Presidents conversation with Col.
Charles Halpine, the editor of the New
York Citizen, in regard to the National
finances, and especially the squirting
OF his language toward a belief in ulti-
mate reputation, warns Congress that
1t Is useless to summon the Colonel be-
fore the Impeachment Committee TO
ascertain just what the President did
say. as long as the members are wasting
and misapprOpriating millions and
thereby furnishing occasion for such
conversations. not only to the President
but to everybody. The true policy is
to 80 deal with the public finances as
to let the people see that in those who
talk about reputation, "the wish is
father to thethought." Otherwise it is
all useless to try to dam up or plug up
criticism and distrust. AS the Times
we'll Observes Congress may sim
"uiate zeal Tor the public
credit by Furnishing the Presi-
dent for limiting doubts whether
ait will be maintained; but it would be
much more wisely employed in adopt
ling measures to diminish the public
burdens and to augment the resources
out OF which those burdens can alone
'' be borne"
Last year the national debt was in
creased upwards of eighty millions by
the extra pay and bounty law passed
by Congress. Another project Is now
up to vote away two or three hundred
millions more, nobody knows how
much, in the shape of bounty. General
Banks said it would be from four to
eight hundred millions in IL speech
some weeks ago. And he also said, in
the same speech, cuIiously enough, that
there were various ways OF repudiating
the debt, and that zone of them was by
adding To its amount so largely as to
make its payment impossible."
The Times SAYS that outside claims
are being pressed upon Congress sufIi-
cient to swell the debt to six thou
sand millions, and it therefore calls
the attention OF the country to the great
necessity of letting every member OF
Congress know that in attempting to
fAsten any additional burdens upon the
people he shall do so at the expense of
. his political existence. Not the debt
but all such representatives must be ro-
Pudiated.
The idea OF repudiatinG the public
''debt is nbhorrent to the public sense
"of justice and national honor. It will
''be universally secuted with indignn-
"tion- Any member OF Congress who
''should rise in his place and propose
cit, would be gibbiled by the scorn and
contempt OF the public. But many a
''member courts applause, votes,
''and IA reelection by advocating meas
cures which lead directly and inevita-
'bly To what is practically a repudia-
"tiou-viz: such bills AS the bounty APP
preparations, extra pay to members of
"Cougress, and to department clerks,
sand the wastage of untold millions
Through political favoritism."
1t Is only when the question of taxa
tion comes up, says the Times, that
Congress mRnifests realizing sense of
the unpopularity of their additions to
the debt. They fear to add to the taxes
but not to the debt itself. They SEEM
ingly desire to diminish the one and in
crease the other, just as though the
people will not penetrate so thin dis
Huise. As the Tunes well says, there
is great need that we should be
warned in season by such mutter-
inss, or whatever we may please to
call them, AS lately came from the
President, let the motives prompting
their expression be what they may.
The people wilt only all the more dis
cuss them and brood over them in pro-
portion as the Impeachment Commit
tee may magnify them by foolish in
quisition.. 1t will be only "ror mo
ment" that Congress, by such process,
eau satisfy the vague feeling of dis
content that Pervades the public
mind" 1t "cannot. by any such pro-
cess. long evade the higher duties which
devolve upon it and for which the
country will hold it responsible" Its
first great duty at this time is to hus-
band the public resources with exceed
Ing care and fidelity, "fcr vast as they
care, they will be taxed to the utmost
''iu this gigantic work. 1t must bring
Unto activity the labor, the enterprise
''and the capital of every section OF the
county, for all will be needed if this
work is to be performed"