Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-12-30
We Hope it is True.


The Washington correspondent Of the
New York Tribune telegraphs that paper tie
following:
\ Senator of the United States called on
Gen. Grant to-day and asked a favor. which
the General declined to grant, because it
was impossible. The Senator remarked that
he WIS going away, and would not return
for some weeks. The General replied that
he was sorry he was going, but if he was in
favor OF cxpending any more money from
the Government Treasury to aid Pacifi; or
other railways, lie hoped that he would 90
and stay away Several members of Con
gress were present, and 4 brief discussion
ensued on the subject of government sub
sides to railroads and other corporations.
The President elect spoke with emphasis
against any further aid being giving to the
Pacific Railroads. He said, substantially,
1t was very apparent to every man in the
country that our finances needed the closest
attention, and that it is vitality important, if
we intend to pay off the national debt and
Tighten taxation, to practice the most rigid
economy, and the place TO begin with is the
bulls that are pending in Congress granting
further subsidies to the Pacific and other
railroads No matter what may be said
about the prospective benefit we are TO derive
from these roads, it is too long to wait, and
we should make the best possible use of our
present resources, without increasing the
burden of our debt by mourning expensive
risks which are hazardous. The Congress-
men who were at the interview were aston
ished at the frankness with which the Gen
eral expressed his views, while they one and
all pledged him their support. The General
at the same time gave his opinion that there
should be an extra session of the NLlst Con-
gress. The existence of the present Congress
is for 50 short n time that there will be just
barely time TO pass the appropriation bills,
and it Is doubtful whether the great question
of our finances can be properly cared for.
In addition to this Geographic information,
we have the following from the Cincinnati
Gazette:
Grant, during his late trip from Chicago
to this city, remarked to a gentleman in com
pany that he feared the carpet-baggcrs =
would swamp the government before he could
take possession of the White House. By
carpet baggers he meant the large congrega-
ton Of individuals now at Washington with
their pockets full of schemes. the object of
which is To deplete the Treasury. The Gene
raj spoke verv freely on this subject. He
did not hesitate to denounce the business as
public robbery, and the schelners as public
robbers. Il an not IN fa-Or, Sir,' said
Grant, "0f d,rectly or indirectly increasing
the public de5t lrIiIc there Is a party in The coun-
~ EA1e GL-AS AbbLE FtNULfNAfpN- 4 IN NttTt.
II IS d5sohtely necessary that IRE should hare
the S~trlcfeSt honesty IN the collection of the
r~ereHue, end the ~strictest economy in all erpeH-
dif1pes."
Gen. Grants administration Of the War
Department was signalized, among other
things, by the stoppage of a great many I'M
necessary expenditures, and we know no
good reason why the above reports, unlike
most OF the rumors from Washington and
elsewhere respecting what is to happen, may
not be true.
There is only one way to restore the credit
of the government.-indee there is only one
way of keeping the present damaged credit
Of the country from greater damage and
that is by the most rigid economy, and the
most unfinching retrsnchment in every de-
partment of the public service. An income
in excess of expenditures, if the expendi
lures are greatly larger than is evidently
necessary, will not even maintain the public
credit, much less restore it to the condition
that shall make Il government promise to pay
a dollar, worth at least a dollar in gold. The
people viii not long stand a burdensome
taxation if tLey know that their servants
squander their money and while they will
not, even in such case, probably repudiate
their debts, they viii and they ought to re-
pudiatc the party that becomes thus reckless
and extravagant. The recent victory of the
Republican party means, among other things,
the honest payment of the national debt, and
retrcnchment that cuts more than skin deep,
TIT goes to the very heart of every scheme
for plundering the national treasury. This
the people will have done, and politicians
may as well understand it. The executive
department must stop buying expensive ice
bergs and forbear to purchase tropical islands
with their delightful appurtenances of lorna
does and earthquakes. Congress must stop
railroads. and especially stop it while for
tunes are being made out of those already
voted. 1t must also stop raising salaries, and
appropriations of all sorts other than what
are necessary to the economical administrator
of public affairs. And Gen. Grant must turn
the army of swindlers and thieves out of Of
fee, and make it not only disreputable but
dangerous to cheat the government. These
reforms are not only needed, but imperatively
demanded and II the republican party can
not inaugurate them, let some other that can
take the government.
The battle will be nearly won. however, if
Gen. Grant adheres to the line of policy
which the above reports mark out for him.
He led the armies in a successful war against
treason, and thus won a great fame,-and he
will now add to bis great fame, as well as
make it more enduring, by striking a death
blow against extravaganza and corruption in
official positions, and crushing out, without
fear or favor, the whole army of adventures
and plunderers and swindlers and thieves,
who have contrived, with altogether too much
success hitherto, to live and grow fat upoc
the public treasury.
The Montpelier and Wells River