Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-04-16
Mr.. Speaker, have said am in favor of
a reduction in the proposed appropriations.


DO JUSTICE TO SOLDIERS, THEIR WIDOWS, AND
ORPHANS
The people ask no reduction of bounties
to soldiers nor of pensions to them, their
widows, or orphans. Fer one am in IA
vor Of extending and increasing some of
them until justice is done to every living
soldier and to the family of every one who
is dead. have voted and will again sote
to do justice to the needy soldiers of the
war of 1912.
HOW TO REDUCE EXPENSES.
And | will economizc and provide the
means OF doing this by general reduction in
the number of officers and in the amounts of
some of the salaries and expenditures in
nearly every department of the Government.
In many branches of the public service
there are thousands of officers whom would
not underrate, but whose duties do moi re-
quire the talent, learning, or skill Of those
who print the books and papers thai educate
the young and the old, or of the mechanic
whose genius and intellect, aided by strong
arms, create the houses we live in, the steam
engines, ships, and railroads cars that facili-
tate and carry on commerce and travel, or
the implements of husbandry and art which
develop the wealth and ornament the land
Many of the officers do not require the tai
ent or skill necessary to till the earth success
fully and produce the bread upon which we
live. Yet in large majority of the districts
represented on this floor these officers, for
the performance of duties less onerous than
the labor have described, are receiving n
compensation largely in excess of the re-
wards of skilled industry. The rewards of
labor, know, should be increased. But
know of no rule Of justice which will not
compensate the vaious forms of labor equal
ly with official duties requiring no greater
learning and skill and official salaries should
be conformed to that standard. But what is
the proper mode of retrenching?
THE NEXT STEP IN RETRENoHMENT
Each standing committee in Congress rep
resents and has charge of some one branch
of the public service, which is also repre-
sented itself by department of the Govern
ment. Thus the Judiciary Committee, of
which | have the honor to he member is
charged with the duty, among others, Of
supervising bills affecting the courts and
law officers of the Government. The Com
mitee of Ways and Means has charge of
the internal revenue laws, and in part passes
on matters affecting the Treasury. and espe-
cially that branch of it known as the inter
nal revenue department So various other
committees have charge of military and
naval affairs, public lands, commerce, pen
sons, &c.
No one member of Congress ever did or
ever will understand all the details of bills
reported by all the committees, much less of
the Departments of Government they rep
resent.
We are compelled to rely on the reports
OF committees in very many matters to gov
ern our votes.
We should require each Cabinet officer to
report what reductions OF expenses can be
made in his department, and instruct each
standing committee of the House to report
such bills affecting the public service as will
reduce expenses to the lowest point coinpat-
ible with justice and the national interests.
This mode, believe, will be effectual; any
other, | fear, will be a failure.
REVISE THE ESTIMATES.
The Secretary of the Navy heard the dis
tant thunder and gave us specimen of ''re-
vised estimates" but they should again be
revised
"The number of ships in actual service
should be reduced from one hundred and
three TO not over thirty in all, and the whole
naval expenditures ought not TO exceed
l2,O00,0O0 for the current year. The great
naval expedition now on exhibition in
Europe ought to be ordered home at once
and laid up; twenty ships are all that are
now needed to protect our interests abroad !"
That, Mr.. Speaker, is the kind of re-
trcnchment we need
EXrRAyAGANcE OF TREASURY DEPARTMENT..
The Secretary Of the Treasury recon-
mendS that tetrenchmcnt be Introduced in
TO all branches Of the civil service = by
which he evidently means in all branches
except Ills own, for he proceeds to say
"The compensation now paid is made
quate to the services Fertormed, and simple
justice to gentlemen of the ability and char
acter Of those employed in the Department
requires II liberal addition to their present
compensation.
1t was under the influence of couus,ls like
this that Tie joint resolution of February -,
1867, gave IN "extra allowance" by an in
crease of twenty per cent for ore year, from
June 30, lS66, in the pay o most of the
civil employees at Washington whose snla-
rcs do not exceed $4,000 per year, Ci,
Statute, 569,) and which cost the nation
nearly two million dollars, being more than
double the whole annual salary of all the
members of the House of Representatives,
and five times MS much as the increase in
their compensation by the act of July 18th,
1866
The expense ofcolceling our revenue is
made too large by the number and pay Of
some officers. On the 10Th February, lSG1,
| had the honor 10 propose reduction
which would have saved to the nation annu-
ally nearly two million dollars.
REDUCE THE TAXES.
The people have been taxed tos iearHy.
For the fiscal years ending June 30, 1866
and 1867, respectively, the receipts into the
Treasury were
1906 1867.
From internal rev.
euue. ............. S3i0906,9si II t265 4T4 55
From customs (coin) 179 046,G,1 5s 116,4l7,sl0 SIS
From public lands. 665, ,U3I 03 l,lG35i5 10
FiOm miscellaneous
sources. ,......... 67119,s6s at AZ s2I S52 80
From direct taxes. ',T54 l2 4,20U,sd3 10
$685. 7l2,I9O 81 $500 o.6,947 40
WHY TAXATION SO GREAT!
This enormous taxation was secured
through the gross demands and worse esli-
Inmates of this Democratic administration.
The following are the receipts as estima-
ted by the Secretary of the Treasury to
la I'm ,.,fl 81,