Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-02-21
Congressional Retrenohment.

Congress is making encouraging pro-
gress in the -uuch-needed work of re-
ducing national expenditures. The
Committees on Appropriations and
Ways and Means, have already accom-
plished an immense saving to the peO-
I pie by reducing the yarious outlays
/ proposed by the johnson adminfstra-
ton. The New York Post a paper
hitherto not friendly to Congress, re-
marks upon this subject;
The sharp scrutiny which they. are
giving to the estimates Of the secreta-
/ ries have already worked a saving of
/ seventy-nine millions Of dollars in only
/ two departments Of the government, the
army and navy. With the help Of Cen
! eral Grant, the army appropriation has
/ been cut down to more than fifty mill
lions less than last years, and the es-
Inmates are lowered from forty-seven
millions to eighteen mlllions-a saving
4 OF tWenty-nins millions of dollars more.
The COMMITTEES have cat down Mr.. Sew
ards estimates also Sl54, $50, which
makes the appropriation for the coming
fiscal year $I56, $50 less than for the
| present year.
TO this might be added the tens Of
millions which Mr.. Seward proposed to
squander in West Jadian volcanoes and
other territorial acquisitions equally
useless, but which have been saved by
the prompt and emphatic demurrer Of
the Republican Congress.
Some timesin we remarked in these
columns that retrenchment should be
the Keynote of Congressional legisla-
ton this winter. We still believe that
it is the butt end of all that needs TO be
done in relation to our finances The
great secret of financial success consists
not so much in the invention of finely
spun theories or sbrewd expedients as
in economy and retrenehment. Of all
the elements of successful fnaneiering
it is no doubt at this time the most diff
fcu1t to achieve as it is she most essen
tial. Every lobby interest is opposed
to economy. Every shrieker for green
back initiation is a deadly enemy to
retrenohment The johnson admins
tration sets itself against it hoping to
encourage such extravaganza as will
cause the downfall of the Republican
party. But retrenchment viii never
theless go on, and if accompanied at
the same time by economy and prudent
abstinence from speculation on the part
| of the people we shall not be long in
arriving at specie payments. For after
all the discount upon the national
currency and securieties is but the
measure of the impairment of conf
dence in the nations ability and willing
ness to pay Its debts. And what is bet
fer calculated to redeem that confidence
than a careful husbanding Of resources
and a rigid reduction of expenses? f?
Every dollar saved in this way is an
additional pledge that the national OBJ
legations shall be honestly redeemed,
and by so much raises the value ofour
promises and shortens the distance to
specie payments, the true and only so
luton of our financial difficulties.
Let US all stop talking repudiat1on
and 60 to work with infexible and un-
firing zeal in sarning and saving mon
ey enough TO pay our debts honestly.
five do this the time viii not be long
coming when shame and confusion will
overtalze any one who dares propose
that this great nation with its thirty
Thousand millions of property and its
immense undeyeloped estates should
attempt to get rid Of one cent of its