The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-04

ONT no tdp Increasing their compensation shat
take eject during the existence Of the Legislature
phich enacted it, Yet in the face of this co1asts-
tutiondl inhibition, Messrs. Balkan and Dickey,
two Democratic members of the House, in
sisted that members should receive their pay
in gold, then at 40 per cent premium, thus
raising their compensation to $21O. Raising
the pay of the 1871 members of the Honse and
Senate $50 each, and thus as,aconstitutionalty
abstracting $10s6O from the Treasury, is a fair
example of the Democratic idea of Economy
and "retrenchment" a - ey't
I'd. In the State Senate Mr.. Ludden of An
droscoggin, opposed the order to provide each
Senator with two copies of the Legislative
Journal, on the ground of necessity TOR econo-
my. On-a motion to table and thereby defeat
the resolve, all three of the Democrats IN the
Senate voted against tabling and thereby in
favor of the extra expense provided by the Or
notwithstanding, as Mr.. Ludden well said, the
sincerity of the Democratic cry for economy
Sd. Mr.. Bradbury, (Democrat) of Hollis
wanted to pay Mr.. Elliot of Freedom Ga broth
er of Robert) the salary of member of the
Legislature for contesting seat to which it
was shown he had no right! This precedent,
if established, would make fine opening for
enterprising Democrats who have fancy for
spending winter at the State capital.
There are plenty of other instances of the
same nature that illustrate the true character
of Democratic economy. .-
MASSACHUSETTS.
We have heretofore adverted at length to
the effect of the Democratic and p. L. L. in
cursion last winter in the Massachusetts, Leg
islature. The lobby had hitherto had only
nominal existence, but tie enlarged Demo-
cratic minority had power to call one into exist
ence that brought indeible disgrace ON the old
Bay State. More schemes Of population and
plumber were crowded through than during
the whole previous history of the Common
wealth.
CONNECTICUT.
In Connecticut the last Legislature had a
very large Democratic minority which did not
even initiate a retrenchment measure of any
kind whatever and only rendered itself con-
spicuous by its determined opposition to a reg
istration law designed to prevent the repeti-
ton of the illegal voting that had at the last
election given Governor English his majority.
uaf-..e NEW YORK. a.s,...a ...+
Here the Democrats have had the amplest
opportunity to show what they could do in the
way Of practically illustrating their theoreti-
cal dogma. The results have been these: ~
At Albany the lobby has been stronger than
both the other branches of the Legislature.
The most iniquitous schemes were passed by
the Democratic Assembly, and, with the con-
nivance of few of the small Republican ma
jority in the Senate, by that body also. I-tI
The first act of the Democratic Assembly
was to double the salaries of its officers 81 ''4
The Assembly passed a law, which was de-
feated in the Republican Senate repeating the
excise law which yielded 50 100000 to the To-
cal charities OF New York and Brooklyn, be-
sides constituting the only restraint upon the
free sale of liquors in those cities.
The Assembly was owned in fee simple by
the Erie, Central and other great railroad
corporations. ...,....-..... ......
A Republican Assemblyman preferred
charges against Democratic associate for the
grossest corruption. The result was that he
was bullied, worried, denounced and gener-
ally abused by the Democratic majority to
such an extent that he aods obliged to resign
and go home, while his corrupt associate
went ON making laws. '-i % al
Assemblymen were quoted as constantly as
any other item in the prices current, SO noto-
rious was their venality. ~1v.r-.. -- %,
Legislative investigating committees went
to New York city and in few days run up
bills of bet,oeen and tsoo thousand dollars for
liquor and cigars. .ft ~ ass.
OfNew York city itself, where the municip-
al government is wholly in the power of the
Democracy, except so far as a slight restraint
is supposed by the Metropolitan Commission
established bv the Legislature, we need say
nothing. That government is the standard BY
which all corruption, extravaganza and venal-
ity are measured. Mr.. Devlin, the late City
Chamberlain died worth a million dollars ac-
quired in the four years of his official life. The
man who gets the contract to clean the streets
is sure of fortune as not quarter of the
money appropriated is used for legitimate
purpose. As corrupt as New York Alder
man has become proverb. --..-... .,
The Ohio Legislature became Democratic
last fall. The hungry Copperheads began
their work of reform" by RAISING THEIR PAY
TO FIVE DOLLARS PER DAY. They held the
longest session ever known in the State, run
ming up bill of $4,000, the Republican Leg.
islature of the winter before having cost only
$93,S43. AS they provided also for Novem-
Der session, the people of Ohio will be pretty
likely to get enough of Democratic rule and
of Mr.. Pendleton's plans for saving "the labor
ing man from taxation" These things with
the famous 'visble admixture law are the only
cratic legislature. .
MARYLAND. -.-.. -.
Maryland is now so thoroughly Democratic
as to be thoroughly Rebel The retrenchment
in vogue there is by means OF keeping a stand
ing Rebel army, commanded by Rebel officers
We notice that recently a method has been
devised of making the Democratic canvass at
the expense of the State. -----
OTHER STATES.
Kentucky and Delaware, good Democratic
States, are "retrenching" so fast that they
don't reduce their debt, while Republican In
diana has paid so per cent. of hers, and Re-
publican Iowa has paid the whole of hers
Under Democratic rule Missouri did not paw
the coupons on her bonds. Recently she has
been under Radical control and has resumed
payment. This is by no means complete pic
ture, but it shows this, that if all that is aleg-
ed against the Republican party on the ground
OF extravaganza were ten times true, the De-
mocracy would only plunge us into difficulties
10 tIr,nc bow p,,S -, c,I