The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-20
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In like spirit when the day of settlement
arrives, and the agent appears, to render
al account of his stewardship, the qucs-
tion is quickly made, q What has he done?'
Should not the same policy be pursued
toward the public servants of the people
Are the trusts reposed in them any less
important than the agencies and stew
ardships in the ordinary business relations
of life?
To our mind the relation of the iesisla-
tor or other public officer to the people
whom he represents, is the most important
In the secular affairs of life. In the ord-
nary business relations the agent who de-
ceives his employer, or defrauds him or
his customers is justly condemned in com
mercial circles, adjudeed a criminal and
subjected to scorn aud contempt Yet.
that person may have deceived bat sim
gle individual the fraud may only have
covered a few dollars, affecting but his
employer or single customer
Should the public scrvant of the people
neglect his duties. fail to regard the peo-
pies interest, abuse their confidence, or
dcfraud them, The wrong is greater, more
criminal, because affecting a whole CON-
munity. \ single villainous act, or
single neglect OF duty may be productive
ofsreater ealanitio., to the people. Judged
by this reasonable rule, how stands the
case with TIE congress Of the dlsuuited
states?
That body, Tie members Of which were
elected under the most solemn pledges Of
guarding the public interests, has been in
session new five and half mouths-twcn-
ty-four weeks or ever oe hundred
and six'y-Gve days.
In the spirit Of this practical ase lie: the
in.errogatory be put:
What have they done?'
In this boastcd age Of progress. our
Yankee friends claim t 'at year is almost
equal 20 an age, such is the rapidity of
thought and action.
Yet congress has been in sec ion nearly
the half Of a year, and what has been
dcne2
The expenses Of /: congress. incIudin
pay of members, are not less than sl2. .000
per Gay. At this rate the cost of the
present body to the PEOPLE 50 far should
have been about S2,0g0 $50. In con-
lection with this we mast not overlook
&c fact that some ninety days of the seq
ION Lave been spe',t ia vain and fruit
less attempt to impeach aud dcpose tie
president, Tie expense of whi.l was about
$4,000 per day additional This adds a
million to the bill o. EXPENSES.
The account viii then stand thus:
Congress has been in session nearly six
months. at an expense to an oveItaxed
and overburdcned people Of some thre. rnil-
lions of dollars, apd the question cones
sounding louder and louder, over town
and city, hill and mountain, woodland and
prairie. field ard farm, lake and river.
rom Maine TO Oregon, from Macinaw to
Florida. d" What have they done -
Do you hear i, yc Buffers, and Bine-
hams and Colfaxes " hat bavc they
eone ?"
Are you deaf to TIE cries Of tao people,
e bloodletting Chambers, yc besotted
Yateses, yc manhood" Summers, We
wearing Wades, &c bonlholding sher-
mans? Do ye hear it ? What have
hey done ,"
The answer comes moaning, as it were
"a the wings of tic wind in solemn. crave
Ike sounds. " No good Ne good
God knows that the TASKS OF the peor,e
az great. Their burdens are more than
'aaa can long endure
Yet nothing is done for their relief.
Ia effect they are commanded to make
bsias without straw or even .stubblc.
Caa these things be and not excite our
ia5is suation
s bat single act he's been passed for the
re..ef of trade. or labor, or honest CON-
Derce?
What has been done to support the
hands, strengthen the arms, and encour
age Lhe hearts Of those who toll day in
and day out, from the first gray streaking
Oh me morning, till the curtains of nisht
are 1rawn over the earth?
y hY, in contemplating these things tho
head is amazed, the heart becomes faint.
aud he whole man sckens.
Noaey Is voted away; or rather the
credit OF the government is voted awav
for money they have not, for almost every
conceivable object.
tlperdous public improvements are
evisad and put in process of construc.
on.