Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-02-16
Wrong Kind Of Retrenohment,

Wrong Kind Of Retrenohment.
In the senate February Sth, the
Pacific Railroad Omnibus bill was
agreed to by majority of the COM
mittee having it in charge. Those
reporting in favor OF it were senator's
CONFESS, Ramsey, Stewart, Rice and
Abbot, and all, with the exception OF
the latter, were western men, Abbott
being from No. Carolina. The scheme
is to consolidate all the Pacific roads,
and their corporators ask government
to guarantee to the stockholders the
payment of the interest on S15O,OOO,-
600 Of bonds for the term of thirty
years, at six per cent, which III that
period would amount TO the modest
sum of some S270,000,000, which the
government would be bound to pay
in the event Of these roads proving a
poor investment to the stockholders.
To sugar-coat this pill and make it pal
atable to those who might object to
swallowing it, it is proposed to mort
gage the roads to the government to
secure it from loss provided it is COM
peeled topay the interests so that in the
event OF a failure on the part of the
company to pay the interest the gov
eminent could take the road into its
own control. What is a note Of hand
worth that pays no interest, and what
would these roads be good for ifthey
did not pay expenses? To use a
homcly phrase. such a proceeding OF
the part of government would be like
"suing a beggar and catching a louise
We have read the report of the
minority by senators Morgan, Will
son and Sherman, who are earnest and
sharp in their opposition to the pro
posed scheme of further swindling
the people and robbing the treasury
to CRAFTY the ambition of those who
desire to build up the new states and
territories of the west, and thus "put
money in their purse The argu,
ments of the minority are clear and
conclusive and bear evidence of a
strong desire to save the people and
guard the treasury from further whole.
sale plumber. The scheme Of the
consolidatiOnists is gigantic one; i;
is more-a stupendOus swindle. Yet
it is of a piece with much of the talk
and too much OF the legislation that
has for long time occupied the at
tention OF Congress. Yet we hear &
great deal said by these same Con
gressmen about retrenchment anC
reform in the administration of the
government. Their spoken zeal fol
public economy is truly commendable
but in too many Of their votes VIZ
fail to see their reformatory measures
carried into practice.
BY the last report OF the secretary
OF the treasury we learn that GU
government owes little over $4,000,
100000. Its utmost energies ar,
taxed to find the means to pay tn
interest thereon and the running ex
penses of the government. How then
in the name of heaven, are we to low
err the principal when we continual,
seek means to add to it by such stu
pendous follies as this western rail
roai project? We are opposed t.
the whole thing at this time. w
cannot afford it. We must stop thi
species Of legislation or we must sto
the government. We cannot 90 o.
at the rate We have been the pas
eight years and weather the storn
and it is time the people undcrstan
it-as they are beginning TO do. Sine
the first election of Abraham LincOl
and the consequent secession Of th
southern states, money has not bee
counted out, it has been measured GU
yes, Sh0Ueied out to a cavalcade 0
thieves that come up to the mint, tn
White House and the Capitol well Ell
dorsed by party leaders. From ths
period to the close of the war the grea
erpart of the expenditures may hay
been a necessity, and no blame shoul
attach TO those who did their utmo
to crush the rebellion. We were
tribulation; the nation, liberty, iustic
civilization and christianity, were il
periled. Money was necessary
put it down, but when the war close
and our armies were disbanded, t
thieves should have been disband
too. They were disbanded. But
seems that they have concentrat
again and with new recruits are on
more laundering at the vaults of t
treasury. Great yigor has been sho,
in retrenching in small things, and t
old prodigality exhibited in large on