Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-01-13
Relrenchment and Economy,

POLICY oI rHENEw ADMINISTRATION foREsHAnow IN,
I Ia tie House oi Representatives, on the 6t
instant, Mr.. WAsusrRNR, from the Committee on
Way. and Means, in submitting the pension app
preparation bill, made an address ON government
economy from which we make the following ex-
tmcts The statements have additional force,
from his supposed connection with the new all
ministmtonl
The excitement and passions growing out oi
the war and out Of the contests connected there
with will die awny with the lapse OF time and
the people will compel Congress to confront other
and different questions than those which have for
81 many years ovelshadowed and swallowed up
every thing else. With the eunrec1nstrueted States
admitted into the Union, with full and equal pro-
lection for all men in all the States, and with
manhood suffrage secured hy legislation or CON
stiutional amendment the minds of the people
will turn 20 questions of finance, Of taxes. econO-
my of decreased expenditures and enlightened
legislation 10 questions of tariffs and Ia questions
of railroad, telegraph and express monopoies
which are sucking the very life blood Of the peo-
pie, 10 the administration Of the revenue laws
and 10 the robberies and plunderings of the trea-
sury hy dishonest oihce-holders. Already the
ewes Of the people Of the cOutry are upon Com
gress | may say that they are on the republican
responsible before the country for the legislation
Of Congress. 1t can make and unmake laws in
defiance aud contempt Of executive yetOes The
republican party triumphed in the last election
because it was pledged to honesty and economy
to the uphoding OF the public tnith and public
credit, and TO the faithful execution Of the laws f;
and those pledges cannot now be ignored without
subiecting the party to the censure Of the people.
The condition of the country, the vast public
debt, the weight of taxation, the deprecated and
nuctuatng currency, the enormous expenditures
Of the public money, the maladministmtlOn Of
the government, the extortions Of monopclies,
press upon our attention with most crushing force
The people elected General Grant to the Presi-
dency not only on account of the great and ines
Unable services he has rendered to the country in
subduing the rebellion, not only on account Of
his devotion to the great principles of the repub-
lincan party, but because they believed him 20 he
emphaticaly an honest man and an enlightened
statesman, who would faithfully administer the
laws withOdt fear, favor or affection. The time
has come when we are impentiNey called upon
to take new departure. Added TO the other ter
rlble evils brought upon the country BY the war
for the suppression Of the rebellion, is the demor
alization incident to all great wars, and tho ex-
penditures OF vast and unheard of amounts Of
public money, the giving out of immense con
tracts by which sudden and vast fortunes were
made, the initiation Of the currency, which engen-
dered speculation, protiigcy, extravaganza and
corruption by the intense desire TO get suddenly
rich out OF the government and without labor,
and the inventions and schemes generally to get
money out of the Treasury for the benefit Of indi-
viduals without regard TO the interests of the
government While the restless and unpausing
energies of patriotic and incorruptbe people
were devoted to the salvation Of their government,
and were pouring out their blood ond treasure in
its defence, there was the vast army Of the base
and the yenal and the nnpatrlotic who rushed IN
to take advantage of the inisfortunes Of the coun'