Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-01-13
Retrenchment and Economy.

Mr.. Washburne, of Illinois. chairman Of
the committee on Appropriations, made a
speech last week on the financial condition of
the government, from which We make the
following extract
1t may not be deemed inappropriate 20
70 the House some observations on the
character and extent OF the appropriations
necessary for the support of Government for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1870, and
other cograte matters 1t must be a matter
of profound congratulation To all good citizens
that the time Is now come when the attention
Of the people can be given in a greater degree
70 the material and vital interests Of the
country. 4 gigantic rebellion is suppressed:
the curse Of human slavery abolished the
rebellious States reconstructed on the basis Of
equal rights before the law a loyal admins
t~ratiOn of the country secured for the next
four years the bitterness of party feeling
assuagcd the earnest attention Of the
American people VIII now be turned t.
questions of the internal administration of
the country. The exeiLement And passions
CTuwTuE JurT TIE war aud oct of the con
tests connected herewith viii die away with
the lapse Of time, and the people will compel
Congress to confront other and different aues-
tions than those which have for so many
years overshadowed and swallowed up every
thing else. With the unreconstructed states
admitted into the Union, with full and equal
protection for all men in all the States. and
with manhood suffrage secured by legislation
or constitutional amendment. the minds of
the people viii turn 10 questions of finance.
Of taxes, of economy. of decreased expendi-
lures and enlightened legislation. to ques-
tions of tariffs and to questions of railroad,
telegraph and express m~OnOpolIes, which are
ssrgl Tpr tho arv EFa HID $ ~. - =
the administration of the revenue laws and to
robberies and plunderings of the Treasury by
dishonest offce-holders. Already the ewes of
the people of the country are upon Congress,
| may say they are on the Republican major
ity IN Congress, fur that majority is now re-
sp0nsible before the country for the legIsIa-
ton of Congress. Ii can make and unmake
laws in defiance and contempt of Executive
vetoes. The Republican party triumphed in
the last election because it was pledged to
honesty and economy. to UNFOLDING of the
public faith and public credit, and to the
faithful execution Of the laws. and those
pledges cannot now be ignored without sub
lecting the party to the censure of the peo-
pie. The condition of the country, the vast
public debt the weight of taxation, the de-
preciated and fuctuating currency, the
enormous expenditures of the public money,
the maladministration ofthe Government, the
extortions of monopolies, all press upon
our attention with most crushing force
The people elected General Grant to the
Presidency, not only on account of the
great and inestimable services he has render
ed the country in subduing the rebellion, not
only on account of his devotion TO the great
principles Of the Republican party, but be-
cause they believed him to be emphatically
an honest man and an enlightened statesman
who would faithfully administer the laws,
without fear, favor or affection. The time
has come when we are imperatively called
upon to take a new departure. Added to the
other terrible evils brought upon the country
by the war for the suppression of the rebellion
is Generalization incident to all great wars.
and to expenditures of vast and unheard of
amounts of public money to giving out of
immense contracts, by which sudden and vast
contracts were made the imitation Of the
currency. which engendered speculation,
prOhigacy, 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
individuals, without regard to the interests
of the Government. While the restless and
untiring energies of a patriotic and incorrup-
tible people were devoted to the salvation of
their Government, and were pouring out
their blood ana treasure IN It's Oeicnce.
there was the vast army of the base and the
venal and unpatriotic, who rushed in to
take advantage of the misfortunes of the
country and TO plumber it's Treasury. The
statute books are loaded with legislation
which will impose burdens on future genera
tions. Public lands enough to make empires
have been voted to private railroad corpora
tions; subsidies of untold millions of bonds,
for the same purposes, have become a charge
upon the people; while the letters of vast
monopolies have been fastened still closer
and closer upon the public. 1t is time that
the Representatives of the people were adj
monished that they are servants of the peo-
pie, and are paid by the people that their
constituents have confded to them the great
trust of guarding their rights and protecting
their position, and that their powers are to
be used for the benefit of the people whom
they represent, and not for their own bene-
fit and the benefit of lobbyists and the gam
blers and spectators who have come to
Washington to make a raid upon the Treas
urv. The time has come. in my judgment,
when public men are to be held to a more
strict accountability-to a more strict dis
charge of their duty-and when their ac-