Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-12-22

AotroA0hAoAt.
The following is the text Of the
Joint resolution on the subject OF
retrenchment, introduced by Sena-
tor Trumbull:
Resosssd, The House of Representa-
tives coacurring, that . joint select COM
mittee on retrenchment, consisting OF
four members Of the Senate and seven
members of the House, be appointed by
the presiding officers Of the two houses,
and that said committee be instructed to
inquire into the expenditures in all the
branches of the service of the United
States, and to report whether any and
what offices ought to be abolished,
whether any and what salaries or allow.
ances ought to be reduced, what are the
methods of procuring accountability in
public officers or agents In the care and
disbursement of public moneys, whether
moneys have been paid out Illegally;
whether any officers or agents or other
persons have been or are employed IN
the service without authority Of law or
unnecessarily, and generally how and to
what extent the expenses OF the service
of the country may and ought to be cur
tailed; and also to consider the expedien-
CIV of so amending the laws under which
appointments to the public service are
now made as to provide for the selection
of subordinate officers after due cxami-
nations by proper boards, their cOntinu.
ance in Office during specified terms un-
less dismissed upon charges preferred
and sustained before tribunals designa-
ted for that purpose, and for withdraw
ing the public servioet from being used az
an instrument Of political or party pat
ronape; that said committee be author.
lied to sit during the recess of Congress,
to send for persons and papers and re.
port by bill or otherwise; and that said
committee may appoint clerk for the
term of six months and no more.
There is nothing in the wording
or expressed purpose of the above
resolution which honest Republi.
cans and supporters of the admins
tration should object to. The in
quiry proposed in it is not only
proper and necessary in itself, but
it would in our opinion leave Presi-
dent Grant stronger than ever in
the confidence of the nation. Not
that no abuses would be discovered,
these arc inevitable in any admin
istration of affairs, but that the ex-
animation would prove that in the
reformation of these abuses the
President has already taken the
initiative, and would welcome the
committee as q most efficient ally.
And yet upon the introduction of
the above resolution, some of the
Republican Senators, pretending to
see in it covert attack upon the
administration, bitterly and persis-
tently opposed it, thus virtually
placing themselves Oh the record as
opposed to investigation of the man.
ncr in which the public service is
conducted. The Interpretation
which the enemies of the admins
tration will seek to put upon this
action will be, that its friends, fear
ing the effect of an examination OF
its record, are determined to sup
press it at all hazards, and thus the
over-zealous champions of the Pres
ident, by placing weapon in the
hands of his enemies, were doing
him more harm than a hundred in
designations could have done. We
firmly believe that the Republican
party has much to gain and nothing
to lose by the fullest scrutiny of its
administration Of affairs, and that
no matter with what motive intro.
duced, its true policy is to favor
every movement the tendency of
which is to ferret out corruption
and introduce and perpetuate re-
form in the public service.
We are glad to record that at a
subsequent caucus of the Republi-
can Senators it was agreed to sup
port Mr.. Trumbull's resolution with
slight notifications.