The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-04

members Of the next Congress are heartily
devoted to such policy, it will matter com
paratively little what is the comparative pro-
portion of its Republican and Democratic
members. The country is growing tired of
distractions, and intensely anxious that the
burdens of taxpayers should not be main
tanned and increased by reckless waste of
the public money. Honest and prudent men
opposed to such extravaganza are to be found
among the members of both parties, on the
one hand, as there are champions of extrava-
eance and slaves of corruption to be found
alike among the Democratic and Republican
members. The best thing Congress could do
would be to lift the burdens from the people
by abstaining from the expenditure of
single dollar unnecessarily; and after they
have re-established an old-fashioned system
of economy, they might quarrel to their
hearts content about the partisan issues. 1t
is difficult to ascertain at this writing whether
some of the appropriations about which the
Senate and House differed have been passed
or defeated; but the tendency of the times
is illustrated by the Senate action favoring
an increase of the salaries of large number
of Washington officials, the expenditure of
large sums for new public buildings
at the capital, and (most dangerous of
alD the passage of an amendment
authorizing the payment of claims
of Southern loyalists for food, supplies, etc,
furnished to the Union armies during the late
war, as well as by the excessive liberality dis
| played by the house to some of its favorits.
There is no nation on earth that has so much
money fooled and flung away by its local,
State, and national representatives, year after
year, as the United States; and the plunder of
treasures is growing to be such a favorite
science with the politicians of all parties that
they have well-nigh come to regard all other
studies as well as the remonstrances of the
press and the sufferings of the people, as
totally unworthy of their attention. The day
is coming when issues arising ont of these
stereotyped robberies will absorb all others,
and it is to be hoped that the change
in the political aspect # the House will
hasten this auspicious day, or at least make
the members of both parties more mindful of
the rising wrath of the people against fool
| lsh and criminal extravsgance. Everybody
and pretty much everything has been taken
care of, of late years, except the able-bodied
white taxpayer, who has footed the bill of all
projects and all theories, but who does not
intend much longer to suffer anybody in
terests or any class of exciting questions to
blind his eyes to the Importance of holding
those who vote away his money to rigid
accountability.
Independent of the topic already referred
to, the issues most likely to arise in the new
Congress will probably relate to the tariff,
the alleged outrages in the Southern States,
the proposed treaty with Great Britain, aud
San Domingo. Underlying everything else
will be the struggle for the Presidential sue
cession. The Democrats, rendered as ems-
ciated and hungry as Pharaoh's lean kline by
their prolonged exclusion from national
power, will make desperate and probably
adroit attempts to regain it. The Republi-
cans are to some extent divided in their
counsels, and long lease of power with its
accompanying patronage and responsibilities,
has tended to develop intense jealousies and
antagonisms. 1t remains to be seen whether
the Republican party will prove equal to the
task of reconciling and allaying them to such
an extent that the political victories of
1860, 1864, and 1868 will be followed
by q similar triumph in 1872. Any
attempt of the Democracy to revive old war
issues will have strong tendency to rekindle
the irresistible enthusiasm that has NO often
swept the country; but it is not unlikely that
comparatively new issues will attain para
mount importance in TIE next Presidential
campaign, and it behooves the Republican
members to be on their best behavior, and
to combine, as far as in them lies, the wisdom
of the serpent with the innocence of the dove,
if they wish to secure another triumph for
themselves and their party in 1872.