Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-11-23
BENDER & MlLLIKAN, Editors and Publishers.


But to achieve success in 1872 beyond
the Republican banner must
be inscribed, as in the past, with living !
principles, worthy of the organization and
its supporters. Its glorious history, its
brilliant record, the story of what it has
done for this country and its people in the
brief ten years since it won its first ma
tional victory will never grow old. 1t
will illumine the, brightest pages of our
annals long after all who assisted in it
shall have been gathered to their fathers,
and will brighten under the eye of pros
perity as age after age rolls away. But it
must have future worthy of the past,
which shall prove that it continues to be
the party of Justice, of Humanity, of Pro-
gress and Advancement; and which, with
out any new departure, will show that it
can be surely relied on for the correction
of all existing abuses, and the perfection
and establishment of all needed reforms
To answer in advance the criticisms of
those who may reply that those senti-
ments are only glittering generalities," l
will specify few points that, to achieve
victory, and to make that victory sub
stantial success for the nation afterwards,
should not, as it seems to me, be ignored.
1. RETRENCHMENT.-Easy to agree as
general proposition, its details are more
difficult when they involve raZeeing of ap-
propriations in our own section or our IA
vorite branch of the public service. Wit
ness the years ii required to bring down
the army from war to peace basis, and
to dispense with numbers of officers not
needed, Without injustice to the officers
themselves, on the one hand, or the tax
payers on the other AT last, however,
the law provides, with very general con-
currcnce, that, as vacancies occur, the
grade of general and lieutenant general
are to remain untitled, while the major
generals are to be similarly reduced to
three and the brigadiers to six The same
retrenchment, on just principles, is yet to
be applied to the navy, where on active
duty or through honorably rctiracy on
full rank, on account of age, wounds. etc.
there are, as appears in the naval register,
besides an admiral and vice admiral, -
rear admirals on the active list and 20
more on the retired list, 25 commcdoles
on the active list and 50 more on the se-
tired, and reservnd list, for our reduced
navy of $500 sailors. Surely no one
should object to the army rule being ap-
piled here = that, as vacancies occur the
positions remain untitled till reduction
to IA peace basis is effected.
River and harbor improvements, sus-
pended during the year for some years
thereafter, rose to five millions last wear /;
and, on large were the needed arpropria-
tlons for the costly post office buildings
in New York and Boston, that public
works generally Cinclu6ing rivers and
harbors, custom houses and post offices,
but excluding forts, navy yards and arse
nals) foot up in the bills of last winters
session over ten millions, in spite of the
earnost efforts of the committees in charge
of the subjects to keep down these aggre-
gates. With what retrenchments can
safely be made without detriment to the
service, with no more Alaska's to pay for
with our pensions appropriation doubt.
less at its maximum 4,000, 600, with the
i1tercst on the national debt reduced by
this Administration from 1926, ,000, 600 pei
year to less than $40, 0,009,0 900, and Will
its prospective reduction before 1913 tC
800 009, 900, the present Congress vii
doubtless earn and receive the heartics
public approval, when they adjourn mex
summer, for having brought down tn,
future national expenses below &c, 900,
cooper year, perhaps even 500 0,00O less
2. misunderstanding seems NOR
certain than that, while the people hav,
, to bear the burdens of taxation caused by
their great national appropriation bill
should be swallowed by subsidies, meri
torious as some propositions of this kin
may have seemed. And tits equally clea
that there is resistlessly strong publ
desire that railroad landgratns shoul
. cease, and that the republican homestea
= principle of the reservation of the Ian
for the free use of the actual settler, il
: faugurated by it on its first advent to pow
: er, should be maintained and preserve
:. inviolate.
i 3. AMNEsTY.-The undoubted publ
a opinion of the country is that the time fC
d general amnesty has arrived. A va t an
d bulky omnibus bill, relieving Thousand
r. of individuals by name from their disabil
,e ties, fell by its own weight at the close !
$ the last Congress, though there was N
> the slightest objection by any one
Iv ninety-nine hundreds of the names it co
s. tained. The truest craftsmanship and Il
I'd wisest policy require that the great ma
Sc of the Southern people, who were real
ID followers, and not leaders, should be,
to a general bill, relieved from all constit
tional disabilities. Ifany class should
reserved, to have their case tested by spe
10 is'i DiiiS toooh aS Ihooo "Ho, "nilo 81
- under oath and pay as Congressman a.
=. cabinet ministers, inaugufated the .Reb
" lion and kindled its baleful fres), tn
49, could be specially excepted from t
- operations cf the general statute. B
ho such classes would be small in numb
~ and heexception would not effect the &c
eral relief so much desired
d; -e''0- n''0-' NoS'ie 80 M
st. 4. CIVIL SERVICE REFoRM.-The I
he puplcan party cannot AFFORD 10 ignore
Its condemn that growing sentiment viii
NJ demands that the incompetent and L
at worthy should not be appointed to off
Ior no matter what may be their polite
ch claims. Their last National Conventit