The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1872-01-04
CARL sCHURZ ON REFORM.

Senator Anthony of Rhode Island recently
introduced in the Senate a resolution providing
for standing committee Of investigation and
retrenchment, to consist of seven members to
be elected by the Senate, and to have the power
to investigate and report upon such subjects as
may be committed to it by the Senate. Mr..
Trumbull moved to amend the resolution by
adding proviso directing the committee to
inquire into the expenditures in all branches
of the government service; whether any, and
if so, what offices should be abolished, and
what salaries or allowances ought to be re-
duced, &c. and also giving the committee
power to sit duriag the recess of Congress.
Sherman, Edmunds, Morton and other
friends of Grant opposed Trumbnl's amend
ment. Mr. Trumbull told them ''if the Sen
ators were earnest in their desire to correct
abuses ia public service, they would not hesitate
to create committee with sufficient powers"
Edmunds, who appears to be Grants chief
flgleman, eulogized the administration, declar-
ing that 1t "would compare favorably. for eff
cheney and purity, with any previous admins
traton whatever-even that of George Wash
ington himself" Whereupon Carl Shurz, the
brilliant and incorruptble Senator from Mis-
souri, replied that he regarded this as not by
any means new proposition. 1t was merely
a proposition on the part of Mr. Trumbull to
revive the old committee on retrenchment,
armed with powers that made the old commit
tee so useful and efficient. The Senator from
Vermont, Mr. Edmunds, had told the Senate
that the civil service had improved greatly un-
der the existing administration and undoubt-
edly it had, yet in the whole history of the
country it would be difficult or impossible to
find four consecutive months during which so
many deialcations and embeZzlements by pub
lie servants have been brought to light, as In
the last four months Most of these cases have
been discovered without careful search or IN
vestigati0n, had been almost stumbled on,
therefore it was fair TO infer that careful ln-
yestigatior would expose great many more
now hidden. Now, gentlemen, | tell you what
ever may be said OF Improvements that have
taken place, the people of the United States
are startled at the frequency and enormty of
disclosures which are made from day to day
| Do not give yourselves up to any delusons on
3
point of demanding an honest government, and
they want to have all means used for that OBJ
iect that are compatible with the laws of the
country They demand an exposure and over
throw of corruption regardless of the interests
of any earty or person. 1t seems to me we
are standing at the Threshold OF a moral revo-
! luton that bids fair to go beyond the over
throw of the Tammany ring, and in that revo-
| luton the science of how not ts do 1t, will be
of very little avail. Neither will cheap decla-
nation against corruption in the abstract, or
against the sinfulness of sin in general, and the
beauty of virtue, avail Huch. We have had
enough OF ali that. The people will not much
longer take that worthless currency as legal
tender five wish to serve the country and to
command its confidence, we have to make. clear
to the country that we hate no party more
than we hate corruption, and that we love nc
party more than we love good government"