The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-01-30
Raids on the Treasury.

It was only little while ago that
! there was an indication Congress
would ask that the temptation of
surplus of public money be removed.
1t was suggested that the revenues
ought to be cut down in order to re-
! lieve the plethora OF the treasury.
There will be no occasion for any such
heroic remedy for financial surfeit.
The House has shown an eager dispo-
sition to make the most of its oppor-
tunities and vote away the accumula-
| ting public funds. At least, the over
whelming feeling in favor of the inn
mediate discussion of two, or three
gigantic schemes of internal improve
ment, which was manifested in the
House, yesterday, is fair indication
of what we may expect. There is the
Virginia Ship Canal scheme; there is
! the James River and Kanawha Canal
| project: and the plan to connect the
waters of the Tennessee and Savannah
Rivers by the Coosa River Canal.
These are all treated as mere baggat-
telles with which our system of inter-
nal improvements is to be begun.
How many millions are needed to
carry out the whole grand project, we
know not yet. A trifie of round
$50, 100000 is asked to begin with !;
the details of the other raids viii come
! after while.
Next, is an extensive plan for Ma
! tional Board of Trade, which is to be
composed of all the members of the
Cabinet but two. This grandiose or
ganization is to have charge Of the
commercial interests of the country
| generally, and of the merchant marine
! = - kas, In
tunnage of the merchant feet of the
United States and to- subsidize it at
the rate of SIS per tun for steam ves-
sells and $12 per tun for sailing ves-
sells. This is the first item OF the du-
ties of the High Commission the
other particulars will, doubtless, en-
railroads, canals, and telegraph lines
of the country-when these become
national property. The job is evil
IDENTIFY cumulative. When Congress
takes to building ship canals from
| ocean to ocean, we really cannot say
| what The end will be.
This is all in dead earnest, SO far as
| Congress has gone with it. 1t is, in
fact, more Union Pacific Railroad
building. One would suppose that,
Wnlio til0 SOuutIg 10 yCt IiuSluS win
| the scandalous waste of the peoples
money in the construction OF the
transcontinental railway, Congress
would be little diffident about con-
sidering any more such jobs. Some
$50, 0,OO0O 900 of fraudulent profits have
Just been divided by the Credit Mo-
bilier shareholders. Where are the
Congress to divide more millions in
building canals all over the United
States? 1t is possible that the unctu-
Gus Developments of the Union Pacif-
ic Railroad Ring have set the mouths
of other sharpers to watering, SO that
they will not be content until the
country is traversed by more lines of
bonds and green backs double-bank-
ed3 What with subsidies, subver-
tions, and other Government aid to
these rapidly multiplying projects, we
see nothing but new national loans
and national bankruptcy ahead. 1t is
time to call halt. The country
should not stand more than one Cred
it Mobilier- fraud in generation. Let
us have no canal-building TO sluice off
the contents of the National Treasury.
Tribune.