Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-10-23
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
THE NEXT CONGRESS.

THE NEAA dONGh ESSs
Six weeks from yesterday the Con-
oress of the United States will assemble
for a long session, and it is well to brief
IL glance over the situation and see
what is to be done and what the interests
of the country require should not be
meddled with. We have often raised
our feeble protest against the evils of
unnecessary legislation, and we feel
that in the present excited state of the
country, we should be particularly vigil
liant in admonishing the members of the
national Legislature that the best service
they can do the nation, is to remove as
many of the restrictions they have here
tofore placed upon the progress and adj
vancement of the country, as is consist
ent with the public temper and the
public morals, and go home without any
attempt to force upon the country any
scheme for the relief of the people from
evils they will correct themselves if let
alone.
Many people have been suffering UNI
der the delusion that it is the province
Of government to do anything that the
majority Of the people desire to have
done, and that whenever the law making
power shall decide that any system of
law, any scheme of public improve
mcut, is for the public good, that Con-
grcss has the constitutional power and
moral right to adopt and carry ont the
scheme at public expense. The salary
srlb one of the legitimate results of
that belief, and which, if carried to its
full scope, would convert, by law, all
Nh, wealth of individuals into a common
faad, and then vote a division Of that
public fund among themselves and their
ftyoritus. Now there is one sure check
n2ou any recurrence or enlargement of
the salary steal, or of Credit Mobilier
crabs, and that is to never use the public
money for any purpose but what is alb
solutely necessary to keep the govern
meut running in its legitimate channels,
within its original and fundamental re-
.trctiOns.
There is no doubt but what the right
eous indignation that has arisen over
The the country, by reason OF the in
famous thieving of the members of the
last Congress, in appropriating to their
own use thousands Of dollars Of the
peoples money they had never earned,
and had no more right to than Cashier
Phelps had to the funds in his keeping
for the people of the State of New
York. viii probably cause a precipitate
rush on the part of those who desire
public favor, to put themselves upon the
record in favor of an immediate repeal
OF the scandalous legislation. The
farmers movement will probably also
have an influence in bringing up ques-
lions for discussion in reference to the
transportation difficulty. 1t has been
reported within the last few days that
the Senate committee on transportation
will report in favor of the establishment
Of three new lines of canals, to facilitate
the transportation of productions be-
tween the east and west one canal
from the James river through the Al
leghany mountains, known as the
James River and Kanawha canal one
which shall be practically a new mouth
for the Mississippi river; and one into
Lake Champlain, or perhaps, instead of
that, a purchase by the government and
enlargement of the Erie canal. So that
the prospect is that there will be large
amount of talk upon the transportation
problem.
Now we wish to say in advance that we
cannot see how people can object to any
kind of absolutism in government or stand
upon any kind of limits or safeguards,
if they advocate government action or
material aid from the Treasury in build
ing or buying transportation lines. 1t is
perversion of every principle of Re-
publican government to make raids on
the Treasury to pay the bills of railroads,
canals, insurance companies or groceries.
The government is not a business CO.
partnership by which the common funds
are to be used to promote business pros
perity, and about all the people want of
the next Congress is to undo some of
the mischief they have done in the past
in attempting TO run the Industrial inter
ests, the banking and the transportation
of the country.