American citizen., 1874-01-31
Sham Economy.

There is a vast deal of false pretense 1t
Washington on the subject of retrench-
ment. The departments are going through
the motions of cutting off some of the
monstrous excrescences, and diminishing
estimates that were purposely exaggerat
ed Members of the Committee of Ways
and Means are using the telegraph to
humbug the country with a pretended
zeal in the same direction.
This whole business is a sham from be-
ginning to end. No earnest disposition
has been shown either by the Administra-
tion or by Congress to bring down the ex-
penditures to a real peace basis The cost
tiplied in the ratio of seven for one when
compared with the increase of population
during the last decade.
Extravaganza, corruption, and prodi-
gality are the causes of this extraordina-
ry disparity. Abuses have grown into
accepted usage that were never tolerated
until the advent of Grantism. Offices have
been created merely to reward partisans.
The contingent funds of every Cabinet
officer and all the heads of bureaus have
been converted into source of personal
Proht, by which their compensation is
largely increased.
Deception is habitually practiced in the
estimates sent to Congress- The Secreta-
~ of the Navy obtains millions under
the disguise of necessary REPAIRS" and
applies this fund to building new ships
The naval committees are "seen," and
they connive at a barefaced fraud
The Indians are decreasing in numbers
every year, yet the appropriations aug
ment in the inverse ratio of their decline
Under the hollow pretext of Christian
policy, the outgrowth of Christian states
manship, eight millions were expended
for this service during the last fiscal year,
ana million more is demanded for def
ciencies. In other words, nine millions
against two millions eight hundred thou
sand in 1861, when the Indians were
almost doubly as strong as they now are
While the Indian Bureau is connected
with the Interior Department, and that
continues to be presided over by Colum-
ous Delano, these expenses will grow as
they have grown under a system of plum
der and swindling, by which an infamous
Ring is enriched, the Indians are cheated,
and the Treasury is plundered.
When reform of these and other. fragrant
outrages is proposed, Mr.. Garfield, at the
head OF the Appropriations, answers that
they are authorized by law. That is to
say, an amendment is cunningly attached
to some bill this year at the close of the
session, by which permanent outlay is
incurred, an Office established. or a service
edge of Congress. Next year it is added
to the regular estimates, and if a careful
member objects to the new item, Mr.. Gar
neld rises and reads him lecture saying
that the money is only asked to carry out
q law.
And so it goes on year by year until
millions are voted in every supply bill,
which are rothing but gross frauds. This
thing cannot be done without cOllusion,
70 ss,
important chairmanships in the Senate
and House OF Representatives are sought
for the opportunities which they afford of
making money. In this way the appro-
priatiOns are constantly kept swelling,
until the present proportions have been
reached.
Special and class interests which are
protected by vicious and corrupt tariffs,
join hands with the professional pluEder-
ers to put up the expenses to the highest
point, without the least regard to the pub
lie interest. While this system is per-
mitted to continue, their revenues are
augmented and their monopolies more
firmly fixed So that the country is not
only taxed directly for the tens of mil
lions which are thus stolen and suuan-
dered, but is also made TO pay iribu.e TO
these mOnopolists, who buy any legisla-
tion they need at Washington.
To tamper with this condition of things
by reducing some of the most notorious
extravaganza would be like treating a
deadly cancer with courtplaster There
is but one remedy and that is to strike at
the root of the evil. The plain duty of
Congress, at least of those members who
are earnest about reform, is to fix a limit
of expenditure in the public service, and
say plainly to the Executive and the de-
partments, that they must live within this
prescribed sum and that no deficiencies
will be tolerated.
That is the only method of certain re-
trenchment If the President hsd been
at all inclined to stop the abuses, he
could have done much by an order to
that effect, and by his own supervision.
He has more power to reform the civil
service by example and exsction, than all