The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-19
Wanted-A Harmless Retrenchment
80 Scheme.

6CutAcs
Happily we arc able to set out with an
affirmative proposition from which no one
dissents. Expenses must be reduced. Every
body says so. The man who objects is an
ideal creation OF political conventions which
are obliged to presume his existence in order
to warrant the earnestness and argumenta-
tiveness of their resolutions. From this
point on ward our course is very clear and
plain, but as completely negative as free
tninker's creed. We can tell exactly where
the pinch must not come.
In the first place salaries must be very ten
derby handled. Congressman, to be sure,
who had added fifty per cent to a salary
larger than that received by any other given
body ofmen of anything like the same size,
after being threatened by their constituents,
assailed-wth ''forty -jackass- mud-power'' by
the journals, reviled, lampooned, caricatured,
hooted, pelted with resolutions and clothed
with curses enough for century's wear,
found that the demands of the people could
not be satisfied without depnving them of
the means OF ''living in the style becoming
the representatives of great people," Be
ing somewhat exhausted by this vehe-
ment effort of virtue they will naturally be
little languid about diminishing the incomes
Of their friends in other official positions. 1t
is clear hat retrenchment must be sought in
some otl.er direction than this.
But there are the public buildings-costly
structures erected by the general govern
ment in all parts of the country under in
spiration of the magnificent Muett-surely
we can STOP work on some of these for brief
space and make shift to put up with the old
ones till the emergency is past. MOL That
suggestion has already caused the classic
hack Of Boston to arch in so portentous
manner as must bring the appropriation
committee and Congress to an instant
pause. Boston has counted on its million
for q post Office extension, and COM
mittee OF the City Government has
been to. Washington to present the
Athenian ultimatum. And if Boston is
TO have its million will honorable members
refuse their own constituents the bagatelIe of
a few hundred thousand, which they want
for their own little custom houses and post
o61cesP Clearly there can be no retrench-
ment here. Il III BELTS great and free peo-
pie to present to the eye of the censorious for
eigner, starveling legislators, and mean how
el-like public buildings.
But there are the coast defenses? We are
at peace, and, five were not likely to remain
so, good authorities declare that some of the
most costly defensive works are useless for
the purpose for which they are designed, and
that monitors are infinitely more servceable
for harbor defense certainly Hold there!
Would you turn laborers out of employment
this hard winter? Would you PROSTATE the
the business of communities whose income
depends largely on the public works going on
in their midst? Would you leave our sea-
coast exposed to the ravages of possibly hos
tile Spain? Can able representatives of an
enlightened people obtain reelection fy the
do not push through the usual appropriations
for public works In their several districts ?
Whatever we do to save money, we cannot,
OF course, imperil the public safety.
The army? What if the Modocs should
break out again! Besides, the General of the
army shows conclusivey in his last report
that the army is not large enough even now,
to perform the office of domestic police.
Moreover, army officers out of employm emit
through previous reductions, are already try
ing hard to get back to their old stations.
And so on through the whole list of propos-
ca economies. They are all received with
violent objection for they all ignore the fun
damental principle of sretrencbment made
easy" that no citizen in public or private lite
shall suffer the slightest Inconvenience from
1t. II there are any statesmen in Congress
let them frame comprehensive scheme of
radi al reform In which this principle shall be
kept steadily in view. Such scheme wouId
not embarass anybody or anything in particu-
lar, but would fall with its full force on THINGS
In general and would be greeted with smiles
and serenity by the happy, enlightened, in
tslligent and andisturbed citizens.
Apparently despairing of the advent of such
. universally beneficent scheme fresh from
Utopia, Congressman Hale went directly at
the Naval estimates and, presto they shrank
from twenty to sixteen millions of dollars, at
which figure the House promptly voted the
appropriation. This has pleasant ring of
business in it to the average citizen but will
naturally be a little disagreeahle to the par
"cular citizens who wanted the odd four
lni"'ons' Possibly under this inspiring
Example, opportunities for reduction corsis-
.on. WIN 'ne general wei are may be found
:. '"o o.ner estimates despite the protesta-
''oue VI INDIVIDUALS who don't pct tho ponor
~nicn 'ney want. At all events the reneal If
the salary increase aud the reduction -. 49,,
estimates are proptious omens and We " ava.
not after all be compelled to look to Tia, Lay
e. tac