New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-04
THE WORK OF CONGRESS.
Whas was Done by the Republicans nj thu
Last session.

THE WORK OF CONGRESS.
Whas was Done by the Republicans at the
Last session.
In the course of his speech, accepting the
Republican nomination for reelection 10
Congress in the twenty-second distric. OF
New York, Hon. Ellis II. Roberts said:
In Congress during the vast year; actual
good has been accomplished and real HIS
Chief avoided. You saw the country Was
rocked by the angry waves OF financial
discussion. Lines were drawn by sections,
and again interests and passions threatened
factions bounded by geographical ilmlta-
tons. The danger was put down by the
adjustment, which received very large
majority in both houses, and was signed
by the President. BY it the public Faith
was maintained. Correctly or otherwise,
all action of tho government had assumed
that the limit OF legal tenders was $780,
100000. The act of last June reduced TINS
aggregate to $685., 100000. After sharp
contest, all Efforts to overleap ,hs barrier
were checked. This is the rock bottom for
legal tenders They can not be sunk as the
Continental money and French assignats
were sunk, by further issue. The nation
has refused to enter upon a new career OF
expansion. Its face has been turned
squarely and positively toward tho golden
goal. The next duty is to make tue paper
promise to pay ono dollar worth as much
as the gold dollar fresh from the mint.
Every interest of industry and OF trade de-
mands that the dollar which the treasury
PAYS to every debtor, to the crippled sol
der and to the widow and the orphan tor
PENSIONS shall equal the dollar which the
government requires Of the citizen for du-
ties at the customhOuse. the peoples pa
per must be made as good as gold. One
o%4,,, IN hot in
duction of expenditures. The record proves
how bravely and how radically Congress at
its late session enforced retrenchment and
economy. 1t cut down appropriations
$40, 100000 below those for the preceding
year, and $32, 1866, 653 below the original
estimates for the current year. Such re-
trenchment costs effort. and should have
popular approval. The alternative was the
increase Of taxation. Not a few deemed
this necessity unavoidable. New taxes N
time of peace, however, ought not to be
tolerated. BY careful calculation and I'M
flinching courage they were avoided.
Without penny of added burdens, hand
some reductions of the principal of the
public debt are returned for every month.
The five per cent bonds have been cold on
more favorable terms than SO large a ne
gotiatiOn was ever made upon before.
The interest will thus be further dimin-
ished ana taxes can be taken off in due
time, and not increased. The Forty-third
Congress has also refused to disturb our
great producing industries by opening
wider the doors for foreign competition.
An unparalleled shock had disturbed labor,
had stricken down capital. The time was
not suspicious for even considering whether
our idle furnaces, our suspended tacto-
ries, our half closed shops could endure
the abolition of duties on foreign products
like their own. Adjustments of duties are
Ix,& tH<prH add t.y1nI
paralysis. Oneida county, at least, will re-
sist organized war by legislation upon pro-
ducing industries on our own soil. II viii
contribute to that policy which shall pro
duce the necessary revenue by the simplest
and leaet OnerOus methods and which by
moderation shall secure stability. A part
of the retrenchment of Congress was the
repeal of the law increasing the salaries of
its own members. The majority by which
the increase had been carried had included
both parties. Your representative had re-
sisted it at every stage, and had refused TO
be protited by the back pay. returning it to
the Treasury of the United States. To the
extent of his ability he helped to repeal the
law and reduce the salaries. It was the
Republican effort and Republican energy
which accomplished the repeal. 1t illus
trates the prompt responsiveness of the Re-
publican party to the best and highest pub
lie sentiment. Honor is due for the act and
it will be generously rendered.
But the labor of labcrs in government, as
in individual life, is self-purifcation. l: is
not easy to check and punish weakness N
another party. Much harder is it to insist
that duty shall be fully performed by your
own friends, to drive out the shutfi;ng and
the shabby, and to lash the ill-deserving.
Yet this has been done by the Republican
party in the Forty second and Forty-thlrd
Congresses. Without favoritism even with
more than judicial scrutiny, with the zeal
OF prosecutors, Republicans struck directly
at the heart of abuses. Such Democrats,
partisans of partisans, as Beck of Kentucky,
and Clymer of Pennsy lvanla, were COMPEL
ed to recognize the thorOughness of invest.
cation and the swift condign punishment.
Let purified treasury be the proof Of
Republican virtue and courage. Let re-
formed government in the District Of
Columbia tell of rigid scrutiny and Of
prompt action. Let the reduction of sala-
ries, the diminutiOn of Offices and the abOl-
ton of excessive emoluments testify prompt
response to an intelligent public conscience.
Let the retrenchment achieved be the
pledge of retrenchment and economy to be
accomplished. Better than promise or plat
form is the record of the Republican party
in reforming and purifying its own admins.
tration. More Of this work is constantly
presenting itself. Government must be
kept under continual discipline. 1t is the
price of integrity and efficiency. 1t is the
essential condition of faithful and credit
able administration.
Firearms Sent South.
With reference to the recent rumors OF
large shipments of arms and ammunition
to the South, careful inquiry among the
agents of manufacturing companies and
large dealers in firearms in New YORK
shows, that in the main, such reports have
been unfounded. The agency of the Rem
ington breech loading rifle appears to be