Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-08
of the YOrkville Enquirer
LETTERS FROM WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %, 19

WASHINGTON, Dec. ~, 1873.
Congress adjourned for the holidays on the
18th and will come together again on the 9th
ofJanuary This will give them an opportu-
nifty to talk with their constituency. and learn
one fact at least (if they do not already know
it) namely, that the people will not submit
quietly to an increase of taxation.
l suppose the readers of the ENQUIRER are
aware that the national finances have been
in bad way for the past three months. Sep
tember, there was small increase in the pub
lie debt October, the increase was eight mil
lions. November, ten millions, and this month
it will be not less than twelve millions. This
is melancholy exhibit, indeed, and calculated
to set the people to thinking as to the char
acter of the men at the head Of affairs Of State.
A continuance in the road we have been
travelling for the past few months will lead to
national bankruptcy. Either expenses must
be cut down, or taxes must lie increased, or
the government will run ashore. The man
whose income is but ten thousand dollars
cannot spend eleven thousand without event.
ually going to the wall. The same rule ap-
plies to the government. We must, as indi-
viduals and as nation, live within our i'll
comes if we would keep out Of the bankruptcy
courts.
The people ought to see to it that their SER
wants at Washington cut down expenses.
That is the thing to do. Ifan official fails to do
all he can in this respect, cut off his head and
send another. The people have this thing in
their own hands, and they should act; they
should make every official in Washington
dance up to the music of retrcnchment and
reform.
The place to begin is at the small leaks, ta-
king big and little leaks together, and seventy
millions Of dollars year can be saved. 10
show the readers how their money is fooled
away and stolen here, in small as well as great
ways, give few instances. Last year the
Treasury Department spent over $4,000 tor
carpets, and over $4,000 for ice, and $4,000
for gas. Think of this, for one building. The
truth is, much of this ice and gas goes into the
houses of the officials, and the government
foots the bills. Good judges say that four
horses and two express wagons will do the
business of the department here, which is sim
ply the carrying of packages back and forth
from the depot Yet, looking into the books,
we find that the care of the horses for the de,
partment costs $4,000 year grain, S25O0-
hay, 5000, and shoeing $500. The books al
so show that the cost Of repairing two govern
mcnt express wagons last year was S3,O00!
One item of repair was 5000, and another
500. The repair of harness amounted to
$1,000, one "patching" being put down at
1854. This is retrenchment for you with
vengeance With such swindling running
through all parts Of the government, no won
der taxes are high, and the treasury empty.
OLD BEN IN A RAGE.
Ben. Butler is as mad as hornet at the
turn things have taken. Not that he cares
two cents how much the government runs be-
hind, for he would sink the whole thing to
benefit his own pocket ; but the trouble with
him is, that he has run his neck into halter
and feels the "twist." You will remember
that he is the old sinner who engineered the
salary steal through Congress, reporting the
bill from the committee and doing all the dir
ty work. At the time he made speech, sew
eral speeches in fact, in which he said that he
took the responsibility of the grab upon his
own shoulders, and would guarantee that the
people would make no fuss about it. But he
was profoundly mistaken. That grab was the
addition to long list of burdens which at
last broke the camers back. There is
limit to endurance, even upon the part of a
long suffering and generous people like the
Americans. They rebelled at this last stroke,
and terrible will be their vengeance. Livery
one of the brazen grabbers will 60 to the wall
as fast as the election days roll around. Old
Ben received singing rebuke last summer
in Massachusetts, and that is what is the mat
ter with him. He was candidate for the
eubernatorial nomination, and would have got
it, but for the grab. Since then he has been
mad enough to regularly eat ten penny nails
for breakfast In his impotent rage he flies
at the press and accuses it of pursuing him