The daily gazette., 1874-11-28
JVAat Congress Can Do This
JYintey'.

The thoughts and hopes Of the country
ire so steadily fixed upon the period Of
the assembling Of the next Congress,
With its opposition majority and its
wealth OF honesty and ability, that it
seems TO be quite forgotten thereis work
tor the present Congress, now about to
assemble, to do also; work which it can
hide-bound membership and its inherent
CORRUPTION. Mr.. Garfeld's Committee
on Appropriations is already reported to
be in industrious session and in constant
communication with the heads of bureaus
IN the department Of Grants reforming
Secretary Bristow. They should know
that, it these heads of bureaus, this Sec
cetary, and this committee do their duty
IN the most common place way and with
the most ordinary fidelity, they can re-
duce the expenses OF the Government for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1875 Qor
which year appropriations are now in Or
der). not less than $50, 900: This, we
may observe, is work for the Republican
majority in the present Congress to do.
That it is work which the majority is
quite capable OF doing, and which the
country at largo should reasonably ex-
pect it to do, we have the very best Re.
publican authority-Mr. Dawes-for as
serting. That eminent light of Radical
ism, while still unquenched, and before
any OF his rays were shorn away, in his
seat in Congress on February IL, 1874,
declared that it was both quite possible
and quite necessary for his party to re-
dace the public expenditures in the
same measure at least as they had raised
them. 1.-The purchasing power of money
to-day" he said. lis greater than it was
i've years ago. The extraordinary ex-
penses of the Government to-day are no
more than they were in the time Of war,
when three dollars of our currency were
scarcely one dollar of the world's stand
ard. The duties incumbent upon the
officials who have charge OF the admins
tration of public affairs are no more
varied, no more conflicting, no more ar
duous than they were in the years that
have gone by" Yet, in tho face Of these
favorable and undeniable circumstances,
Mr.. Dawes showed that "the appropria-
tions for public works last year amount
ed to $4,000, 900 in round numbers they
/ were S20,000,000 this year. That for the
naval establishment last year was Sl8,-
00O,G GOO; this year it is S22, 900 900. That
| for the military establishment was lit
tie over S3o,000.0O0; this year it is $780,
O0O, 900; and so with some of the smaller
items"
Here alone there is room for re-
| trenchmont of not less than $4,000, ,0O0.
if the Republican party choose to do no
more even than go back to the line Of
expenditures for 1873, line that is un-
deniably liberal. If Congress will simi-
larly attend to the very thin" matter
Of the deficiency bills, which last session
Exceeded $2O.0O0, 900. and are likely to be
larger the coming session, if it will
overhaul, regulate, and control what are
known as the permanent appropria-
tions," and take a few simple preeau-
! tions to stop some of the larger leaks in
the various departments, it will be able
without the least shock, and by the cas-
r lest possible processes, to save the peo
+ pie 800. .0O0,0 600 year in taxes. The val
, ne of this amount of relief, in the pres
ent crippled condition of the country
when every one of our industries il
standing still. poised, so to speak, upor
the balance of expectation. will be al
, lmost inconceivablo. .-~World.