Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-02-05
MerrimOnism in Government.

MeTTII1OillSIll III u0VeTH!il6ilt.
The loose and incoherent notions of
Senator Merrimon on finance cannot
by any amount of intellectual dexterity
be thrown into shape that would make
a formal reply pertinent. Still, they
are not in sober reality any wilder
than those which have been exploited
by other members of Congress, The
sittings of the Committee on Banking
and currency are in a sort Of financial
baggage-room, the several pieces, Or
propositions, tagged haphazard and
with no particular keys to fit, The
Merlimon mind naturally supposed
that any and all suggestions were
equally valuable, and like Macaulay,
its possessor painted them with the
same height Of color. No single
speech on the finances that has been
spoken during the current session so
faithfully embodies the views of all
sides alike. There is the aversion to
paper currency that is irredeemable,
because it is worthless; and there is a
call for 100000, more of if. in
order to improve its quality. There
is the denial OF value to any currency
but one of gold and silver; and there
is a complaint that the inhabitants of
a certain section do not have currency
enough, and must consequently have
more paper. The Senator from North
Carolina believes emily in specie, but
demands an additional supply Of paper
in order to bring specie about His
National Bank scheme is unfortunate
ly financial spore that is floating
freely in the Congressional atmosphere
The right man has but to propose it.
to start into life the suppressed pre-
terences of scores more for the same
piece of politico-fnancial engnery.
Everything now is becoming Natio-
nal that can be draggad to Washing,
ton from the hands of local jurisdic-
ton. 1t is corruption stealing the
livery of honest occupations, under
the profession of exalting and expend-
ing them by giving them National
application. But the fact will show
soon enough that from the day when
they ceased to be reinforced and sup
ported by the local spirit they really
lost all the nationality they ever had.
This legislating whole people of
varied views and callings into me-
chanical uniformity is different mat
ter from their growing together by the
natural operation Of mutual interest
and sympathy. 1t is in vain that
Congress seeks to work over the head
of Nature, and equally useless for it to
set aside the Constitution and still
hope to maintain a republic. Imper.
ceptibly the Government is gliding
downwards to centralism and an oil
grachy of corruption. The projects tc
that end make their appearance almost
daily. Now it is National Universe
ty, and now a Bureau of Commerce
and Transportation. A National Bank
to day, and a National Education Funj
to morrow. A plan to establish State
Governments at one time, and a plan
to control the ballot-box everywhere
at another. Railroads, canals, schools
universities, voting industries, bust
ness, even religious opinion ITSELF art
all swept into this maelstrom of cen
tralization, with intent to accumulate
power through them tor selfish ant
corrupt ends. A spell seems to lie OIL
the Congressional mind that delude,
it into the belief that the servant ha
mysteriously become greater than thu
master. 1t is fast approaching a SHARP
and decisive issue between continued
republicanism and dawning centrali
cation.