The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-07

feastings ana danctngs are suspended. sne mo-
notonous and melancholy order OF an old Puritan
village reigns on Pennsylvania avenue, but tho
dulness In the side shows OF the two houses aud
the sorrows OF the lobby are unusual in the
fourth month OF long session that they are post
uVeV distressing to the old campaigner.
rHR ECONOMIC sPAsM.
The retrenchment fever which has seized upon
congress spells everything. 1t is a low, wasting
fever, which shows hardly an hour OF intermission
to the sufferers from day TO day. they have It's Of
raving ana tearing on economy, which sometimes
keep them dancing and roaring by the hours but
when THESE spasms are over the patient relapses
into drowsy stupidity, from which he can be
reused only by motion TO adjourn. Drowning
the figure, Congress Is retrenching loppinr Oh
and cutting down expenditures right ana left
and right or wrong, and the lobby Is on short
ratlons. The two houses are
ON THEIR GOOD BEHAVIOR
and the lobby stands back. The game ia rrfontened
and the hunters are lying low. The lobby is watch.
ing aud waiting. and not disposed to waste its am
muntion at long range. No railway land grab
bers nor steamship or telegraph subsidy engl-
neers, nor robbers OF Indians, nor wOud.be con-
tractors for canals or harb0r and river improve
ments are giving bounital suppsrs Or keeping
open mousse 10 an corners, because THESE things this
The reaction from the Credit Mobiller scandal
and eback pay grab' OF the last session has been
so sweeping as to be ridiculous. Our demoraiized
republican lawmakers. frightened out OF their wits
by the last ia elections realize only the necessity
OF retrenchment, g0Od or bad, right or wrong.
They Will cut down the army, and trust to LUCK
ior the protection Of our frontier set
chase peace ior the future at any price;
harbors, though the saving OF a million this year
may require the expenditure OF five millions next
year; they WIN cut down the force and the petty
salaries OF the half-starved clerks OF the eXecu-
tive departments to save q few thousand dollars;
they viii do anything and everything Tor retrench-
ment. so that we may have good record to show
for the Forty-fourth Congress.
THE TREASURY DEFICIT
The late panic has cut down the resources Of the
Treasury 1t Is fifty.two millions short. It Is get
ting shorter from day to day. We viii do all we
must be supplied BY taxes. There's the rub. To
make these taxes as light As possible for these
OF the lobby must stand back and bide their time.
When the breeze OF these Congressional elections
shall have blown over and the republican par IS
all right again for two years more we wili reopen
the Treasury and scatter its money freely all over
the land, for this humbug Of retrenchment will
FASTING THIS YEAR, FEAsrING THE NEXT.
This then, is the Congress OF fasting and pen zen;
anGs ana prayer but out the next republican, WV
tines'' will be with us again, and will be kept up
TIL after the national and Presidential a
gramme. This is session or retrench-
ment aud reform. The lobby must wait. We can
the Southern Pacific railroads; Tor steamships or
ocean telegraphs for canals rivers or harbors, or
levees or anything outside the current necessities
of the government. Even cheap transportation
must wait a little longer; for it will cost money
and MIR. Richardson has no money to spare. We
expect to save some twenty millions in our annual
and incidental appropriation bills, and yet We
shall have deficiency OF twenty or thirty millions
to provide for. Private claim bills VIII swallow up
some hundreds OF thousands of dollars, and other
extras will come in and reduce our supplies. and
so the gentlemen OF the lobby. who interested
In large jobs, calling for heavy grants OF lands,
bonds, or money, must walt Till next December.
SO much for the credit Mobiller scandal and the
"Dack pay grab" and the alleged Senatorial cleo
ton briberles and corruptlOns of the last Con-
gress They have resulted from the excited wrath
OF the people, in reaction in this Congress for
retrenchment and reform which Is too violent to
last long, and which may be compared to the trick
OF the knowing DutcbmAn who got down from his
high horse only to get on better. 80