The Portland daily press., 1874-11-30
What Congress Can Do.

ever given to political party in this country.
1t may, therefore, be expected that the Re
publican leaders in both branches will evince
disposition to secure all reforms that they
have begun or promised the people to begin,
and exLirpate whatever evils have crept into
the public service during the past fourteen
years. It may be further assumed that the
future of the Republican party depends very
much upon the record which Congress shall
make during the weeks which intervene be-
tween December 7th and March 4th. If that I
action is wise and patriotic, if the Republican
majority shows itself worthy Of the continued
confidence of the intelligent masses of the
nation, If it shows itself ready to correct
abuses and determination to bring about
reform in the administration of the govern
ment, the future ascendancy of the Republ-
can party is assured, simply because the in
telligcnce and patriotism of the country know
that, with its damning history, its infamous
leadership and its brutal and debauched in
stincts, reform and progress are impossible
under Democratic guidance. The last two
Democratic administrations, those of Pierce
and Buchanan, were SO base and Infamous
that the country will, only in desperation,
call that party to power again. II, on the
other hand, Congress wastes its time in
frivolous chickering's, in the advancement of
petty personal or local interests, if it shows
itself unequal to the demands Of the hour, if
it heeds not the protest of the country in the
recent elections, 40 one is so wise as to fore
tell the future, except that the historian may
set himself to collecting the materials for the
history of the party which, after having
achieved the grandest reforms for nation
and for the world, perished because it could
not correct its own evil tendencies.
Probably the defeat Of the Republicans in
the recent elections was partly due to the
present financial embarrassment which ex-
tends to nearly every industry and enterprise.
For this calamity no party can be held re-
sponsbe, only SO far as it shows itself
indisposed to or incapable of applying rene
dies. No party now existing would have
done any better; but the country having
been promised by the Republican leaders, at
the last national convention, aspeedy resump
ton of specie payments, its Congress should
have taken measures to bring it about, what
ever might result. But even those of us who
are the most determined partisaus cannot
shut our eyes to the fact that, outside of the
financial question, there exists among the
most intelligent men OF the Republican party
a general dissatisfaction at the result of the
action of the present Congress. The country
has been promised retrenchment aud reform.
The former the Appropriation Committee of
the House attempted, but failed to accom-
plish to satisfactory extent through the
opposition Of members who were aware that
such policy would reach few of their con-
stituents. We have been promised reform
in the civil service, but beyond an experiment
in tie departments at Washington nothing
has been accomplished, partly because leading
Congressman have met the efforts of Presf-
dent Grant with the bitterest opposition.
The next session will be so brief that we
can hardly expect Congress to do much
with the financial question. We are not
quite sure that the majority has rid itself of
the impression that it can make money as
good as gold by their votes and the aid of
paper and printing machine. At any rate,
we hardly think the people expect much,
financially, from the present Congress. 1t
may, however, agreeably surprise the nation.
But there are few things that Congress
can do during the short session which
will do more to vindicate the claim Of the
Republican party for the further confidence
of the nation than everything else.
First: Congress can relieve the party of the
burdens it has imposed. The people took
care of the Buffers at the recent election.
There are other grievous burdens. They
must be got rid Of There is a general
opinion that there are great many more Off
cials than are actually needed to do the pub
lie business with that degree of prudence
and efficiency attained in the business of pri-
vate corporations. Our navy yards in Demo-
cratic times were synonyms for neficiency
and corruption. Have they improved? Ru-
NOR says they have not-that political ia
vorites are kept ON salaries without doing
any service and even without the sane
tion of law by the copnvance of the Secre-
tary and senator's Is this SO? If SO, it must
be stopped at once. This much is true: no
man would ever think of having ship built
in a government navy yard, so inefficiently
are they managed and so uselessly is money
frittered away. Congress can rid the party of
tie barnacles of the navy yards, even if it
turns them into the poor house, where they
will not be likely to dictate party action.
There is hardly department OF the govern
ment service that could not be made more
efficient and less expensive. There is cur
rent belief that the service could as well te
done by two-thirds of the present force. We
can name half dozen officials in Maine who
draw good salaries, but whom it would puzzle
10 tell what service they have rendered the
government. They may have been useful to
those who secured their appointment, but is
this any reason for their official existence? ?
II is not enough to say that this has always
been, that 10 the yictcrs belong the sDoi Is,
hch implies that certain party chietains
having achieved a victory over the people,
regard their substance as the legitimate spols
Of war. This is a Democratic heresy.
Second: The Republican party has prom
;sed the country an improved civil service.
Has that pledge been kept 10 such an extent
that it can be called reformed civil service?
Massachusetts thinks not; and we fear that
in Maine efficiency aud honesty have not al
ways been made requirements in making ap.
pon .ments. On the other hand, are there
not indications that the average Congress
man has lost sight of the fact that the ''gov-
ernment is of the people and for the people,"
aud, instead of trusting and serving intelligent
constituencies, has come to put his trust
in a few managers whom he has elevated
to office? If this Republican Congress de-
sires TO take the shortest and most direct road
to the public confidence, let it take some de-
cided and effective measures 10 elevate and
purify the civil service.
Third: Congress must not countenance
any jobs. 1t must resist the allurenents of
Tom Scott, and spend no time in doing it, 1t
must look upon subsidy as device Of the
adversary. The centennial aud all other
schemes to tax the people must be put aside.