The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-29
A FearfuI Indictment of the Re-
publican Party.
BY AN ADMINISTRATION ORGAN
From the Chicago Tribune.
The Policy of Short Cuts.

The Policy Of Short Cuts,
The Hon. Stephen A. Hurlbut, of Hi.
nois. has proposed in caucus of Republi-
can members of congress that the present
congress, which expires on the Sd of March
next, shall, in addition to making the ap-
preparations for the support of the army
for the year ending June 30.l876, also make
the appropriations for the year ending
June 80, 1877 in other words two years
ahead, The reason given for this extraor-
dinar legislation is that, the next house
beng Democratic, that body may refuse to
make the appropriations for the army which
the government may demand.
We fail to see, in the suggested reason,
any justification for any such proceeding as
that proposed by Mr. Hurlbut and secon
ded by Gen. Butler. 1t is within the realms
of possibilities that the house of represen-
| tatlves may be Democratic not only for two
years, but for four years, and we think such
result may be counted among the Ger.
tainties unless the present congress abstain
from variety Of vicious legislation which
has been proposed, and which will be urged,
and which may be enacted. 1t is true the
next house OF representatives will be DEM
ocratic. and members of the present house
might proftably ask themselves why it is
that, while the present house stands, in
round numbers 200 Republicans to go Dem
ocrats. the next house will contain 2OO
Democrats and so Republicans. These
may not be the exact figures, but they are
proportionately correct. If they will in
quire they will learn that the Republicans
were in majority of two thirds in the ses-
sion of 1873, and that congress voted the
! bonus of back pay, and forward; they will
remember, also, that that congress made
such extravagant appropriations for every
branch of the public service for the
year 1S73-'74 that at the end of the
year there was deficit in the Treasury,
compelling the government to reis-
sue twentv-six millions of Cancelled
Treasury notes, and to omit the paymen,
of $30,O00,000 into the Sinking Fund
They will remember that, in
that same congress, there were
revelations of fragrant dishonesty
and bribery, and corruption among con
gressmen of all parties in relation to the
Credit Mobilier and other legislation. L
is now developed that the same two
houses of congress which investigated
and refused to expel or punish those can
/
fraud. voted a subsidy to the Pacific Mai
Company for which that company paiC
nearly $i,25O,0O0 of money. They SHOULD
also remember that the country has, evel
since 1868, been burdened with a mos
iniquitous and oppressive system of tax
alton, enacted under the proteXt of pro
tecting" industry, and that congress ha.
been deaf to the demands of the people
for relief; and that the present congress
which met in the midst of a most disas
trous financial panic, after six-months
session, adjourned without any actor
looking to either relief from protective
taxation, reduction of expenditures, re
form of the currency, or improvement il
the national credit.
In the recess the people elected success
sors to 2UO OF the members Of the presen
house and, in the process, reversed th'
political ascendency in the body. Witt
that lesson before them, what is the pre-
sent house doing? The majority has al
ready passed an act increasing the take
upon the people in what is known as tn
Little Tariff act.
The congress that has enacted thi
thievish Little Tariff law is just now in
vestigating in one committee how ia
congress was bribed into voting a subsid
of halt a million of dollars annually t
the Pacific Mail Company. while anothe
committee is preparing bill to gran
= Tom Scott an annual subsidy of six O
seven millions Of dollars in gold to pa
interest on the bonus of his rotten an
bankrupt wild cat railroad corporations
, committees of the most eminent and abl
J Republican lawyers of both houses hav
reported t. congress that the election
Louisiana in 1872 was gigantic fraud ;
that the government there installe
by corrupt judicial order, enforced b
Federal troops, was never elected, aud ha
I, not the least scmblance of legality. Tt
President in a special message to congre'
had declared that election a 1'gigant
fraud" and Republican committee of tt
!. house reported articles of impeachmel
y against the Judge who ordered the miltal
to put Kellogg in office. and yet CT ngre
leaves the Republican party re ponsib
for the enforced malntainance of this leg
fraud, and the country disturbed perpe
: ually by the necessary interference OF Il
army to prevent the people emancipatil
rs themselves from m0nstrOslty which h
IG no PARALLEL in this country.
TX Under these circumstances we sugge
that it is inadvisable for the Republic;
party to follow any farther the disastro
st lead of Gen. Butler in any short cut
nd power, or snap Judgment upon the popul
A will The present congress has fully
much as it can manage in attending to
business, and not undertake to legislate
m; its successors Already the Republica
oi have lost une house, and their power
the other is seriously threatened and il
paired. A few more changes and t
ir, Democrats will have majority in b.
!, branches of congress. The legislation n
" proposed by Hurlbut and Butler is il
. the kind to perpetuate the public oppu
for ton to the further prosecution Of the "
Ter which closed ten years ago. The sal
'ed ed people, in the aggregate, that elected t
Iur present Republican house, have since ell
me ted their Democratic successors. Let
ed Democrats attempt revolution if they da
re but let this congress mind its own bu
md na ness; let it keep clear of Tom Scott, a
Ike Jay Cooke, and the Freedman's Bank
nsi it get rid of the dead beat kellogg and I
md md Louisiana scandal let it keep its o
ork I hands clean. and it will do more to he
md IF the Democrats than can ever be dc
sn, .sn by attempting to legislate tor its succe
nee Ors.
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