Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1876-08-05
THE RIVER AND HARnoR Bill.


1t would seem that after all there is
some doubt about the appropriation of
$4,000 for the continuation of the i'm
provements on'our harbor being passed
this session. sfstated last week, the
tenor of Washington dispatches Indicated
that there were grounds for the report
that the President would veto the bill,
let it pass in whatever shape it might. 1t
is stated in later dispatches thata a eau
Gus of the Republican Senators, held last
week, very much the same conclusion in
regard to the bill was arrived ut, as the
President gave as his reasons for vetoing
it, besides the developing of a feeling of
an impossibiity of the two Houses agree
ing upon the bill. For such works as
must be provided for, like the operations
at He'll Gate, New York harbor, and the
Sault Ste. Marie canal. or other woi Ks of
like nature. it is proposed to provide for
them by special bill or bills; but the
general river and harbor bill will have
TO wait until next winters session of
Congress.
This is the result of the so-called
economy and retrenchment'' policy or
the dominant party in the House, who
have wasted the time they should have
been devoting to the urgent necessities
of the country, in the useless investiga-
tons of imaginary frauds on the part of
shose connected with the administration,
and in endeayoring to enforce upon the
Senate their false ideas Of economy,
spending the time they should be devot-
ing To the interests OF the whole coun-
Try for mere partisan purposes and yet
they go before the country and ask tie
support of the voters as ''reformers.7
They fail to provide the necessary
funds tor the carrying OH of the govern
nent until forced by the remonstrance
OF the people to take action, when il is
provided for by special legislation, until
stch time rs the necessary bills are pass
ed,from unexl ended balal ces in the treas
ury.
They cut down the estimates for pub
lie improvements already under way,
and which will require to be completed
in the future-thus only putting off the
expenditure for an indefinite period, and
call it retrenchment.
The stopping of work on these i'm
proyements must necessarily add to the
already large number of laboring men
ont of employment-thus depriving them
of the means of purchasing, and conse-
quently diminishing the consumption of
the products of the country, and increas-
ing the hard times, and then blame the
Republican party for the increased de-
preston of the times and call for '.re-
iorrn." They pretend to be the great
friends of the ''toiling millions" and yet
for political effect and partisan purposes
they do mole 10 crea.e the oppression
of the laboring classes i'm thus falling to
provide for the continuing of the wer1
oil the various public impro, EN-, II :
throughout the country, than any other
cause. If they would devote more time
10 their duties rs representatives of the
people, and not as mere partisans, they
might come before the people with some
grounds for claiming their support. but
as long as they go on retari ling the
work of the government and legislating
against the direct interests of the people
they canLOt expect the support OF con-
tidence of the citizens; and they will find
that an educated people can discriminate
between loud professions of reform and
actual reform; and that their actions viii
not receive tire endorsement of the coun
try at large. The failure to pass the
river and harbor bill will be looked upOr
by all friends of the vast commerce o
the country as great error, and as di
rcctly opposed TO the interests of tn,
country.