The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-01-05

remarked last year, the knife should
90 into that book of estimates, and /
shall be disappointed if Mr.. RandalFs
committee do not cut and slash it
without mercy. 1t is believed that
lin the army and navy alone saving
of from ten to twelve millions can be
effected without infringing on the
real efficiency Of the service. This
would spare Secretary Robson such
an effort as he recently had to make
ato spend the appropriation
In the River and Harbor bill it is
we'll known that the "old flag and an
appropriation has been the rallying
cry for grab at the public crib for
the dredging Of unknown creeks and
shadows harbors all over the West
and Northwest, in the political in
terest only of the representatives
from contiguous Congressional dis
tricts, and at an annual expense of
millions of dollars. The commerce,
also, of the Connecticut and Merri-
mack rivers, and the bayous and
creeks bordering on the Delaware
and the Chesapeake, will not suffer if
the usual sums are not appropriated
this winter. In the miscellaneous
list the policy of erecting no new
public buildings can be adhered to,
while the Secretary Of the Treasury
will be fully sustained in the further
reduction which he is enforcing in
the expenses of collecting the reve-
nue.. In the judicial establishment
there is room for a good deal of re-
trenchment in the appropriation of
So, 600, 900 which has heretofore been
exacted by the Department of JUS
tice, in part for partisan use at the
South. The District of Columbia
appropriations will bear a good deal
Of pruning. The Government pays
half the expenses of the very incom-
potent metropolitan police force of
this city, and yet furnishes force
of it's own to guard, the public build
ings and other property of the Gov
eminent! 1t contributes wholly to
some questionable charitable institu-
tons here and partly to others that
ought to be, to say the least, inquired
into. Indian expenditures are SO ia
miliar in fraud that a wholesome in
cision in every detail Of expenditure
will be necessary. How large pro-
portion Of all this money sticks to
the various fingers through which it
passes, or how much is otherwise
stolen and squahdered, remains a
question for investigation.
The Centennial Commission will
get the million and a half required to
complete the buildings. Since the
excursion last Friday and Saturday,
when the President end Cabinet, the
Supreme Court and both Houses Of
Congress, together with representa-
tives OF the press, were so handsome
" entertained and banqneted, there
seems to be no opposition to this ap-
preparation. The city Of Pllilatlel-
phia has already appropriated sum
equal TO that asked of the General
Government, and the State Of Penn
sylvania a million more, Though the
Centennial is national affair. An
examination Of the buildings and
the character Of the work being car
ried forward is quite sufficient to re-
move all opposition to the appropri-
alton, and il will be almost unani-
mously voted. This calls to mind
the proposition to assemble at Phila-
Edelphia next year large number of
soldiers of the late war. for genuine
Centennial reconciliation. A recent
dispatch from the city Of Brotherly
Love says: It is proposed to have the
northern and southern armies repre-
|sented by their leading generals and
by thousands Of their rank and file
from every State in the Union, the
purpose being to show to the world,
by grand and impressive demon
stration, the fact that the men who
were in arms against each other a few
years ago are now united in celebra.
tion Of the Tooth birthday of their
country, and inspired by a spirit Of
patriotism and a feeling Of common
nationality. This accords well with
l = Isl :
1.-THE speeches at the banquet ex-
cepting that of Senator Morton-and
with the whole spirit Of the occasion
but does not harmonic with the
"Union soldier cries of Republican