The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-09-14

| the revenue at rulnous per cent were
exposed, and the Indignation Of the peO-
! pie compelled Richardson, Secretary of
The Treasury to resign, was the offender
punishedP No, within two weeks he
was appointed TO life office in which he
adjudicates claims against the United
States, ana disappointment was confirm
ed by the Senate,
During the late session it was reported
to the House that the Superintendent
of Public Printing had been guilty Of eX-
travaganCe, waste and favoritism, costing
| the United States more than half mill
lion annually. So gross were the faults
that the report recommended the inquiry
whether the Superintendent was an Off
Ger of the UniledStates and liable to inn
parchment The result Of the report
was n change of the law so as TO di miss
the superintendent and to provide for
| the appointment Of successor. Within
a few days of the adjournment the Pres.
ident reinstated the same man, and the
appointment was confirmed by the SEN
ate. | need not refer to the case of the
present Minister to Japan, and his con-
neCtion with the Credit Mobilier before
his appointment and confirmation, nor
to other cases 1t is very plain that the
leaders of the party will not allow their
party friends to be exposed and punish
ed.
have another inquiry to make of you,
the answer to which will influence your
votes. Have you reason to contide in
and rely upon The pledges Of reform made
at st. Louis? The pledges were distinct
ly made not so in the Cincinnati plat
| form. There no reform, no retrenCh-
ment was promised. The assurance that
| the civil service should be purified, the
expenditures reduced, and useless Off
ces abolished would have been rebuke
and condemnation of the Administration
of General Grant. On the contrary the
Cincinnati platform declares the ma
tional Administration merits COmmenda-
ton for its honorable work in the man
agement of domestic and foreign affairs"
But may you trust the pledges made at
St. LOUISE Who will be most likely to
abolish the thousands of useless oftices2
In some instances they were created for
party favortes, and in Others they have
| been continued after their occasion has
ceased. They are now filled and their
emoluments enjoyed by men who con-
tribute money and bestow their labor to
| elect Governor Hayes.
Governor Tilden will encounter no po-
litiCal embarrassment in correcting this
great evil. Not so with Cove nor Hayes.
This reform requires that Thousands of
places of profit be made vacant now filled
by his supporters. The present House
is Democratic. Has it not proved itself
true to every pledge given? In its in
vestigations it has gone as thoroughly
into the work as was possible for men to
do who had been excluded from the
records and the departments for many
years. In the reductions Of eXpendl-
lures and the abolition Cf useless offices
it went as far as the persistent opposition
of the Senate would allow. Have youoC-
casion to be offended with this House?
Has its work not been in the interest Of
the people? Was it not for you that use
less Offices were abolished that $780, ,OOO,-
600 were saved, and that the enormous
corruption was brought to light? If this
House had not been Democratic, do you
not know that General Belknap would
still be Secretary Of War? Because this
House is of and for the people, it is de-
nounced by every epithet that vicious
political taste can command. 1t has been
deemed sufficient to say that General
Belknap was Democrat until made Sec
retary Of War. Does that, indeed, satisfy
you? AS Il Democrat he remained with
out spot upon his character until the
meridian of his manhood, but so soon as
he came under the new associations he
fell. That is, indeed, attrlbuting a terri
BILE iHfluence to the habits that have OBJ
tanned at Washington-the habits of ex-
travagance and of expenditures beyond
legitimate income. Have you been quite
content to hear the House described as
the Confederate House? 1t is true there
are many from the South who support
the Democratic party. Is that offensive
to you? They are chosen by the people
in pursuance of the Constitution. Would
YOU have it otherwise? In what respect
have the Southern Democrats in the
House offended against the rights or the
honor Of the North? Surely you will
not say that they have offended you in
voting to reduce the National expendi-
lures $4,000, ,000 Dealing fairly with
this subject will you not admit that it was
liberal, as it was honorable, on their part
to vote to support the Centennial Expo
sition rather than suffer the honor ofthe
country to be tarnished and our pride hui
inflated by failure after the Congress
of 1871 had committed the country to the
av,tappriuaO Wac ~ ~ lihnrnl n,,I hon
orable on their part to vote for the equal
ization of bounties among the soldiers of
the Federal army? Their own constitu,-
ents could not share therein, and yet
they supported the measure. The House
has been denounced and declared revo-
lutionary. 1t has prevailed heretofore |
1t has been practiced more than at any
other time when both branches were Re-
publican. The practice is not good one |
as think, and should not be encouraged,
but the position of the present House |
was peculiar. 1t had been chosen by the
people with express reference to the cor
reCtion of evils and the reduction Of eX-
penditures. 1t soon became apparent |
that in carrying out the wishes of the |
people the House must encounter the de- |
termlned opposition of the Senate and Of
the Administration. The correction of |
prevailing evils and the reduction of ex-
penditures in many instances required |
the repeal or the amendment of existing
laws, and it was found that that could be
accomplished only by putting the repeal
and amendments upon the appropria-
ton bills. The House comes directly |
from the people, and represents them
specially upon questions Of revenue and |
expenditure and may be excused in the
exercise of some judgment and discre.
ton in respect to the mode of proceeding, |
when the will Of the people can be at.
tanned no otherwise. Until the present |
Congress, the Democrats have been a
small minority for many years, and have
been unable to control the record but in
the House they have now made a record,
by no means as full and complete as if
they had controlled the fortunes of their
measures elsewhere. You may not agree
to many things that were said, and you