Marshall County Republican., 1876-08-10
False Economy.

1t is a good time now to call to mind
Solomon's maxim ''There is that
scattereth and yet increaseth and
there is that withholdeth more than is
meet, but it tendeth to poverty"
There is such thing as an economy
that is wise and proper, and worthy of
all commentator and there is a sham
economy which is but criminal folly.
What would be thought of the wise
economy of a farmer who should plow
his corn but once, on the ground that
it costs less than to plow it oftener, and
enables him to discharge a portion of
his hired help? What would be
thought of the wise economy of a farm
who should for the sake of saving the
wages of two or three hired men, sow
his wheat without having previously
plowed and narrowed the ground ? In
this wayne would expend less, to be
sure, but men of common sense will
not be able to see in it any great saw
ing, or anything worthy to be called
economy. This has been precisely the
course of the National house of Rep
resentatives. In many ways by cutting
off appropriations, they have crippled
the functions of the government to
such an extent that great loss and
waste must be the inevitable result.
This action of Congress, done in the
name of economy and public good,
really been solely for political effect.
Sometimes a liberal expenditure is the
truest economy. When retrench-
ment will result in loss greater than
the sum proposed to be saved, it is not
economy, but foolish waste. 1t is
penny wise. and pound foolish"
To give one instance out of many,
the appropriations for public buildings
in course of erection have been largely
diminished. In some cases the amount
will not be sufficient to pro-
tect the buildings from the damage
resulting from exposure in an unfnish-
ed condition, and instead of being ap-
piled toward the work of completion,
it will be wasted in providing against
damage from exposure, and next year
the building will be no further ad-
vanced than it was last year. The pit
tances of this year will simply be vast
ed. The only perceptible advantage
lies in the hope that the Democracy
will reap from it some political advan-
tage, in the assertion that this misera-
bic waste is a saving to the govern
ment. 1t is not probable that this hope
will be realized, for an intelligent pee
pie will see through the fraud.
But there is another feature of this
thing which deserves attention. We
are ready to maintain that wherever a
public work of any kind is in course of
construction, now is the very time to
complete it; and wherever a public
work of any kind is needed, now is the
very time To begin it. Every appro-
priation to be expended for labor,
should have been largely increased in
stead of diminished by the present
congress. Labor can be purchased
more cheaply now, hence this would
De true economy for the government
md tens of thousands of men now idle,
Gould then have found employment.
It is nonsense to say that such course
would further impoverish the country,
md burden the Taxpayers. The mon
" would be expended among our own
'eople, going to the very class who
most need it, the laborers of the coun-
ry. 1t would not add penny to any
mans taxes, for the present Congress
las made no change in the tax laws by
which there is to be any reduction of |
axati0n, nor would increased apprO-
'riations for certain branches of the I
eryice have made change necessary. /
The laws now yield surplus which is 1
pplied to the payment of the public
ebt, and with larger appropriations,
his surplus would be smaller, that is
II. And we insist that when men are
ungry for bread, and begging for
rork that they may obtain bread, and
hen the government has work to