Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-10-11
cLEARFIELD, PA, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER II. 1875

I
But may you trust tho pledges made
at ST. Louis Who will be the most
likely to abolish the thousands of use
less offices In some instances they
were created for party favortes, and
in others they have been continued
after their occasion has ceased. They
are now filed and their emoluments
enjoyed by men who contribute money
and bestow their labor to elect Gov
crnor Hayes.
Governor Tilden will encounter no
political embarrassment in correcting
this great evil Not so with Governor
Hayes. This reform requires that
thousands of places of profit be made
vacant now filled by his supporters.
The present House is Democratic. Has
1t not proved itself true to every pledge
gwen ? In its Investigations II has
gone thoroughly into the work as was
possible for mon TO do who had been
excluded from tho records and the De-
partmcnts for many years. In the re-
duction Of expenditures and the aboli-
tion of useless offices it went as tar as
the persistent opposition Of the Senate
would allow Have you occasion TO
be offeuded with the 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,
900, 900 were saved, and that the enor-
nous corruption was brought to light ?
II this House had not been Democratic,
do you not know that Gen. Belknap
would still be Secretary of WARP Be-
cause that House is of and for the peo.
pie, it is denounced by every epithet
that vicious political taste can com
mand. 1t has been deemed sufficient
to say that General Belknap was
Democrat until made Secretary of War.
Does that, indeed, satisfy you As a
Democrat he remained without q spot
upon his character until the meridian
Of his manhood, but as soon as he came
under the new associations he fell.
That is, indeed, attrbuting terrible
influence to the habits that have been
obtained at Washington-tbe habits of
extravaganza and of expenditures be-
yond 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 youY 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 10 reduce the National expendi-
lures s30, 100000. Dealing fairly with
this subject will you not admit that it
was liberal, as it was honorable, on
their part to vote to support :he Cen
tennial Exposition rather than suffer
the honor Of the country to be tarnished
and our pride bumiliated by failure
after the Congress of 1871 had COM
mittcd the country to the enterprise ?
Was it not honorable on their part to
vote for the equalization of bounties
among the soldiers Of the Federal
army Their own constituents could
not share therein, and yet supported
the measure. The House has been
denounced and declared revolutionary
because reform measures were put
upon the appropriation bills. Legisla-
tion upon appropriation bills is not new
nor is it revolutionary. 1t has pre-
vailed heretofore. 1t has been prac-
ticed more than at any other time
when both branches were Republican.
The practice is not a good one rs |
think, and should not be encouraged,
but tho position Of the present House
was peculiar II had been chosen by
the people with express reference to
the correction of evils and the reduction
of expenditures. 1t soon became ap-
parent that in carrying out the wishes
of the people the House must encoun-
ter the determined opposition of the
Senate and of the Administration. The
correction of prevailing evils and the
reduction of expenditures in many in
stances required the repeal or the
amendment of existing laws, and it
was found that that could be accom-.
plished only by putting the repeal and
amendments npon the appropriation
bills. The House comes directly from
the people, and represents them special
ly upon the questions OF revenue and
expenditure and may be excused in
the exercise of some judgment and dis
cretion in respect TO the mode Of pro
cceding, when the will of the people
can be obtained 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 record, by no means as
full and complete as if they had con-
trolled the fortunes of their measures
elsewhere. You may not agree to
many things that were said, and you
may be dissatisfied that some measures
were delayed and others lost in the
House, yet do you not choose to 90
forward and complete the work now
well begun rather than 90 back 10 the
nractice of preceding years Would
you venture to repest the party rule
Of the past eight years ? Had $50.
000, 900 been saved every year during
| that period il NAV be that you would
not now bo in the contracting folds OF
hard times. Do Won hesitate TO trust
Governor Tillen in the great work of
reform ? Alone he might not accom-.
pIish complete success but he will call
ro,od Lii, ,Lo.o rho aro ,,,;,ho,t an,