National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-07-20


1t is feared by many 1ood Republicans
that the Democratic House will be allowed
to win much more than half the prize they
placed before themselves at the commence
ment of the present Congress, and that
they will be permitted to do this by the
Senate.
The object of the majority Of the House
from the first has been to produce dissatis-
faction among the people with the Repub-
lican party. The means to produce this
were two. The first was, by investigations
under their own control, to blacken the
character of all public men in the Repubi.
can party that could in any way be reached
The second was to follow this up by dimin-
ishing, in the name of economy, the ordl-
nary expenses of the Administration to such
an extent as to embarrass the Government
and make those out of and in its employ
restless, and consequently discontinued
with the party in power. On the first of
these the Senate has had no power to put
a check, and the House has gone its whole
length, and even compelled the Senate to
become its helper to the constitutional ex
tent. On the second the Senate can put
check, and the country is waiting, with
great anxiety, to see how far it will exer-
else its right and its duty in opposition to
the scheme of the Democratic House.
1t has been part of the scheme to force
through stingyand unpopular legislation in
the appropriation bills, to report those bills
late in the session, and in spite of the rule
that they should be reported early. All
that is now required to make the whole
movement, which is as far as it can be ad-
verse, both directly and by implication, to
the Republican party success sful, is for the
Senate to yield its well-chosen and sound
position that the heads of departments are
better Judges of the amounts needed for
the conduct of their Departments than
hostile House; and that salaries now estlb
lished by law shall not be changed in ap
preparation bills. That position is the only
one the Senate could take. If it abandons
it, it enters the open field in running
fight with the House, and at the choice of
the latter, and will be beaten as it has
been on the appropriation bills already
passed. In such q case we might as well
have Democratic Senate as any, for the
legislation of the country would be con-
trolled not only by the Democrats as effect
ually as if they had the Senate, but by
single committee of one branch of Con
gress Is the Senate prepared to be bullied
into such q record?
1t is said that action aud reaction are
equal, and the chairman Of the Committee
on Appropriations of the House will prove
it, with the aid of the Senate. Not three
years since he worked and voted for
large increase of salaries, and profted by
his labors. Now, on the principle of Mil
toms devil, he works as hard, if not as
conscientlously, for a decrease in salaries
which have been at their present low point
since the beginning. And we see and hear
it predicted that the Senate will join IN
permitting this purely demagogical action,
because the weather is so hot that it dis
torts justice and favors the Democracy. We
can think of no better reason.
The country is now proceeding upon
basis adopted by the Republican party, IN
respect to its revenues, and the Ways and
Means Committee of the House lacks the
ability or courage to suggest better one,
or it would have done it. Under the pres
ent arrangement we are not lacking in
revenues, and have not been. Where,
then, is the reason or the justice of permit
ting single committee of House adverse
to the party in power to override and disre-
gard the recommendations of the Cabinet
officers of that party concerning the amount
of force they consider needful and the sala-
ries now paid. Do Randall and Holman
possess more ability to administer the
Government-do they know more about
what is needed-than the President the
Cabinet and the General Of the Army? If
the Senate allows them to succeed, or gives
them halt in the appropriation bills. it &C
knowledges for all purposes aimed at by
the Democrats that they are half or wholly
right.
The House seems to make a claim of
something like superior right in the appro-
priatlon bills. But the Senate has as much
constitutional right to originate bill of the
kind as the House has The House has
originated them because it has the only
right to originate revenue bills, and the
amount of appropriations is supposed to be
limited by the character Of legislation &C.
complished at the recommendation of the
Ways and Means Committee. But that
committee is as silent on this subject as the
'1eader of the House" and so long as the
revenue laws are the work of the Repub-
hcan party, just so long is it the duty of
that party in Congress to control expendi-
lures, and especially so when the control is
sought to be obtained by the adverse party
for purely selfish purposes. Control of the
appropriations by the Democratic party,
further than plain justice and sound reason
of Republicans give involuntary sanctions
what will not be excused. 1t would be an
unnecessary weakness, and entail humili-
ating triumph over the Senate and its friends
which would not lack bitterness because it
brought privation upon hundreds of faith
full, patriotic men, and misery to those
whose wants are as sacred as the claims of
party. Our hope is strong that the Senate
has yielded about all it will but remem-
bering the extent of their concession on the
bills already passed, is there not room for
apprehension?
GOV. CHAMBERLAIN.
At ratification of the nominations of
Eayes and Wheeler in Reaufnrt South