The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-09-29
The Cause Of the Present DISTRESS

If the Republicans had desired to restore
the Government to peace footing after
/ the close of the civil war, the ROAD lay
; broad ouen before them, and the task was
: easy, All they had t. do was to apply the
axe TO the roots of what may be called the
! m ilifary system, recur TO the expenditures
! of 1860, with the necessary additions, and
start the work of retrenchment. That is
! what The country asked and expected as
IL had u right to do after the sacrifices
which had been made during the war.
The leaders and the managers who had
revelied on patronage, contracts, ana JoO-
berry for four years. had no idea of reiin-
gushing their sources of wealth. They
had become enormously rich 10y the war.
and would gladly have kept up the fight
ing, which, while exhausting the blood and
treasure of the people WAS source of I'M
failing profit to the corrupt combinations
III aud ont of Congress.
These sinister influences prevailed IN leg
islation. and Instead of a rigid system OF
economy, such was at once adopted i'll
France under a sim liar condition of things,
a vicious ingenuity WAS employed to keep
MP the expenditures to the highest possible
point, to create offices, and to expand in
every direction. of course the appropria
tions had TO be reduced from the war foot
ing, but no thanks to chose in power, for
the country would never have submitted to
the continuance of such burdens.
But this diminution was never honest or
earnest. Every million of reduction had
to be extorted, and wherever one was
yielded, two at least ought to have been
obtained. This truth was demonstrated al
the last session by the facility with which
tie House cut off at a single blow forty
millions of dollars. and would have struck
at fifty millions but for the logged and
bitter hostility of the President and tie
Senate, who finally succeeded in impaiing
the work of the peoples representatives TO
the extent of ten millions of dollars.
The bowling Of discharged nfficeholders.
the outcry of Rings deprived of their ac-
customed plunder the resentment of off
cials thieves aud their confedcrates at
short apprODriat ions, and the lying of the
Administration about crippling the service,
only mean that honest and resnlutc men
have commenced practical reform, which
caunOt stop until the rotten and proIigate
system is torn up root and branch. The
close corporation that has been running
the Government for sixteen years, and
would never admit outsiders to it's secrets
or its dividends, is very much disturbed at
the actual situation, and n great deal more
so at the outlook, which plainly reveals
that it's days of power for evil are number
ed.
II makes the blood mount up with hot
lllul1DlilCn lD liili1k HpW l!it people pl tlllS
country have been cheated, robbed be-
trayed and msed during the last eleven
years of so called peace. If The saving of
the last session alone, forced through by a
Democratic House fresh from The people,
had been applied during the decade which
closed with he departure OF the Republican
majority from that body. fhe state of the
country would be far iRereut from what
1t now is.
, r
effects that would have resulted from econ
| omy in national affairs iustead of The reck-
less extravagance which has been in prac
tice, the material results alone are well
calculated to excite The deepest feeling at
the prohigacy OF the party which origina-
ted, perfected, and carried on the atrocinus
system TO which we have referred This
] ratio OF reduction in ten years wouli have
yielded capital of three hundred millions
Of dollars. exclusive oC interest!
Properly invested and applied. the fund
thus saved from extravaganza or dishonesty
would have enabled the Government to re-
sune payments in specie, would have ad-
justed all our financial troubles would
have harmonized conflicting interests, and
would have made the people prosperous.
instead OF being bankrup;S and weighed
/ down by oppressive burdens. These are
| palpab!e facts which cannot be disputed.
! They put the responsible Of the present
! hard times on the Republican party. and
! they prove that retrenchment is the short
/ and sure cut to reform. In view of this
/ demonstration, which the plain people see
! and know IN be true, it is no wonder that
! there is distrust of the men who brought
! on this prevailing distress, aud a loud and
general demand for change of admins
I tratIon, of measures, and OF meu.-N. Y.
/ Sun.