The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-20
How the senate Resists Reform.

the United States.
How the senate Rcsists Reform.
Although the reduction made by the
House on the Diplomatic and Consular SER
| vice is less than half n million of dollars
and ought TO have been n great deal more
the Senate has fought this small economy
with persstency and bitterness Of feel
ing which can only be explained by the
fact that most of the Republican side have
relations or friends pensioned in missions
AID consulates, who might become a
charge on their private purses If called
| home.
Then the President and the Secretary OF
State have taken deep interest in this
scheme to thwart the House and to pre-
vent any reductions whatever. Mr.. FIRE.
LINdHuYsES was n member of the last
conference committee, and when he asked
the Senate 10 Insist on its amendments the
other day. he took occasion in his usual
feeble way TO justify the stand against re-
trenchment made by the Senate, and to
urge as follows that 1t should not yield its
positions
Thai oG,r wa, rejected by the Ionse, they insisting
that % addition tue coaferees ON the cart u the Senate
| arg beyond he dno,.iI nus apDrop fdtsd In other
S w a q both IIsG. had s,!aenfasa ,na VI We
Well, Mr. President for one do not want 10 say
10y tas Is ast ng st d' osPEeprd
| such terms"
| This is the spirit in which every measure
of economy proposed by the House has
| been met in the Senate. II the laws are
bad and favor extravaganza, why should
they not be changed at "a time like this |?
Mr.. FRELISGuUYsEN and his associates
seek to create tue impression that the ac-
ton Of the House is u violent innovation
on past usage, because a short cut has been
taken TO reduce expenditures.
That deception is easily exposed. At
the first session of the last Congress this
very Consular and Diplomatic service was
reorganized on an appropriation bill, and
the salaries largely increased, in direct vio-
lation of the then existing law Mr.. FIRE.
LINGHUYsES was one of the clamorous
| champions of that change which was pre-
pared IN the department of State, and iu-
troduced in the House by Mr.. Ortiz, now
the Republican candidate for Governor Of
Indiana, and known as one OF the chief
promoters OF the Venezuela swindle The
missions to Germany aud Russia, among
Others, were raised $500 each. But now,
| when the House demands that Congress
| shall 20 back III the interest of economy,
aud take precisely the same way for cut
| ting down expenditures that the Repub-
licans took for raising them up, the Senate
| Is shocked at such a revolutionary propo-
sition! Mr.. FRELISGHCysEN says" legisla-
ton upon appropriation bills is bad
| nroptinp 49, lint no only w no
legislation Is applied to reform. lie found it
Almost excellent method when used for par
tisan purposes and to promote prodigality
He also found it very good when the evil
rights scheme. when the enforcement acts,
when the salary steal aud back pay grab
were passed; when the Post ONCE Depart
ment was rearranged; when the job favor
| ing express companies at the expense Of
| the postal service was put through; when
the Printing Ring was intrenched; when
tue army was reorganized; and when
multitude Of similar acts were grated on
appropriaf ion bills and carried ov er the
heads of protesting minority. Then it
| was all right; but now, when the rule is re-
versed, il Is all wrong.
No man in the Senate, to the extent of
his small ability, has been more active in
this sort OF bad legislation, than this same
Mr.. FRELINGHUYsEN, who now sanctl-
| monlously turns up the whites OF his eyes
| and Is hOrror-stricken at II Democratic iu-
novation, by which forty millions OF ex-
travagance may he sponged out and saved
| 20 the Treasury or all the servile wor-
shippers of GRANT ana defenders OF Grant
ism, he has borne off the palm of volun-
| fa, a aI,,.a.
job down through every VARYING phase OF
corruption and rascality, to the latest per-
formance OF restoring the Whskey Ring
to power, and the dismissal from Office OF
ali the officials who prosecuted that organ
| lied band of thieves.
But, say these trading Senator'S we were
| willing TO retrench in the regular way, by
| bills regularly brought in for each specific
| object. Were you indeedi The House
| passed two army bills containing the
economies that We're subsequently attach
cd to the appropriation bill for that SER
vice. They were sent TO the Senate months
ago, and Mr.. LOGAN, Chairman of Military
Affairs, stranRled them in committee. lie
admitted in open Senate that there was no
intention to report upon them at this ses-
sion and every other bill would have been
treated IN that way, had the House been
weak enough to try the experiment. Tho
House adopted the only course which
made retrenohment possible. Under the
Republican rules, an increase of salaries
was in order and decrease was out of
order The Democrats reversed this dis
| graceful practice ut the start, and gave
economy the preference Then tho Com
mittee on Appropriations proceeded with
| lis work, and the result is before the coun-
try. When the people come 10 pass judg-