The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-07-03
Monday, July 3, 1879
AT A STAND STILL.

Last week the Sound Revenue
Cutter, Oliver Wolcott, was thrown
out Of commission, and her hands
discharged, for the reason that the
fiscal year has closet and no appro-
priation has yet been made by Con-
gress for the Internal Revenue adj
ministration Of the Government.
This step was nccessitated by the
fact that there is no authorization
for the payment Of service after or
prior to the time for which appro-
priation was made.
The occasion for this deadlock
at Washington is the disagreement
Of the Democratic House and Re-
publican Senate and Executive on
the question of retrenchment. The
House has voted reductions TO the
extent of nearly $40, 0O0, 900, said to
be chiefly the salaries and perqui-
sites of Republican officials, in which
the Senate refuses to concur. As
both houses are firm and have,
thus far, refused to compromise, it
is uncertain how the controversy
will end, meanwhile great inconven-
fence will result to all branches Of
the civil service, excepting the Gus
tom House, which is under different
regulations and all branches of in-
dustry subject TO Internal Revenue
duty.
BY the British constitution, the
public e1chequcr is under the con-
troll Of the Lower House of Parlia-
ment, and that, in years past, was
whip used with irresistible effect by
the Commons To bring the refractory
throne to their terms. But an en-
barge Of this kind in our own Gov
eminent, is a thing hitherto unpre.
cedented. The action of the House
in this regard, while it will meet the
appreciation of the masses Of the tax
payers throughout the country, is
not altogether unopen to criticism;
for, while they cut down Republican
salaries with remorseless hand, they
declined to pass the bill for refund
ing n portion of the five and six per
cent. bonds at four and e-half per
cent. 10y which saving of between
eighteen aud nineteen million dol
lars would have been effected, that
would not have come out of the
pockets of the posi- public servants
either. Anyway, it is not so much
salaries that Feed to be stopped as
stealing.
II may be questioned whether a
gentle degree of moderation in the
work of reform by the Democrats
on theirprospective return to power,
would not be quite as effective in
creating political capital, and be a
better earnest of their thorough
good faith and continuance. If the
good work Of reform is too extreme
and over-done at the start, they may
not he able 10 hold out. We NAV
have reason to fear that il is one of
those spasmodic and periodical
manias for economy that have occas-
ionally broken out before and which,
In years before the war, s. s. Prem
tiss happily denominated ''retrench-
ment gripes."
An interesting phase of the diff
Guilty is, that the issue is squarely
brought AS to which of the two
branches of the National legislature
is really the sovereign in the last APP
rs"l, Its decision may be of iute-
rest In more serious crises hereafter.
One side or the other must Weld.
The machinery of the whole country
should not he dead locked, The
side that is Immediately in fault for
the stoppage, will he held answer
able for the mischief occasioned.