The Portland daily press., 1876-03-30
Democratic Economy,

Judging the Democratic party by its ma
tera and its history people could not bring
themselves to believe it sincere in its profess
sions of reform. It's course in the House,
where it has had control of affairs, has tended
to quicken that disbelief. With great -four.
ish and parade it has made reductions in the
appropriation bills which are going to reach,
so its defenders say, the sum of twenty mil
lion dollars. This reduction has in part been
made at the expense of underpaid clerks, of
the economically conducted Military Acade-
my at West Point, and of the diplomatic SER
vice. The intention appears to have been to
starve the clerks and cripple the depart
ments. Presuming on this reduction, at
tempted but not made, the Democratic rep-
resentatives are preparing to introduce meas
ures which call for an immense expenditure
of the public money. Their plan is much
like that of the urchin who was promised a
penny, and who proceeded in imagination to
buy out whole candy store with the token.
Mr.. Holman has in hand bill to equalize
bountes. which will take hundred millions
of dollars from the Treasury. Mr.. Hancock
has bill for Southern Pacific railroad,
which calls for twice as much. A Louisiana
member wants an appropriation of many
millions for the improvement of the mouth
of the Mississippi. A Georgia member de-
sires the refunding of the cotton tax,
which requires hundreds of millions.
Meanwhile to start the thing the print
ing OF several thousand extra copies of
the useless agricultural report has been voted,
and deficiency bill appropriating half
million dollars to carry on fruitless ipvestiga-
tions must be soon passed. All this money,
in amount equal to quarter of the national
debt, is to come cut of the twenty millions
which have not yet been saved. Certainly
these Democrats are wonderful financiers.
But it appears that the Democrats have no
idea of making these reductions. The House,
instead of providing appropriations according
to existing laws, has attempted legislation for
the modification of salaries, matter that
has its proper place in separate bill. 1t has,
or rather the new heptarchy, the seven Dem
ocralic members OF the appropriations COM
mittee, has assumed to control the whole
legislation of the country, to dispose Of the
revenues, TO reorganize the foreign and
domestic service. 1t was we'll known from
the start that the Senate would not submit to
such encIoachments, nor consent to cripple
the government in any direction in order to
make little cheap capital for the Democracy.
The Democrats know this, know that the
House will be obliged to back down from the
untena5le position. They expected it from
the first, and they made reductions that
they knew could not be carried through,
with the intention of making capital for their
party, of compelling the Senate to take the
responsibility of preventing the pairing down
of salaries, and with the consciousness that
they could claim credit for reform without en-
dangering their own pay. The pretence at re-
trenchment is merely an electioneering trick.
There will be considerable curiosity to see if
the Democrats will persist in their schemes
for plundering the Treasury on the strength
of reductions in expenses proposed but moi
adopted; if they will still endeavor to appro-
pirate hundreds of millions out of the twenty
millions which have not been saved. Such a
course would be characteristic one.