The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-05


congress has passed such acts of incorpora-
ton, and their constitutional power to do
so has never been seriously questioned. If
congress had the constitutional power in
the one case, had they not in the other ?
Congress appropriated the peoples money
for the relief of suffering Ireland, for the
search of Sir John Franklin, for the Vienna
exposition, tor experimenting in tele-
grapby, for explorations in the polar seas
in the south, for the discovery of the north
pole, for the purchase Of national cemete-
ries for the erection of monuments, for the
purchase OF paintings and other works OF
art, for the construction of railroads, for
the entertainment # the dusky king of the
Sandwich Islands, and for thousand
other objects, which stand on no tirmer
base than does this centennial appropria-
tion--and the corstitutonality of these
several measures has never been seriously
questioned or denied.
If congress was acting within the pale OF
the constitution in these cases, is it not
now 2 If the government can loan its
credit to corporation for building a rail
road can il not to a corporation intended
to supervise national commcmoration of
a national event? IF congress ran vote
money to purchase medals and erect monu
men,s to commemorate great achieve
ments, can it not vote money to comment
crate great event in another way ? If
congress can make a 81 t., or a loan to the
several states, or to corporations within a
state, to provide an agricultural or COM
mon school education can 1t not make II
similar gift to national corporation for
other purposes Without pretending to
be much versed in constitutional or legal
lore, we fail 10 see the difference in princi-
Pile and until it is shown that, for the
past eigh'y-six years. congress has been
continually violating the constitution in
these respects, without anyone being wise
enough to find it out. we shall hesitate to
pin our faith TO these latter day commenta-
tors on the constitution.
But it is objected that this centennial ex
hbition is private enterprise gotten W
by private corporation, and is not, in any
sense, a national affair save in name and
because "the government has, at the reques
"of these corporation" that is of the cen
tcnnia commission and the centennia
board of finance -'given out the invitation
"to this entertainment" How is this
Turn back to the act creating the centen
NAL commission and read as fellows al
d" the e1iiJitiOn Sh0uld be u national celeJrd
& ton, M 'ohich the poople Of The whol
" country @ould participate, ii MouM har
" the sanction Of tie congress Of tie Unitec
States therefore, BE it enacted etc, etc
Relative to invitation business, and al
showing the propriety of an appropriation
we will let Colonel Joyce at West Rutland
June 26, 1875, answer Colonel Joyce in tn,
national house of representatives January
%, 1876, as follows
"Another appeal was made to congress
at the session of 1878 and 1874, and al
effort made to obtain an appropriation O
three millions of dollars. which failed
What is passing strange is that, alter al
this, congress passed an act requesting thu
president to extend in the name of thu
United States respectful and cordial in
vitatiOn to the governments of other ma
tons to be represented and take part in tn
international exhibition. 1t j
slightly paradoXical. to say the least, to in
viie all nationas Of the earth TO come to tn
exhibition, and then cit down and refus
to assume any share in the responsibility
or to bear any portion Of the expense, a
the fame and glory of the exhibition are t,
inure to our own benefit Its benefits AM
advantages cannot be overestimated.'
Comment would be superiluous.
We have already said more than we in
more reference to the argument. w
agree with Colonel Joyce, in the main, j
what he says relative to the hypocritics
pretenses of retrenchment and reform o
the part of the democracy, but we must b
permitted to say that his reference, in pal
at least, was particularly unfortunate
! Without referring to the palpable fact thi
this appropriation of one and a half mil
lions of dollars will not add one cent to tn
" load of taxes, state, town and village
and we may add, national-"which
grinding the people down to the yer
"earth," about which he speaks, or to Ii
fact that we fail to find the name c
: Colonel Joyce or any other republican, IT
r corded as opposing, either by voice O
vote, an adjournment over the holidays
, we have only to say that he, or the country
cannot hold the democracy responsible fc
! this centennial appropriation. Unfort,
2 nately there was not patriotism enough
e the party for this purpose. Nearly tw
thirds of the democracy in the house n
n corded themselves in favor of "such n
$ trenchment and against this appropri
tion"-and only nineteen republican
could be found to vote with them, anon
! whom, we regret to say it, we're Charles |
a Joyce aud George w. Hendee of Vernon
q Blame not The democratic majority for II
, success of the measure, but, the rattle
8 give the credit of it to the eighty-six r
r publcans- save nnetcen--and sma
= democratic minority