Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-09-08
SENATOR AIL1soNs SPEECH.
Scathing Exposure Of the Bogus Economy
Of the Democratic House.

OF senator AlilsonS powerful speech
at Dubuque on Tuesday OF last week,
was his review of the action Of the
Democracy at the last session of Con-
gress on the Appropriation bills, and
his pungent exposure Of their trans
parent prctense of rctrenchment and
economy in connection Herewith.
We give below such extracts from
the speech as our limited space this
week will allow:
1t might be interesting and in
structive to look at some of the APP
preparations which the Senate
thought best to make, but which the
House refused to make, or made up
on a very limited and utterly made
quate scale. Among these were APP
preparations for various public build
ings throughout the country. 1t
may be mistake to spend money in
this direction; but the Republicans
of the Senate did not believe it to be
a mistake. They believed this gov
eminent was destined to endure for
ever; and wherever money has been
appropriated for this purpose, it has
been appropriated to build in the
most substantial manner. Public
buildings are under way at Chicago,
at Cincinnati, at st. Louis, at Boston,
&c. The post office at New York
is already completed. 1t cost only
ten million dollars, and is the cheap
est building that has ever been erect
ed in that city, taking into account
the material of which it is composed.
The old court house, that fingers and
lags at its side, cost the people Of
New York $4,000, 900, and is not
yet completed, I believe. AS the
buildings in process of construction
would be useless for the
purposes for which they were
intended until completed, and would
necessarily sustain more or less in
jury by being left in an unfinished
state, the Senate believed that money
appropriated to finish them in true
spirit of economy would bejudicious-
ly expended. Not one dollar was APP
propriated for the completion of
the custom house and postoffice at
Chicago, where the government IS
paying large rent for buildings for
these purposes, while the unfinished
structure, unless promptly finished,
must rapidly deteriorate.
The Republicans of the Senate be-
lieved that it was for the interest of
this government to maintain friendly
relations with foreign governments.
But the House, in spirit of niggard-
ly economy, abolished missions,
some of which have been in existence
for forty years; such as those to
Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Den
mark, Peru, Ecuador, the United
States of Columbia, sc. They also
abolished forty Consulates that had
been in existence for many years.
And to show how little the House
was animated by any real regard for
economy, it will be well to remember
that our Consular service Is more
than selfsustaining. The fees paid
last year amounted to $4,000 more
than the salaries of the consuls. One
of their duties is the protection of
the revenue under our tariff laws, as
they are required to examine and
certify invoices of importations.
Another important duty devolves up
on them-to take charge of disabled
American seamen thrown upon for
eign shores, by storm or other acct
dent. The House persisted in its de-
termination to abolish these foreign
missions, and the Senate was COM
PEELED to yield. The mission to Ec
uador, for example, filled by most
reputable and able citizen of your
own city. This mission was cstab-
lished more than thirty years ago,
and is now abolished upon the pitt
full plea that the American govern
ment is too poor to maintain a minis
ter there.
The House refused to appropriate
for the completion of the hospital at
West Point, begun last year, and
much necded-thirty thousand dol
lars being sufficient to complete it.
The House persisted in its opposition
to this and many other appropria-
tons on the plea that they could be
made next winter. OF course they
can be made next winter. The cleo
ton will be over then.
| will not multiply examples. But
perhaps the most notable is that
with reference to the compensation
of members and Senators. The
House reduced their compensation to
torty-fivc hundred dollars, instead of
five thousand dollars, and sent the
bill to the Senate. The men who
were most active in the committee on
appropriations in the attempt to Sc
cure this reduction, certainly the
chairman, Mr.. Randall, of Pennsyl
fdllll, WIS lIlc WdllllcSG duNOCalC
of the bill that passed three years a.
go to increase the compensation of
members to seven thousand five hun
dred dollars: voted for that increase
and pockcted the "back pay" He
was told that he could afford to have
his salary reduced to forty-fvc hun
dred dollars, as the interest upon
what he had received under that law
as back pay would pay at ten per
cent, make up the difference to him.
That question came up to the COM
mittce of conference. l happened to
be a member of that committee; we
labored many long and weary nights
upon the matters involved in that
bill, and we finally reached q point
Of differing with the House on this
question af compensation. The COM
mittee on the part of the Senate was
composed Of two Republicans and
one Democrat-Mr. Window, Mr..
Bayard and myself; and l do not vi
olate the secrets of the committee
room when | say that the committee
was unit upon the question. Read
the debate and you will see that this
"menace" on the subject of approp-
riations was presented, not by the
Republlcans of the Senate. but by