Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-10-05
THAT TERRIBLE "CO6FEDER.
ATE" CONGRESS- WHAT 1T
sUoCEEDED IN D6LNG.
Extract from a Speech OF Hon. Milton
Sayler, Delivered at Cincinnati
Sunday

Extract from a Speech OF Hon. Milton
l. Siyler. Delivered at Cincinnati
+ Sunday
There has been a great dea'
said about this Confederate Con
gress, as they cal it, and it Ii
not a popular Congress, | conf, IS
That is, / mean, with certain PEG
pile. II was o very unpopular
Congress with the lobby at Wash
ing,on.. II was a very unpopular
Congress with a large number o.
peobI- whose names we're on The
pay rolls Of the different depart
ments at Washington and whose
only labor was to 60 TO the de
partncpt once a mouth and sigr
the payroll and draw their pay,
TApplauso and laughter. 1t was
a very unpopular Congress in the
departments who by long usage
had been in the habit of having a
great deal more money than they
need, and who we're thereby, il
not taking care of themselves al
lers. taxing care Of their friends.
1t was a very unpopular Congress
! with everybody that was subsidlz.
elin its in terest. But | imagine
that when the conduct of that
Congress. in this behalf is under
stood, it will be a very popular
Congress with the men who ply
taxes, and with the men who
labor to increase the productions
of their country. Applause.
Well, what did they do? They
went into these several depart>
ments. l made a little figure just
as I stated, so | would not missate
anything. They bad a deficiency bill
estimated by the departments Of
enormous proportions: and that
has been one of the lodges Of tie
Republican party from the begin.
.hing-a little before the election
to put down the expenditures a
little bit not very much. !
don't want to misstate them. /
think they reduced the expendi
tnres last year about nine millions.
They did something in that line,
but it was not their object. They
put in a deficiency bill, while this
Confederate Congress (as the Re-
publican newspapers seem to de-
lightin calling it) reduced $2,OOO,-
900. They put in a fort,fcation
bill for a lot Of, old Notifications
that are very little value either to
the country or to anybody else
except the people who get the job,
of keeping them up, which bill this
Confederate Congress reduced
So, DOC, 900. They put in a navy
bill, and, by the way, our navy
costs more than any navy in the
world and is worth less. l think
that is about a fair statement of
it. / do not refer to the naval
officers nor to the men sengaged
in the navy. l do,not refer to the
personnel Of the navy, but | refer.
sed to the navy itself its ships its
appointments. 1t costs more and
is worth less than any navy in the
world. / do not know whether we
have any ship that its safe to send
any mar to sea on. Perhaps Mr..
Secretary Robson has one that
he takes his frienda around in, but
apart from that l don't know
whether they have anything that
is sea.worthy. That may be a
slight reinstatement but that
navy bill this Democra'ico Forty.
fourth Congress cut down eight
million dollars, They put q post
Office bills, with all then system
of fast mail trains, as they called
them, which are intended entirely
for the benefit Of New York daily
newspapers and which never did
anybody else on the face of the
earth any good, for they are run
lust at time when a business man
{ cannot, put his mail in for business
purposes, but it is very important
to have that metropolitan New
York press on your side it shows
how wonderfully we'll it pays. IA
voice, "were not the Cincinnati
papers bene6ted2'] don't think
It was good for any Cincinnati pa
per, except the Times, perhaps
iLaughter.1 We cut that post. OILS
6ce bill down eight million dollars
and did not interfere with the
postal engagements. They put
in an army bill Of enormous propor-
tons. They went as far as get up
an Indian war. Now, | do not
speak unadviseely when l say they
cot IN this Indian war. They