The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-10

thieves out Of the temple and TO restore
something like integrity in the public
service.
In ali the pursuits Of private life salaries
have been scaled down to meet the changed
condition Of the country; expenses are
compulsorily reduced, and suffering labor
has to bear its share of a general adversely.
Only few days ago one OF the great es-
Establishments in Philadelphia reduced the
wages OF class Of laborers from S175 to
$115 per day. And this is but one example
of an enforced retrenchment which runs
all through ordinary affairs And yet the
Republican Senate insists that the Office
holders shall not be subjected to q reduo-
ton of only ten per cent on their salaries,
and that an army Of sinecures, idle parti-
sans and venal politicians shall be kept
on the pay rolls, while every industry Is
PROSTATE aud poverty stalks over the land.
The pretence that the service is to be
crippled by reform Is the veriest of shams.
1t will be purged and strengthened by the
proposed policy. The sacrifice of CUSTER
and his gallant companions may be traced
to the bitter hostility of GRANT aud the
Administration. For daring to tell the
truth and to expose BELKNAPs corruption,
he was insulted and outraged when a wit
ness at Washington, deprived OF his COM
mand and treated with official indignities
which n true soldier can only realize.
The very meu who thus pursued and
persecuted him are now using his death as
an argument against the slight reduction
proposed for the army. in the hope of re-
tanning their spoils from that source. Not
a single man has yet been cut off, and at
this time there are between three and four
thousand troops lying idle in Mississippi,
Louisiana, aud other Southern States.
In his violent speech to the Senate be-
fore stepping into the Treasury on Friday
last, Mr.. MORRILL, put himself and his
friends IN "a bad dilemma. lie acclaimed
against the economies OF the House in
each department, and in regard to the
Department of Justice he said:
Take the judicial expenses Of the Govern
ment, sS:Is,OO0 reduction. Upon any basis that
We know thing about. upon the repre- eDta-
ton OF tue Department of justice, the aprro-
orIation u too low : but betDt6n this aud Deem
Der Uhdt they haze got Il enough, anu when
December comes the DEPARTMENT OF Justice
viii raise ITS voice To justice for Its needs, and
deficiency bill will supply what We now leave
out"
The same rule Is good for every other
department Money is appropriated for
the whole year, and only four months will
elapse before Congress viii reasonable.
Perhaps not so many. There is no dispute
about the sufliciency Of the appropriations
for that time and much longer. Why,
then, If the Senate has the least disposition
to reform, does it not accept the House
bills and try the EXPERIMENT. The answer
is plain. If retrenchment be once accept
ed, IL cannot be soon abandoned. 1t must
20 forward, and that policy would destroy
the Rings which now run the Government.
There ia no other reason for resisting the
reductions. Consequently, the country
looks to the House with confidence and
demands, in the language OF SUMNER TO
STANTON, that it shall stick, stick, stick, to
the last hour