New-York tribune., 1876-07-24
pertinent for the hard-money voter to inquire,
(Which man ?"


than the recent decision of the Senate to pay
Mr Pinchbacl< tle full salary and mileage OF
Senator of the United States from March,
1S73-for the period during which he haunted
the hotels and the Senate lObbles III the VAN
crAeavor to establish his claim 10 the seat, the
nav of which he has just received. Mr.. Pinch
back never had any claim to seat III
the Senate, and found it hard 20 induce any
but the bindcst partiSans OF the Admin
istration to believe that he had. Ahd
the Judgment in his case was by no
means a hasty one. For full three years he
stood before the doors OF the Senate, asking
admission. Within. his cause was urged by
some Of the ablest parisaus Of that body, and
weeks and Weeks-montIS even-were con-
snmed in argument over the question OF his
title. The upshot Of The long and wealisome
controversy was that the Senate refused to
admit him. and then gave him the same sal
ary and allowances that he would have re-
crivcd if he had been admitted. The abuse Is
so old and fragrant that it Is scarcely worth
an argument. llr. Pinchback not only rem
dcrcd 40 service for this salary, but de-
voted his time and Lis money to his
contest just rs any other spccuIator
risks them both Tie Senate, however, has
reduced The element OF risk to'a minimum,
and put the business on Il paying basis by lie
creong that there shall be 40 losses on either
side That is to say, a gentleman having 10
right to q seat in the senate can prefer
claim, pass three sessions at the Washington
hotels and in the end get the United States
to pay his bills and give him something hand
some over for his trouble. The same action
was taken in the case of Mr.. Sykes. The mel
dent serve to show that some abuses at least
exist at Washington which have been corrected
in The administration of u number oi the
States. I'm this state, and in one at least OF
The Ncw-England States, il is by law forbidden
to award the unsuccessful claimant of seat
ANYTHING Whatever \ moments reflection will
suffice to show that while IN exceptional eases
this might work hardship to indiyidGa!S, the
sum total ol the practice would be justice to
the taX-uaycr who is usually the last person 10
be considered. This reform in this State Is u
recent one. hut nowhere did the abuse reach
greater proportions. The Supply bills for Il
generation back show how the ward politician
made his living oil OF contests for legislative
seats, the spoil, being divided perhaps between
the holder and the seeker of the seat, with Fat
allowances for the shystcr lawyers on both
sides. In Washington the practice has many
years OF precedent and many distinguished
names to foItiy it, but il is none the less an
abuse.
An objection of still greater ioicc would
seem TO lie against The habit which has
reached an extreme illustration IN the bills
over which the House art - nate have been
qualrcing-tnat Of slipping important lcgisIa-
ton through the groove, ci appropriation
bills. There are no legislative measures IN
which there i, 40 much "log-roliua SO much
voting Tor your navy yard if youl vote for my
post -oiiicc-no measures so likely - be made
the instruments OF fraud or the easy channels
of extravaganza. To complicate an already
complicated measure with proposals for i'm
portaIt changes in Government departments,
or for the amendment or repeal oI laws Affect
ing vast interests Of property or life, Is
step backward in the methods of icgis-
laton. The appropriation bills which the
Senate has been resisting proposed To reor'anize
The army the navy, and the diplomatic
corps. to repeal the Enforcement act,
and to transfer the Indian Bureau from the
interior Department 90 the War Department.
Tho fact that some Of these projects are praise
worthy merely serves 10 show how excellent
reforms are sometimes accomplished by quc5-
tionahlc means and how the need of a speedy
result p,rpctuatcs Il practice open to such
abuse. To make a short cut to a reform we
run in the ut that precedent has made
The practice is the more rrprchcns!blc
because the President Of the United STATES
cannot exercise the power recently conferred
upon the Executive of this Siatc of vct0ing
all such items in appropriation bills as he con
-idcrs Obicctiouahl" without defeating the bill
itself. The President mast sign or veto each
hill in bulh-with all its good ana all its bad
feature, all its pertinent and impcrtncnt
legislation, all its honest aud dishonest apprO-
priaticns. A patriot President might well
hesitate TO stop ihc machinery Of depart
mcut or bureau, simply because The bill max
ing appropriations for its support contained
provision, which his individual Judgment
coud not approve; politician President
would have no hesitation about his course.
Reforms are easiest on small scale. In the
States constitutions are easily amended, and
there is no such supcrs,itous reverence for
the higher law as preserves the Constitution
of the United States free from change except
in national emergencies. Albany in some re-
spcctS is far ahead of Washington, but there
is more than compensation III the thought that
the people fear innovation not so much be-
cause they seek to avoid progress, as because
they cherish the Constitution, the laws and
the pioccdcnts which have come down from
former generations.
TIE MOHAUH iRiGEDY.