The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-24
Extrnyagancc is Crime.

Mr. RANDALL struck the keynote OF tho
situation, and gave wholesome advice ~ his
party, when he declared, on taking the
Speakers chair, Extravaganza on the part
Of the peoples servants would bc an unpar-
donahlo crime" If the Democratic adopt this
sentiment as an article of faith, and live up
~ it honestly, they will deserve the conf
dencc of the country, and do much TO relieve
the present distress. The road to recovery
from existing prostratiOn IL through severe
economy, public az we'll rs private.
Tho burdens resulting from excessive and
unequal taxation are among the causes
which have led To- the depression OF industry
and a. bankruptcy In proportion as re-
trenchIncnt is applied TO the public cSpcnd
lures. taxes can be- reduced. and every dol
lar of reduction will bring it, share Of re-
lief. Therefore to keep up any part Of the
public service which can be- dispens"d with
would bc, "a Mr.. RANDALL has well said,
can unparlonable crime" That is the true
name for it, and whoever aids in cxtrava-
gancc must expect 10 hc marked and held
up TO ccusurc.
II is practicable to cut down the civil
branches of the yari,s- departments soy
eral millions, and we assume that after the
House has been organized, this work will
he undertaken with an intention to perfect
II. But the charge which most demands
attention. and which admits Of the largest
retrcnchment, is the army, now by tho
Illegal action and trickcry VI the Admins
tratlon maintained on "a footing Of twenty
i've thousand men for the peace establish
mcnt.
While the navy and all the civil depart
mcnts have been subjected 10 the discipline
Of economy, more or less rigid. the army
has managed TO escsp pc any reduction what
ever, and was, in fact, increased one-tcnth
OF the maximum at the very time the prun-
ing knife was operated vigorously else
where. Official Misrepresentation, and the
fabricated cry Of an impending Indian war.
were the means used to mislead the House
OF Representatives.
Congress is now in a condition to apply 10
the army the same principle and the same
practice that have been applied to the rest
of the public service. When the apprupria-
ton for the navy was reduced eight mil
lions below the estimates. q Clanor was
raised that its efficiency would be destroyed.
So 1t was with regard to customs, Indians,
the diplomatic and consular service and
everything else that was touched. Expert
ence has demonstrated that this clanor was
wholly un:oundcd, and that efficiency has
resulted from economy.
The pretext Of an Indian war has passed
away. The surrender Of Chief JOSEPH and
his band has utterly destroyed that argu-
ment for large army, and there IL no other
reason that can bc urged with "a show Of
Justice for supporting, at cost Of many mil
lions annually, a military machine that Is
neither useful nor ornamental. The War
Department has sent in an estimate asking
for s32 4}d, G+9s for the current fiscal year,
and audaciously putting the responsibility
on Congress which belongs TO the Executive
for an army Of 5000 men.
What are the facts The House at the
last session of the late Congress reduced
the army To 1900 men, aud appropriated
S219l37i9 in the biz for their support The
Senate di-scnted. but was ready and willing
to accept this reduction if the House would
yield the proviso forbidding the employ
mcnt of troops for political objects. The
House refused and the bill failed to pass.
Instead Of calling Congress together before
the commencement Of the current fiscal
year. the Fraudulent President assumed to
carry on the army upon "A basis of 1900
men, and TO make contracts on cfedit up to
the 3l-t of next December.
A. the result of this scheme. which was in
tended 10 thwart the Will Of the House Of
loprn -eniativcs. the Administration now
asks for Sln4'}0 l5aS more than was voted
at the last session for the army. And Mr.
HAYES with fitting cnrontory, demands that
the money shall be first given. and then
Congress may inquire whether it ought TO
have been granted or not. Tho people have
their eyes open. and are watching the action
of Congress. They demand that the army
shall be brought down to the lowest point
and they believe 1000 men abundant for
every real mood of the country, though in
sufficient for the grandeur of military chiefs
and their magnificent stalls, who believe in
regular troops for controlling States, for
backing electoral conspiracics and for
eupprcssing strikes against starvation
wages. Tho Committee on Appropriations
will do we'll 10 remember Mr.. RANDALL's
ndyicc that "cxtrayagance Gu the part vi
the peoples servants would be- an uupordon-
able crime