New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-17

| The desired effect upon the campaign could he
more readily obtained by looping off certain big
sums here and there. The figures would look
well in print and sound well in stump speeches /;
and the future could take care of itself.
| So the Democratic House drew pen through
certain appropriations without inquirlng whether
| they were necessary or unnecessary. IL repu-
| dated obligations which, sooner or later, the
nation must meet Ii ran up bills, and then
refused to honor them The number OF men
in the Navy. for instance, is fixed by law;
their pay is fixed by law. To ascertain, there
fore, how much the appropriation Tor the pay
of the Navy ought to be was simple
| matter of arithmetic. The Democratic
| House of Representatives, however, chose 10
make il a matter of campaign politics, anu
without reason, without apology, without ue
shadow of excuse. withheld two months wages
from the whole force. That deficiency stlii
remains TO be made good. Where is the econ
amy in subiectinr our sailors to needless hard
ship for the sake of enabling Democratic ora
tor to boast to-day that he has not pald pili
which he will have to pay tomorrow me Ariny
was treated still worse than the Navy MOI
only was the force cut down to miserable
skeleton. utterly insufficient for the labor IL
has to perform, but the House refused to make
any appropriation whatever for It's pay, ana
the men have consequently been deprived of
everything but the barest necessares of life
while the officers are compelled to borrow
money and pay interest on the loan.
These are illustrations of the injustice and
humbug of the Democratic scheme OF econ
omy. 1t would be easy to show that this
scheme involves also an enormous waste of
money. The refusal to pay the debt we owe
the soldiers made necessary the extra session
Of Congress- and every day of debate ut the
Capitol costs the Nation large sum of
money. Nor is this all. In consequence of
the refusal of the Democratic House to
vote the necessary appropriations 1t was
impossible to purchase and forward supplies
for the distant frontier posts during the season
of river navigation and when the money Is
finally rascd-as it must be, unless the sol
dicrs are to starye-foOd and clothing Tor our
gallant troops in the Indian country will have
to be transported overland. across trackless and
snOw-cOvcred deserts, at enormous expense,
and with great risk and loss. General
Shcrmans official report to the Secrc-
tary of War points out another instance
in which an absurd paTsim0ny has led
to absurd waste. Because Congress refuses to
authorize the employment Of a sufficient force
to guard the frontiers, money enough to fur
nsh the revenues of princrpality is spent
every wear to move regiments from place to
place. as their services may be required.
To-day they are needed at Albany, to-
morrow at Brownsville, next week on the
borders of British Columbia. We were
struck by the inadcquacy of our mil
itary force last Summer, when to put
down riot in Pennsylvania it was necessary
to move troops from the IemOtest ends Of the
Union, collecting them in little squads from
the Lakes, the North Pacific, and the Gulf Of
Mexico. millions Of property going to dcstluc-
ton while we waited for Their c0ming-and
the quartermastcrs only know how much
more it cost to bring them. But few
of us here at the East realize that
these transfers of troops are going on all
the time. Every season the little army |
at the West must he moved over distances
quite as great as those which impressed Us so
strongly in July, when we had 10 send a
thousand miles to fetch a corpOraPs guard |
"Some of the cavalry regiments says |
General Sheridan, 81 have during the Spring |
aud Summer travelled in pursuit of |
Indians and for the purpose Of protecting |
exposed settlements distance of over 1000 |
"mileS, and the hard work and wear and tear |
"upon both men and animals in those frontier |
campaigns can he fully appreciated only 10y |
"thoso who are familiar with the country |
Operated in, and who know its character, /
the long distances to be overcome, and the |
L" great difficulty of furnishing supplies"
House Of Representatives will 20 honestly |
10 work, look into the department estimates
and reports with the same serious attention
that the members would bestOw upon their
private affairs and find ont what the country |
really needs. 1t is impossible to save money !
by Sinking debts.
ais UITH 4 SPONGE"