The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-06

tenn, not tornai OF pTetenl0us. Out bno
rough, practical, rigorous, and memorable
which will bring the cost OF the govern
mems down and conform it to the dwaried
area and resources OF the State.o 1t is inn
possible any longer to misunderstood or tt
doubt the fact that the people of Virgins
intend to enforce such system. The CON
f!ict may be prolonged, but its issue Is not
doubtful. Nevertheless, Lee us fairly con
slider the obstacles to be overcome.
No matter what measure is proposed fol
the reduction OF public expenses, it is sure
to be assailed and resisted by the poten,
opposition interested against 1t. In every
such case conflict, which is apt to be acri.
monious, arises between those who pay for
the support OF the government on the one
hand and those who live upon the govern
ment on the other. The official corps is
intelligent. compact, and alert. It's more
active members are untitled and animated
by common interest. II eXerts potent po-
litical influence, either through the columns
OF portion Of the press OF In caacuSes or
more directly elsewhere, and it moves with
the power and ceYerity Of m army in resist,
ing every effort to abolish the places or to
curtail the emoluments upon which any OF
their number subsiSt. On the other hand,
the opposing taxpayers are dispersed, and
from necessity they strive with close con-
cert. The relation between these conteRding
forces is illustrated by "the great advan-
| tage which an organized BODY, such as a
government or an nrmy. has over an unor-
ganized maSS-an advantage increasing with
the always increasing difficulty Of concert
and cooperation; and this, again. increas-
ing with the numb and dispersion OF those
on whose concert and cooperation success
depends" 1t Is natural that the official
| corps, looking TO public. employment for
| lifelong support, should become honestly
convinced that their places are, important
and essential to the welfare OF the State,
should at length regard office rs at once q
profession and property, and should re-
sent every effort TO curtail official service as
a personal wrong to themselves. But what
ever the cause. it is certain that in time their
| increasing offices strike their roots so deeply
into the body polite. from which they draw
| their nourishment that an attempt to Grad
| icaie any OF them recalls the fatal shrieks
anciently said TO issue from mandrakes when
beng uprooted from the earth.
| Ii may as well be taken for granted that
! no measure OF retrencbment will ever be
urged forward without being combatted at
every step hy this associated Influence. Its
iayorite means OF thwarting such measure
is ridicue-the most formidable OF all par
liamentalv weapons. 1t seeks to decrv the
Intelligence OF those who propouni the meI-
sure BY SatiriZing the lttleneSs OF the items
which enter into the sum OF any systematic
rctrenchment. But it must be borne in
mind that the great amounts which consti-
pr te the annual income and outgo OF the gov
crnmcnt are made up Of little sums, so that
almost any single receipt or disbursement Is
in ono sense insignificant and tritlins. 1t
is the particles Of money which make up
the volume OF taxes and expenditures
aS water-Grops compose the ocean:
and there can he no retrenchment which
does not look after the almost iInumera5ie
small payments which. added together, con-
stitute the Sum-total Of expense. The great
est political philosopher yet produced BY
the g!iSh-speaking rsce taught and EN-
phaSiZed the truth that no craftsmanship is
sound which does not take care Of the 5 mall
I economies OF government. Moreover, the
itaXing-power is limited to well-detined OBJ
iectS. The government has neither the legal
nor moral right to draw from the TAXPAYER
any sum whatever beyond its Just needs.
The ablest southern statesman OF the last
generation said: Il hold that those who
make are entitled to what they make against
eli the world except the government, and
against it except to the extent OF its legiti-
mate and constitutional wants; and that for
the government TO take one cent more is
robbery
But the facts IRE startling, which show
that the increased aad unnecessary expenses
I OF this government are such as cannot be
disguised BIZ any sophistrY or derision.
They are ausean accommodations. which may
not be allowed 10 continue with any just
regard for the purity or the efficiency OF
the government Let the ordinary eX-
penses for the last eight years be compared
with the corresponding expenses before the
war. Leaving out Of the calculation all dis
bursementS on account OF free schools, and
1.-THE public debt, and all extraordinary
or temporary expenses, the remaining
ordinary expenses for the current sup
port Of the government during the last
| eight years have averaged 81 ,055, $3.50 an
nualv. During the ten years ending with
the year 1850 incluSivelg, the same ordinary
expenses were S5SS,236.3I annually. The
area OF the State was then more than third
| larger. and its taxable values were almost
twice As great Is they are now. And yet
the smaller and poorer State now cXpends
every year upon the current support OF its
government; S467,140.1G more than was
spent for precisely the same purpose
before the war, when Virginia flour
iShed in the renitude OF its wealth,
prosperity, and power. Ii the cost OF
governing the present comparatively small
and impoverished State be brought down
even to what the government OF the larger
and richer State cost before the wal, the
saving viii more than cover any possible
future deficiency II respect to the debt. II
the cost OF the government be made TO bear
the same relation 10 area, population, and re-
sources that il did before the war. then the
present annual revenues will suffice to pay
full interest On the debt. support the gov
eminent and the schools, and leave an an
nual surplus in the treasury OF some hun
dreds OF thousands OF dollars besides. Let
it pc remembered, in this connection, that
municipal and county expenses, the latter
now including the salaries OF county Judges,
have also. Is a general thing, been grie-
youslv and enormously increased since the
war. When these facts are all considered
and when it is proposed to lop off the whole
oil this increase OF taxes and hultnens.
ask BY wha: authority is the movement
charged 10 false, narrow, or 4 nlgSard
economy:
proceed to point ont briefly some OF The
particular expenses which can and ougn
20 he cut down:
The accounting business OF the govern
ment has run into needless enlargement ant
complication. and the capitol is oyercrowd
ed with unnecessary officials and employees
| Ii that business were conducted according
TO the improved methods now Very gene
rally adopted: if it were made subject tt
direct supervision and guarded against IN
terruption and intrusion; if it were so re
arranged and distributed as to necesSitatt
continuous labor on the part OF all EN-
bloves throughout office hours, and if thu
number OF hours were the same. or any