The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-02-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. d. G., Feb 9, 1873

" A'oHl\hlc\. -. ~, w K, I''D'
"Most men," somebody says, edo
not think: they only tliiak they think
The present Congress does not think.
ioaEt, if it thinks it thinks. Here
arc millions Of people who in few
years, with abundant crops and land
hat can bu had FOR The asking have
been reduced l:om condition OF M
cxamp|cd prosperity to a state border
ing on starvation. The natural re-
sources that make various nations
prosperous are all combined |'e'e.:-
The dcop|e are active and energetic.
There would seem to be no good rea'
> son for the change which has taken
place in the last ten years. Tempo.
ra1y diSt,esses may exist from famine
or other Causes even here, but want
that grows keener from year to year,
until the COMMON citizen is n bcggdr
or thief, Is not a result of natural
D causes. 1t may not be the immediate
' result of legislation, but it surely is
susceptible of instigation by legisla-
= ton:
u Let us look at one phase Of the sub
icct. The government is carried on
3 at an annual expense, say, of $685.
> 600, 600. This to any family Of tive
Z persons amounts to $40 per year. Ia
a this must he added the expense of 10
e cal governments-State, city, &c. II
Is not necessary to say what such tax
y. alton means when labor is not regu
O' lar or remunerative. We can teat
what it means in every village ant
'e city of the United States.
= Yet every effort made by Democrat
10 and none others have made any ct
forts-to inquire into the cause
which have led to this extravaganza
;, of the government aud starvation q
H. the people, and every effort to rcduc
" the expenses Of government in an
respect, have met with united "ppos1
~ ton from Republicans; and in mos
~ cases Democrats enough have vote
~ asanst their party to sIitie '|q"'r
II" ' and prevent the adoption of a NOR
u, economical rate of expenditure. OnI
~ yesterday when Democratic Hous
committee proposed slight redut
~ ~ ton in expenses at West Point-7nt
W -" one-tenth enough, by the way-)en
w. oc,ats were found voting with Repul
=, licans to continue the extravaganza
10, IT, At this time there ii one commission
49, ed officer to every 7 or 8 enlisted me-
u" and West Point is sending out office
~, so rapidly that, that every year, it tt
. ':. army is not increased, the proporti(
'"sE will be far greater. The officers
lay the army cost more by far than Il
' '|s enlisted men, yet when an effort
H.. ".s made to lessen the supply of Officer
a'o Or to reduce their number in any OF
, '"a er way, or to make their pay less, t
tno committee which proposes the redu
, ,'t. tiop finds itself in minority. AS
p 'T is on the subject of the army, 50 1t
:';i w in all things else. The terrible co
%o ' dition of the citizen makes no ,Vpr'
= ~" ~ sion upon the law maker. The CT
I ~ tomsry hundreds of millions are to
ho W. ed, business to be cramptd by
d eo usual taxes, and labor to be star'
! , first into riot and then into SLAYER.
,e 81 The very latest rnmor as to we
WV, "" of the Louisiana Returning Board
' ss'' that he has gone abroad. He is
." ans in this city, to which he was snppo
'' us to he on his way. The compllcat'
o ;'as will he extremely interesting ifhe
e e'ut indeed gone out of the country. =.
Wv, Wv" will he claimed as fugitive II
II, 'e'n Justice, of course; and the Adminis
a 'o. ton will have to bring him back
p 'o" ~ be tried. The interest centres IN
"" a.; %. fact that Hayes, who must secure
o. IT." TO- return, would not be acting as Pr
"".' dent if it were not for the crimes
'".e, which Wells is to DO tried and
u u %s which he is unqucsti"nably guilty
w. 1t was said yesterday that LOU
'I"uI ma authorities had information
uei" a which they would be able to se
= "" A.; the indictment of Secretary S'er
' W. and Senator Matthews for compl
~ 40 with members of the Returning Is
r., in talslfying the election return
. n"t the State. If the "rascals," W
'. .I";1 Anderson and others are to be
hore ished, the "peers" should not esq
j., wv ~, 1t is mentioned in the Spapers
~" ~ y: Senator Hoar has written to a Nj
y 90 "ou " chusetIs society, arging the nece
a s"" If a closer study of American pO
every ""u a "' S..:r ,,as wr;t,en before
spir- 81 ~" H. 'e S"",tor oxnosed his ow,
a" NV" tonisling ignorance OF Massach,
. s s~' history aud politics !" his debate
ii, aud D'alno 'n0 o'"o'
Board -~...--
th"t The following gentlemen constit
Joint committee on Constitution