National Republican., 1878-05-01
FORTHWITH CONGRESS.
Continued from TYra Puge. |

TOnl 1-r1T LII OUNUhEOO.
CONTINUED from fYra Pugc.l
appropriation even when the necessities Of the
country demanded that 1t should be done.
1t was practically saying TO your committee
that you could not trust II. That rule had
brought the Appropriations Committee int
antagonism with every other committee Of the
| House. for when it assumed TO lcgisate II
| invaded the province Of other committees. II
was an injurious rule. But lie thought the
Gentleman quite wrong when he said that the
Republican side resisted economy. That state
| ment was entirely unwarranted. IL was O
charge not to be borne quietly to say that Re
nublicans herded together to oppose economy
| lie could point to the fact that since 1877
there had been a steady reduction Of the
expenses Of the Government. Tho re.
iuctiUn was inauguratcd under Republican
rule and the Democrats were only continuing
what the Republicans began. II was not the
Thing, therefore, to accuse the Republicans Of
pIosing economy. The Republicans believe
IN properly supporting aud uphOlding this
Government, cost what II may.
Mr.. RANDALL took issue with Mr.. GAR
| FIELDS statement, and lie appealed to every
candid man IN the House TO say whether the
Republicans had not opposed economy. The
| votes Of yeas and nays show 1t. He had often
chafed under the fact, because he knew there
were many good men on that side, and
lie appealed to them to no longer re.
sist economy in the expenditures Of
tho Government, but to cooperate with
the majority of tho House. He would at.
tribute praise to the Republican minority Of
the Committee on Appropriations. who had 50
Iften acted with the majority, but they had
not hccn sustained by their party associates on
this floor.
Mr.. HALE was obliged to the Speaker for
Nh compliment to tho minority Of the Com.
mittce on Appropriations, but he was not
willing, ms member Of that minority, TO take
any credit at the expense of his party, and
gnirst what is their true sentiment. The
gentleman from Pennsylvania was an honest
economist, but he should talk to his own side
If the House and not 10 this side.
lie had made up the committees Of the
House. and should know where to look for
caders OF economy. IL was not the minority
hat had reported tho river and harbur bill
about which so much was said the other day.
1t was not the minority that had reported the
bill to pension soldiers Of the Mexican and In
ian wars. The opposition to that bill was
made on the Republican side Of the House and
they would continue to make it, The econ.
omy Of the other side Is mere cheese pairing
lud IL means ruin to the Treasury. Let us
wait until the Mexican bill comes up and
-Ce who will vote for It, II was not Repub
iCau who reported the bill to pay the South
III mail contractors. In fact, all that threat
med danger to tho Treasury was sternly Op-
posed on the Republican side.
The truth is that the strength and influence
If the Speaker should be directed to'ils fel.
.Ows on the Democratic side IL was not q
grcut thing to strike down u clerk receiving
4 salary of 81 200 per annum, and 1t was not
proper economy to make such reductions Us
tied up the work in the several departments
Of the Government, but 1t was good economy
10 give full and ample force to do all the
work of tho Government, and TO stand ready
upon guard to sec that rank appropriations
were not made for section, and that invid-
ious laws were not brought in and passed. If
the gentleman will bcstow publicly upon the
other side some of the views which he enter
tains privately, as he (lALE) knew, 1t will
come with better grace for him TO lecture the
Republican side. [Applausc.l
MIR. BEEBE denied the statement made by
Mr.. GARFIELD, that reduction of expenses
we're begun in 1872 and had continued. On
the contrary, they increased under the Rcpub-
lican administration. In 1872 the net expend-
lures of the Government were $l53 30O0, 900
IN 1873, they were $lS0,O00,OOO. and in 1874
they ran up to Sl9iO 100000 There was not
much reduction there, and the people Of the
country understood these facts. When the
distinguished Speaker stated that the Demo
Gratis inaugurated reform and economy he
stated what alls the people knew to be Il
fact, though the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
GARFIELD may be ignorant Of 1t. When the
country knows that the Democratic party has
devoted all Of its energies TO retrenchment, 1t
is not the thing for the gentleman from Ohio
to claim that it vas under Republican rule
that economy came.
Mr.. HOOKER said IL came with singular
i'll grace from the gentleman from Maine (Mr.
HALE to talk of economy after having voted
4 I, II. han nIar ln,.
He (lIoOKER) voted for that bill, but he did Il
very reluctantly. Another thing that the
gentleman instances rs evidence that the
Democrats arc not truly for economy Is the
Mexican pension bill. That bill was not in.
tended to be Of benefit to people of any one
section of the country, but to people of all sec
tions. 1t proposed only to do n tardy act of
Justice, and 1t did not evidence the least dis
position TO recedc from economy.
Mr.. FOSTER argued that there had been
steady reductions in the expenditures of the
Government from 1866 down. Each year was
below the preceding year, and the last year
the Republicans had control of tho House
there was u reduction of over sixteen millions.
Last year the gentleman from Pennsylvania
Mr.. RANDALL claimed that the House had
forced n reduction Of thirty millions In the
expenditures Of the Government.
Mr.. RANDALL said he did not say so.
Mr.. FOSTER replied that he said so on this
ioor and on the stump and he claimed that if
the Democrats again got control they would
mako further reductions of twenty or thirty |
millions more. Well, when the books were |
,losed, II was found that there had been an
,ctual reduction of Sl9,0O0000. But what was
next? Why, we have already passed deficiency |
bills of Ss,000O00, and perhaps there are eight |
moro to come behind that The Committee on |
Appropriations did pretty well, but this ex-
ravagant House was continually running up
he debt. There never was II more cXtrava-
yant body, aud If the Republicans did not
herd together to prevent it, the Democrats
would be so oxtravagant as to break the Gov.
down. Why, the very bill we are
now was larger by S2,OOO,OOO than
he bill of two years ago.
Mr. MCMAHON said gentlemon on the
,thcr side were continually predicting disas.
ers to the Treasury if tho Democratic party
anne into power. But the country has
,rofted by the economy of this Democratic
Jongrcss. great deal was always said about
he Southern war claims. lie had in his hand
speech delivered by John sherman, ut Mari.
tia, Ohio, iu 1876, in which he said that since
he war Congress had made provision for the
,aymeut OF one hundred million of claims
rowing ont of the war. All this went to
What were called the loyal men of the South.
t won't do to 20 to the country with the state
nent of what the Democratic party may do.
rhe country will look to what the Republican
arty has done in tho past in the way OF the
,ayment of these claims.
Mr. KEIFER said he WAS one of those who
lad been classed ~ voting in herd against