New-York tribune., 1878-04-18

/
| like the spider-monkey, its most significant
feature is its tail. This long and prehensiie
member embraces vast expenditures for harDor
works, public buildings, Notifications leVees'
dredging machines-in short, "a liberal poncy
/" for the improvement of the great Natlonai
channels of commerce like the Mississippi
River and its tributaries" now that labor
land material are cheap and wOrkingmen
"need employment We are somewhat sur
prised to learn that after pOndering over these
propositions, and looking at them in various
lights, the Cabinet pronounced them very
proper presentation of the views OF the Ad-
miustratiOn. When the Government sets
itself up in business as an employ
mcnt agency, there is not a Congressman OF
the party who may not confidently demand an
appropriation for his district, and there is not
doubtful district containing any sort OF a
water privilege which may not flatter itself
with the expectation of beng improved into
port of entry, provided it will do the fair thing
by the Administration in the matter OF voting.
And of course the thousands OF laborers VINO
want work will see their interest IN sustain
ing party which promises to begin an enor-
nous system of costly public buildings and I'M
provements-and to tax the country to pay for
them. But an Administration which undertakes
to reform politics by prohibiting the exchan ge
of votes for patronage should not propose 10
buy votes by liberal appropriations OF the puOnc
money. And, moreover, the settled policy OF
the Republican party is retrenchment All
sensible men know that our precarlOus trade
and industry must be relieved of every un-
IA there
q demand for the most rigid economy in
government expenditures, stOppage OF subsidies,
the pOstponcmcnt of all unnecessary outlays
until slowly returning prosperity enables
us TO bear them. Our reyiymg commerce
would be crushed by any additional burdens,
and the attempt to relieve the distress Of the
unemployed minority by an increase of taxa
ton would so surely result in general disaster
and the aggravatiOn of the very misery 1t was
meant to alleviate, that no politician of either
party with so much as n rag of character has
hitherto ycntured to propose it.
1t happens curiOusly enough that at the mo-
ment when the President and his Cabinet were
considering the proposition to increase the
burdens of the country by way of making
work for the unemployed, the very same pol
icy was the theme of a vigorous discussion III
the Ncw-York Common Council. 1t Is well
known that severe tax has pressed for many
years upon the commerce of this port in the
shape of exlravagant charges for loading and
unloading vessels These cXaCtiOns add TO the
cost of every article brought to New-Iork
by water; they reduce the price realized by
every farmer and manufacturer from the ar
ticlcs exported they drive commerce to Bal
timOre, Boston, Philadelphia, and other ports,
and thus strike at the prosperity of every
citizen of New York. With some difficulty an
ordinance has been passed enabling railroad
companies to run their cars upon the docks,
and load or unload them at the vessels sides.
But Alderman Bryan Reilly opposed this
measure "in the interests of the working
" classes" and Alderman Shields (who never
thclcss voted for it at lasD called 1t " a stab
1" at the struggling longshOremen of his ward;
and both gentlemen preached the doc
trine that the Common Council ought to
make the handling of freight at our wharyes
as expensive as possible, for the benefit of the
day laborers who handle it. All labor-saying
contrivances, according to this sort of political
economy, are mischievOus, and ought to be put
down by law everything that facilitates the
operations of commerce must be discouraged; /;
and when work is slack, the public authorities
must make work by compelling merchants,
shippers, and other persons to hire labor which
they do not want.
The mere statement of these principles is
enough to refute them. But will somebody
explain wherein they are any more absurd than
the scheme of wholesale employment proposed
at Washington-a scheme which was tried long
ago in revolutionary France, and resulted there,
as it must result everywhere and at all times,
in widespread misery, Generalization, and
bankruptcy We fear the Administration has
forgotten for moment its habitual wisdom
and consistency.