The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-13

tH0be gentlemen VINO SCI tuelubeINeb " II
as advocates Of economy could afford OF
should be permitted to direct their
strokes in single direction that would
cripple the government while they were
inert and lax in the direction OF the
sChemers that raid on the Treasury and
would In the end bankrupt II. He re-
minded Singleton that his name had
not appeared in voting against the bill
for the relief OF the owners Of distilled
spirits 10 bonded warehouses which might
have depleted the Treasury TO the
amount OF from two and q half TO four
millions; neither had any Of the majority
members on the Appropriation Commit
tee voted against it. He recounted yari'
Gus bills that were pending at this ses-
sion intended to draw large amounts
from the Treasury and mostly for the
Southern section Of the country, and in
regard 10 which be said their support
would come mostly from the Democratic
side Of the House and the opposition to
them from the Republican side. Among
them he enumerated the bill TO pension
the soldiers Of the Mexican and Indian
wars, which would take from three to
seven millions a year from the Treasury;
the Giddipgs claim, which involved the
principal Of paying Southern mail con-
tractors, and which would take about
one million from the Treasury; the
Texas Pacific Railroad bill, representing
sixty millions to be assumed by the gov.
ernment; the Mississippi Levee bill, in.
yolying twenty-five miliionr the oil to
refund the cotton tax, involving sixty
millions; the bill to reopen the old cotton
seixure taxes, and the bill to abolish the
Southern Claims Commission.
Mr.. Singleton reminded Mr.. Hale OF
S. .000, 900 which the Government had to
pay to Canada for fsh taken by the gen.
tleman's constituents.
Mr.. Hale asked Mr.. Singleton II that
had any bearing on the pending legisla'
ton? He would venture to say, howev-
er, that when the bill TO appropriute that
S5000,090 came before the House its
strongest opposition would come from
northern State. He went on to say that
the trouble was that every man who had
presented any one Of these bills (and
there were 400 Of them); every member
who:ha reported one Of them from com.
mittee land there were dozens OF them)
would stand up in his place and claim
from his view, that the legislation which
he sought to epgraft upon the statute
books was just and right. The radical
fault was sthat the same gentlemen were
clamorons for "cheese-paring economy"
That was the trouble.
Members on the other side made cry
and pretext OF economy by reducing
clerks, by cramping consuls. by turning
out ministers, but when they were con-
fronted with any OF the classes of claims
to which he had referred it was as inev.
liable NJ that water runs down hill that
they would vote for them and would ad.
yocate them, and Il they did not do so
they would not dare 60 home and face
their constituents. He had not felt like
sitting sill and listening to these homilies
about retrenchment and reform without
calling the attention Of the House and Of
the country 10 the snrieit OF billsthat had
been presented, and many OF which had
already been reported, looking 10 the de-
pletion OF the treasury. He proceeded
10 contrast the pmall salaries paid by the
United States 10 It's ministers and con-
suIs abroad with those paid by the Eng.
lish, French, German and Russian govern.
ments, and said that il they were further
cut down the President would have to
seek for rich men 10 occupy these posts.
He characterized this policy OF economy,
particularly as applied to consnlates' as
calculated 10 dwarf the country and to
dwarf its commerce.
Mr.. Whitthorne said that II he had had
any doubt about supporting the bill the
speech Just made would have removed
that doubt. The bills which that gentle.
man had brought 10 the attention Of the
House-this Mississippi levee bill, the
cotton tax bill, etc-were all old atagers,
which had been first introducted while
the Republicans had control Of the
House and Of all the Departments Of
Government. Reference to them, there.
fore, came with ill-grace from 8 member
OF the Republican party, which had
robbed the people for the benefit Of the
Credit-Mobilier Of twice as much as
would pay all the Just claims Of the
South. Referring to Hewitts speech Of
yesterday, he said that gentleman had
advocated civil service reform. What
was civil service reform He whit
horne) was In favor OF 1t II 1t meant put.
ting the Republicans ont OF office and
putting the Democrats 10.
Mr.. Townsend IN. Y)-That's the
meanipg NJ II. that'a good definition.
Mr., Whitthorne, continuing, said he
thought that here was the reform
needed by the best interest Of the
country, but that II II were to
be understood as n system whereby the
people OF the United States were 10 be
taught that better and purer class oi
men than politicians was 10 be educated
as q class, to be iniuc,ed into Office and
maintained and supported there for life.
He was not for such reform. He believed
that was heresy, monarchial in its ten
dency and corrupting aa any proposition
could be. As an example Of the foolish
system called civil service he stated that
man In New York had been refused the
position Of letter carrier because he did
not know the latitude Of Calcutta.
Mr.. Dunnell spoke in defense Of the
Consular system, which was not only self.
sustaining, but actually brought $780,.
600 year into the treasury. He attri-
buted partly to the want Of Consular
agencies the decrease Of American COM
nlerce. He declared himself in favor OF
voting Government aid 10 American
commerce. q,
Congress sullenly and stupidity refused
| to give aid to commerce because cry oi
subsidy was rnng In Its ears The great
American questiont to day was how Amer.
lean producers could reach foreign con-
sumers. echarActerized the impending
tariff as the wooden horse overlooking
Wall street and threatening the prosper.
lily Of the country. 1t was direct attack
on the great agricultural interests and
gotten upin the interest Of some little
two.penny manufacturing institutions.
He regretted there was u proposition 10
revise the tariff, but its promoters were
greatly mistaken II they supposed they
could pass Il. Returning to the question
Of subsidies, and referring particularly
TO the Brazilian trade, he declared him
self ready to vote 100000 or $500, 900 to
an American ship line to Brazil, as hay.