Montgomery County sentinel., 1878-12-06
Retrenchment and Reform.

Mr. Editor In the Sentinel of November
the lst, the last issue before the late Con-
gressional election, there appeared from
| BroOkeyille well-writien article calling the
| attention Of the people TO the Importance of
that election, and urging them 10 support the
| Democratic nominee, as the best means OF
securing economy and reform
Among other arguments the following con-
sideratiOns were presented
fPractcal reform and retrenchment will do
| more in a twelvemontb towards restoring pros
perity and unshackling industry than the
printing bureau could do in a thousand years
| by printing prUmissory notes 1t is not the
lack OF money, but the constant drain upon
the supply that causes the distress. Relief
| from burdensorne taxes is the pauacea for our
| business ills. Hallam tells us how patiently
the people pay taxes when they appear TO be
| called for by necessity and faithfully applied
| But the sting of taxation, he says is aodste-
| (ulness; and those statesmen who deem the
security of the government to depend not on
law and armies, but on the moral sympathy aud
prejudice of the people, will vigilantly guard
| against even suspicion of prodigality.' This
is the great practical question before the
| people"
| fully agree with the force and correctness
| of this sargument-'ireef from the burden
! some taxation is the true panacea." | only
differ in its application. For forty years we
have been looking TO Congress and the Presi-
dent for relief and to right our wrongs, and
have been sqnaring all OF our elections ac-
cordingly, State, County and Municipal by the
scale of national politics. This is working
from the outside Of the circle instead OF al
the centre. 1t is commencing to build the
W heel from the rim instead of the hub. Dur
ing this period of forty years have seen the
whole nation convulsed turn out a President,
John Quincy Adams, because he had run up
the expenses Of the general government TO
Sl3, 900, 900 per annum, and another Martin
Van Buren, because he stirred his coffee with
q gold spoon and set his foot in the soft pile
OF Wilen carpet. Now We see the marked
con tract in the beautiful announcement by Mr.
Secretary Sherman that he has been able to
reduce the annual expenses of the year $780,
900 coo, and as to the Presidents house. in
addition to the gold spoons, Witen carpets,
silver urns,, vases, gold and silver paper, Brus-
sells and Turkish rugs aud carpets, French
glass and Dresden china, Mahogony, Rosewood
and gilded chairs, lounges, ottomans and virtn
which art aud luxury can suggest. ln a6di-
tion, green house and conservatory for exotic
plants and rare flowers, all at the peoples ex-
pense; and even manures for the lawns and
hot beds charged to aud paid by the tax
payers, with The salary of the President
doubled in the bargain. All of this without
exciting attention, opposition, protest or COM
plant.
Talk to Congress about taxes or economy
you might as well attempt 20 turn the Poio-
mac up stream and command its waters 10
remount The rocks at the Great Falls and flow
back TO the Alleganies, as TO expect to lessen
taxes by any one we lately have, or one likely
soon to send 10 represent us in the Congress
nf tha Unitad Stafac ic havnnd tnair
or power to arrest, and the idea may as well
be dismissed as mpracticable, and make up our
minds that for forty years 10 come there will
be no reform or Improvement from that quar-
ter.
This all comes, as David Crockett would say,
from barking up the wrong tree" If we
expect lighter taxes and more economy in the
management OF public affairs, we must cease
looking TO Washington, 10 Congress and the
President, and turn our eyes, where the prov
erb tells us that most beautiful gifts of true
charity begins, at home Here in the centre
not al the outside of the circle. At the hub,
not at the rim of the wheel. There is where
we all can work and work with effect and to
profit and with success, if we have real
mind to work at all We claim that we are
sovereigns, and believe the ruism by dofling our
hats and huzZaing for the President and squar-
ing our votes as ii he were sovereign--a king
or unprecedented of as the la W makes him
only servant of soverigns; and so we may
run down graduation and place every man in
authority where he ought to he, nstead of as
by our wrong habit and false system we
tors as is shown by the many interesting relics,
have led them to think themselves rulers Of
the people instead of as they really are only
servants and trustees.
Now, Mr.. Editor if we want reform and
must, as already intmaled above, begin where
charity begins-at home-right here ia this
good old County OF Montgomery There is
room enough and there are objects enough for
the first experiment. Some of the extravi-
gaacies, (evidenced by increased taxation, as
has heretofore been pointed out, we have un-
fortunately fallen into by looking to Con.
gress and the politics of the President, instead
OF measuring our own wants and condition by
our means aud our ability to crafty them
have been throaghly impressed and greatly
strengthened in the sonnoness and correctness
OF the views herein set forth aud expressed by
reading, since this article was commenced
a very able contribution to the North Ameri-
can ReDieso from the pen of the Hon. Horatio
Seymour, of New York, late Democratic can
didate for the Presidency, upon the science
and practice of republican government He
says in substance, that our S, stem, unlike the
government of Europe commences in the
Townships, (would that we had them in Mont
gomery.) That in the townships the people
are brought together, eve to eye and face TO
face. They have common interest, and have
an opportunity TO express their wants and
condition, and to considerer and devise the
best and most economical ways and merits To
CRAFTY those wants and to promote the common
welfare. But lei me present his own words
Mr. Seymour SAYS, That good is most wise
when in the hands of those best informed
about the particular questions TO be decided. "
'The good order of society, the projection
of property, the promotion Of religion and
learning, the enforcement of the statutes or the
uphclding OF the unwritten law of just aud
moral restraint, mainly depet upon the wis
dom OF the inhabitants OF the tow nship -
wherever questions araise the people there,
are more intelligent and better informed than
people outside can be-"
''The wisest statesman in Washington can
not understand them or conduct them rs well
as the people living upon the spot, although
they may be unlearned men"
Although calculated TO take little starch out
of some OF our Congressman, never was truer
word spoken than in this last quotation fron
Mr.. Seymour.
Now here in a nut shell seems to be the true
source and science of Republican government.
There is no strife for power or Boosting
of dominion. That can be remitted to the
rim Of the wheel and the outside Of the circle.
We are now hunting fos IA sound hub aud a
solid central pivot. Mr. Seymour tells us il is
Al home in our own districts aud townships
and not from the statesmen at Washington -
Upon these home questions he says even our
unlearned men are wiser and better Judges
than either Congressmen or the President -
Shall we not heed his words OF wisdom
Cease TO look 10 Washington aud learn TO
study our own wants and our own interests
,,iihnnf re,arh ~ lie nnliiics of niihnr rnn-