New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-24
NOT 4 GR4B-OH NO!

! II was not a division of public plumber OF
| course, though it looked so marvellously IKE
! il. For il was regularly voted on and accom-
panied by all the usual fOrmalitics OF leglsla-
| tion. and every member Of Congress who voted
for il can turn his pockets inside out, and
! spreading outward his shining palms truthfully
nrotrst, "Not a cent of itssticks to mel" NO,
il isn't stealing; it is legislation it is little
! bill for the development of the resources OF
tbe country. II appropriates the snug little
| sum of $7,300,OG0 to that object; TO Ihe
| dredging of shallow rivers; the deepening OF
harbors, building of brcaiwaters, and all
! that sort of thing. 1t is divided with sngliiarly
good Judgment all over the country, SO that
If every section Is not provided Tor, at least
enough are to secure a majority OF " deestrlctS'
in favor of the bill. It has been remarked,
also. as n singular circumstance in connection
with the passage of this appropriation, that
every one of the 1876 members who voted for
it can find something in it by which his "dees-
"rictn is directly or indirectly benefited.
Not that any statesman OF the l66 was
actuatcd in the least degree by selfish motives,
or dreamed of going to his cOnStltu-
cnts in the next Congressional elections
with his large fOrciinger pointed with pride to
the passage of this bill and the amount Sc
cured for the "dccstrict" from the public
treasury by his able and persistent efforts
Oh no-perish the suspicion. For who would IN
these times. and in this Reform Congress, sus-
pcct Representative of giving a moments
consideration to such paltry and personal mat
ter rs his own reelection, when high affairs of
state are in hand like the development of the
country's resources?
And yet we remember to have seen within
the past month or two, in some of the Con-
nccticut newspapers serious complaints Oh the
REPRESENTATIVES of that State because there
was an appropriation bill pending in which
their rivers and haIborS had not been remem-
bcrcd so generously as those of other States;
that thcreupon these Representatives, came out
with explanations, saying that they had not
been aware that anything of the kind was
needed but that it should be attended to at
once and that Immediately appropriations
for Connecticut rivers and harbors were
inserted in the bill. And little later we OBJ
served that the press of the State were en-
gagged in dividing mp the credit for obtaining
the appropriations among the members OF the
delegation, so many thousand dollars to each.
Very likely the same thing happened in other
States. 1t had to n superficial observer some
thing the appearance of dividing n grab.
The newspapers treated the appropriation
as though it was simply an emission
from the Treasury 10 which one State,
or one deestrict," had as good a right as an
other; the business of a Congressman being to
get at least his far share of the plumber and
crab "A much more as he might be able. On
this hint the Congressman rushed III and Sc
cured for their "dcCstrics" a fair share of
the appropriation. II will be used, of course,
for the development Of. resources. But we
have observed that when the friends of Con-
grcssmen are cnumcratng their services and
their claims, they never make statements of
what has been accomplished III the way of
development, but only dwell on the amounts
Of the appropriation. Still it isn't grab; it
il never a grab; it is always an appropriation
for developing resources.
But how much they did act as though it
was Il grab! If 1GG members had made up
their minds to vote $7,3OO,OOO out of the
Treasury, to be divided up in contracts in
one way and another among their cOnstitu-
ents, giving them in some cases patronage,
and in all the credit and prestige of having
promoted the business interests of their con-
stitucnts, and put money in circulation, they
would hardly have gone to work differently. If
every item in this large appropriation bill had
been for some purpose that could be defended,
not only in the district State where il is to be
expended, but anywhere and everywhere else,
there would have been no possible objection
to voting upon each separately. But these l66
members acted as though they did not want
to meet the responsibility of acting upon each
item III turn. They punched them and bundled
them through for all the world as though each
member had scheme in the bill which
he did not dare to trust alone and upon
it's merits. TO man up tree, it
looked amazingly like grab. But, of course,
it was not. Because, as we have said, there
were yeas and nays on it, and it is a Reform
Congress, made up of statesmen who were
elected on the ground of their undying hos
tilty to all kinds of extravaganza, and their
advocacy of retrcnchment and economy. They
did put the bill through in something of a
hurry but then it must be borne in mind that
the country is distressed for Development and
that it has only just occurred to this Congress
that there are channels and flats and snags all
over the country crying aloud for an inn
mediate appropriation. 1t was hurried action,
10 be sure but it's hurried Congress. They've
hurried everything except home, and if
they would do that, tired people would
thank God. In this matter, we repeat, that
for the reasons we have given, 1t was not,
could not have been, grab.
And still we are free to confess that we
never saw anything that looked more like one.
REPEALIAG THE BANKRUPT ACT.
L.