The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-25
Vicious LEGISLATION.

present Congress. and into that short space
OF time must be crowded in haste some II
the most important legislation, requiring
the best care Of statcsmanship and thought
full scrutiny, or it must 20 over unfinished.
The Sundry Civil, and the Legislative, Ex-
ecutivo and Judicial Appropriation bills,
which provide for the entire civil service,
have yet to be touched by the Senate and
the former has not even undergone the
ordeal OF any vote in the House. These
are the two great bills, and they ncccs-
sarily cover extended details every item
OF which ought TO receive careful atten-
tion, for however we'll intcntioned the Com
mittee ON Appropriations may be. their
work is always susceptible Of revision for
the benefit of the taxpayer. The present
Legislative bill recognizes many Offices with
large salaries that are practically nothing
but sinccures. The so-called chiefs OF
divisions in most OF the departments, who
receive two thousand dollars and upward
year, are ornamental figurcheads who
overlook the tasks OF subordlnates. and do
next TO nothing themselves There are
notorious cases OF this kind that go in the
bills year after year for no better reason than
that they have been heretofore accepted.
f'"'A'AF
most efficient legislator to apply the prun-
ing knife to these abuses He will be hus-
tied Off for want of time, and the appropria-
tions, after having passed through the par
liamentary FORMS will be juggled into
committees OF conference, where the jobbors
always strive to force them. with the object
OF having to deal with only half dozen
members in secret, instead Of three hundred
and slxty-nine in public This probable
turn Of events has been foreseen for more
than month past. No effort of any kind
has been made TO prevent it by those who
are responsible for legislation.
The Army bill will have to go back to the
House. as the Senate has stricken out the
scheme Of reorganization, which carefully
provided for several monopolies and main
tanned a standing force three times ms large
as is necessary. Mr.. BANNING and the Mill
tary Ring will now seek 10 do in n conference
committee what cannot be done by open and
square legislation. 1t will probably end in
a compromise, by which the public interest
will be sacrificed 10 the extent OF ten or ilf-
teen millions OF dollars, aud the epaulettes
will rejoice in another victory.
A sharp and lively contest may be looked
for on the Post Office Appropriation bill,
because OF the ROACH subsidy. II II gets
the same relative support there as in
the Senate OF course the job will go
through. Fears are entertained that a
number OF votes heretofore hostile TO the
job have been secured, and that the reserve
OF Addition, Division, and Silence is stronger
than 1t ever was before on this scheme. The
Republicans generally will vote in the affirm
alive, and II the recruits on the Demo-
cratic side are prepared to face the music
in sufficient force, as RoAcH's lobby man
ayers claim they will do. another scandal in
legislation will be added to the list of the
Credit Mobiler, Pacific Mail. and tho like,
which disgrace the records OF Congress.
But while the jobbers feel confident Of sue
cess, and no doubt have votes enough prom
ised in private to count majority the
crucial test has yet to be applied, when every
man must answer to his name and confront
the public Judgment. There are many mem
bers about to retire, with no expectation of
ever returning to public life who would like
to have their exile consoled with share OF
this subsidy but some OF them do not care
10 go out with brand Of shame ON their
brows, and herein is one OF the elements of
hope on the part OF honest men,
The conference committee dodge cannot
be tried with as much confidence in this case
as in the others named, because 1t is indlvidu-
allied, and public attention is riveted on the
proposed swindlc If the proposition should
be beaten in the House and go TO a confer
ence, it may be assumed that the managers
on the House side will not yield to any
temptations unless there be unexpected
treachery. The Speaker Is sound and has
IL 4. i
agents OF ROACH who are working in secrct,
but who seek toavoid the record of RESPONSE
bility, will not have any such easy time in
this contingency as they have expected
Their plan was TO vote against the job, II
the majority for it was involved in any
doubt, and then send il TO a conference, know
ing that the Senate would insist for ROACH
and believing that rather than lose the
Post Office bill the House managers would
submit 10 this dictatiOn, and finally the sub
sidy would be smugglcd through under
cover Of the postal service. But the plan
has to contend with many obstacles and on
the naked issue OF job or no job, the Post
ONCE bill will have to take its chances.
Here are four bills, all, as is seen Of great
public consequence, and involving high
principles, besides tens Of millions Of money,
crampcd into the narrow remnant Of the
session. without the possibility Of fair con-
slderation, and liable to be mutilatcd and
managed for jobbery by cunning conference
committees, and with no power TO prevent
it, when the cry Of necessity Is raised and
the clock points to the expiring hours of the
Turty-ffth Congress. This experience is not
now; but rofOrmers who exhaust their
lang power in shouting against abuses,
have not made even an attempt TO cure the
most pulpable Of all, which annually de-
plctcs the Treasury and casts dark shadow
over the regulations OF public men.
A Political Grand Jury.
An extraordinary occurrence is reported