New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-07
A GREAT Evil.

The scandalOus failure of the appropriation
bills, not on account of any disagreement De-
tween the two houses on a question OF rev.
enue or expenditure, but because reVOlu-
tonary party in one chamber chose to force
"A failure for a purely partisan electlODeeTng
purpose, ought to arouse the country TO the
great danger of our present disgraceful
method of tIansacting the most important
part of the pubic business Congress
votes away every year about $3.50, 900, and
most of these enormous grants are passed III
the midst of the uprOaT and hurly-Ouriy Oh
the eleventh hour, when members are too
much exhausted by long night sessions and
excitement to have full possession OF their
faculties, and even the coolest and most ex-
perienced of them are unable to comprehend
the business which rushes past in roaring
torrent Millions, no doubt, are annually
squandered i'll fraudulent and extravagant
appropriations, while just claims are passed
over wear after year, merely because 1t Is I'M
possible for congressman TO know what they
are voting for.
The p0stponcment of the money bills TIL
the last moment would be bad enough in any
case. but when they are loaded with "Tlders
the abuse is shocking. These incoDgru0us
additions as rule are no better than
"strikes." factions majority in one house,
unable to carry pet measure as a separate
law, fastens it to an appropriation bill and
thus threatens the majority of the other
house, of You do not pass this enactment OF
(which you dsapprove, We will stop the
"wheelS of government" This Is subver-
sion of every principle of fair and decent
government. 1t is not honest. 1t Is q
scheme which can only be carried ont by the
refusal of members to vote for the bills which
they know to be just and necessary. The Con-
stitution requires that both branches of Con-
gress shall concur i'll the enactment of laws.
This does not mean that they snail bargain
together, but that they shall separately eXcr-
else their best Judgment The striker sys-
TEN, however, OF legislative riders results
either in the adoption of bills which one
house oiSapprOves-and that Is uSurpaton ;
or in the rejection Of bills which both houses
admit to be requisite for the administration
of the Government-and that is anarchy.
This wrong will some day bring on crisis
full of peril to the Constitution and to the
public peace, unless we take prompt means
to put an end to it, The remedy is simple
enough. If the first business of every session
OF Congress could be restricted to the discus
sion and adoption of the regular appropriation
bills, nothing else being admissible, except III
grave emergencies, until they were disposed
of, and then the addition of riders were strictly
forbidden, we should avoid the disgraceful
scenes and the mschIevOus legislation which
now invariably signalize the closing hours, and
we should insure calm and rational consid-
GRAFTON for important enactmeuts. 1t may be
doubted whether Congress could be depended
upon to limit its own discretion in the way
proposed; but a constitutional amendment
would accomplish the result. and to that eilec-
tive plan of reform 1t may be necessary to
resort if wisdom and patriotism enough can
not be found at Washington to reach the
same end by an easier road.