New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-06

of what they thought the people desired
them to believe. in vague terms and large
general way they said, and kept repeating,
that they were In favor of administrative re-
form. of rctrenchment in expenditures. and
the most rigid economy. That was in brief the
platform upon which they were restored to
public confidence. They were permitted to
show what they could do In the way of re-
forming the public service and reducing the
expenses of the Government. They have
found thcae things easier TO talk about than
TO do. Between making platforms and max
ing laws there Is wide difference. They
have discovered 1t through much wcarincss,
ycxation and pain. We give them credit for
having earnestly endeavorcd 10 discover some
thing outside their own party to reform, ana
some place 10 retrench and economic where
they would not be making themselves ridicu-
lous, or cutting oil supplies from their own
friends. No Congress ever had hafder
struggle thnn the present to accomplish these
two objects, for the majority in it has no
other excuse for being than that retrench-
mcnt and reform were demanded, and couih
not be attained except through the Reform
Democracy.
We have seen with what eagcrneSS they he
Gan the search for ABUSES, a. soon as they
got fairly organized; how they started lnyeS-
LEGATIONS in every direction until the whole
Congress seemed broken III into hunting ana
fishing parties, and all branches of the puhllc
service were searched 10y experts and dctcc-
tiyrs with liyhttd candles; and how, ont NJ
all their enterprises, thcy gained nothing
I'm, burned finger, aud sOilrd garments
for Themselves Speaking of fishing, by the
way. what has become of that energetic fish
,rman. the good Glover! The country misses
him.) The party of Reform found nothing to
work upon ; no abuses except those OF It's
own cngcn. orn@. Instead OF correcting
abu,cs which they sad EXISTED under Re
publican administration. tdcy h7ye eX-
posed then own bluadcrnc incapacty and
been forced 30 virtual admission OF
the gronpdlr>snes, and ial,lty of their charges
aea"-t Republicans. And their struggle with
ia. Iriicuchment question has been no less
difficult; no less barren Of results. The false
economy by which they cut down the nee
c~sry appropriations for political erect,
10 make them up in deficiency hi Is al
t.r tnc clrcions, was quickly shown M.
The mce.rdlncSS and injustice Of such meas
uryS Of rctrcnchmrnt, tor instance, * the
reduction of the Post Office appropriation,
hy which the communities which pay Il profit
to thc Government for their postal service
were cut down in their accommodations for
tne benefit of those vino are served at a loss,
vrjr so apparent that IN y gained no credit for
ma party. # wa, found to he much easier 10
preach economy and promise rctrcnchment IN
platforms than to find places, in an econom-
really administered Government, where the
promises could be carried out and the OK
prudItrrS be retrcnchcd.
The search in other directions having failed,
u remained to make dead set at the
Army and Navy, between which and the
marty NOW dominant in CONGRESS there exists
--for REASONS which We VIII not interrupt the
c,, Of reconciliation by rcpcatin.--no great
,,l;.ct,on. SnociaI effort has been made by the
COMMUNISTS to cut down the Army. And we
L,yn hitherto supposed that here. at
least they wonld be successful. For
tb., were bent on cutting down something
and what 80 easy to strike at ~ the Army
The Army which hasn't any votes, and against
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