The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-04
Your Perilons Meeks.

The FOrty-iiIth Congress has reached the
most pcrilous stage OF its existence in re-
spcct to the expenditure Of public money
the last four weeks OF its final session.
This is the period when all tho great APP
preparation bills are matured, and the sly
swndlcs uf II Fraudulent Administration
are consumnatcd in the form Of deficiency
bills. Every argument that greed can
suggest or vcnalty contrive, the fiat
terics Of power and its promises Of patron
age, arc brought to bear in favor Of what
are smoothly called generous grants for
carrying on the Government Of the richest
and grandcst nation Of the globe.
Moreover. these four weeks form period
of peculiar temptation. when many Of those
Senators and Representatives who are about
torctirc toprivatc life lend willing ears to the
solicitations OF promoters of muninccnt en-
terpriScs and to the cntrcaties OF small Job
bcrs in the Hobbies.
As opportunities for pushing through
cherished schemes diminish day by day.
these plundcrcrs grow desperate, while tho
danger TO the Treasury increases with every
hour.
Rctrcnchment In the steadily swelling
expenditures Of the national Government
will be one Of the main issues in the next
election. In that contest each party will
DO tried by its acts and not by its profess
sions. For the past four years the Demo-
Gratis have had full control OF that branch
OF Congress which originates money bills
j IS putting it mildly to say that the coun-
try has been disappointed to see the loose
rein which the Democrats especially in
the House. have held upon Appropriations
through these four years.
To ullcge that in this matter the Demo-
Gratis have acted no worse than the Repub-
lcans, will not be accepted a. plea In bar.
To say that when attempting 10 enforce
economy by reducing appropriations they
have been oVermastored or outwtted by
the Republicans. will not be received as a
plea in excavation. On this question the
party out OF power must prove itself to be
better than the party in power. lest the pco-
pie ask, What benefit will result from n
change? And when, on the issue Of econ
omy, the Outs grapple with the ms.
each controlling one OF the Houses and the
outs always get beaten, Will it not raise a
presumption that they are intellectually or
morally too weak to dislodge their oppo-
nents
Inc democrats III congress seem not 10
appreciate the fact that they are at this mo-
ment making a financial record on which
the party must stand trial through the
coming contest Instead Of resisting with
out linching the eXtravagant and needless
calls OF the Fraudulent Administration and
its venal satellites in the lobby for money,
they either vote the whole sum with
out grudging, or beg pardon In a strain
of abiect apology for pairing the amount
down little at the corners. Some Of their
speeches have reminded US Of that deacon
whom the Rev. ROBERT HALL described as
so humble that he always seemed to be beg
ging pardon Of the Almighty for being in
the world
During the brief remainder of the session
the Democrats should watch the apprupria-
ton bills, and particularly the reports Of the
conference committees, the place where the
swudlos creep in; and they should not beg
pardon Of anybody for resisting needless or
venal expenditures OF the peoples money