The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-02

for mistakes and no room IOT WsakheBs. ~
thew can keep the Presidency out Of the
fiaht they have about three chances In five OF
winning It. With the Presidency In the fight
and the National Republican organization In
the field against them they would not have
more than one chance In fyeand that one
chance would disappear upon the nomination
of candidate who would challenge the sell
fishness and reckless rule-or-ruinism OF the
northeastern Democracy In addition. 1t II
safe TO say that Senator Thurman will not
put bis foot Ia that trap, The, campaign on
the part Of the Democrats will not be glid q
by the valuable advice OF the radical pen
driver.
II ID d long time since any disputed matter
OF policy has been so happily bit OIL as bne
peculiar affair, which Mr.. Atkins and Mr..
Blount define to be
ECONOMY,
was hit the other day by Chalmers. 1t would
be unjust to the verge OF cruelty for any one
In or out of Congress to question the patriot
Ism which inspires the economy" oil Mr..
Atkins and Mr.. Blount. Still IL appears 70 DO
10 disagree with them on the ground OF ex-
pedieney. The trouble with this peculiar
ECONOMY " is that IL hits the calf and misses
the deer, whereas tradition says that the
that order of casualty. The school OF econo-
my of which Mr.. Atkins Is a graduate was
founded by the Hon. Samuel j. Randall and
endowed by him with a record OF about twen-
ty million dollars reduction In the ex-
penses of running the government during
the first year of Democratic control OF the
House. This was an eminently appropriate
endowment, and the school, IL properly con-
Quoted, ought to have iiourlshed. But times
change and clrcum stances with them. When
Mr.. Randall, as chairman OF the Committee
on Appropriations, first addressed himself to
the study Of economy, tho estimates ne had
to work on were based upon the Radical mo-
tlons Of extravaganza that had run not with
the money Of the people for dozen years;
now to do It. He had at his back q Speaker
whose like, as to influence and prestige
among Democrats, ! fear we shall not soon
look upon again. In fine, as regards both
material to work upon and means to work
with, Mr.. Randall as chairman OF Appropria-
tions enjoyed opportunities the like Of which
were never enjoyed before. But to all
practical intents and purposes Mr. Randall
worked his lead OF economy clear down to
sandrock, and left nothing for his successor
better than what they call "Chinee washing"
in the exhausted piacers OF the Pacific slope.
That Is to say, when Mr.. Randall left the
chair OF Appropriations for that OF the Speaker,
there remained really only two large general
items OF expenditure to which the knife OF
economy could further be applied without ac-
tually gripping the public business. Those
two were
THE ARMY AND NAVY.
and even In those two directions OF expendi-
ture reductions had been effected as far rs
could be done without radically altering the
organization and changing the methods OF
administration Of our regular force of sea
and land. Mr.. Atkins, however, when he
took the chair OF Appropriations, appeared
impressed with the idea that he must keep on
reducing because Mr.. Randall had made such
a hit as reduoer. He evidently argued with
himself to the effect that Economy means the
reduction OF expenditures the Democratic
party is the party OF economy; therefore, we
must keep on reducing.
This sylloglsm was perfect In Itself. Its
only fault lay In the fact that there was
nothing to which 1t could be applied. Mr.. At
kins looked over the various bills as they
came up In his committee. The pension bill
could not be reduced. The army bill could
not be cut down much further without reor-
ganizlng the force SO as to dispense with the
services OF a regiment or two OF brigadier
generals, who were drawing the pay OF
their rank and doing. the work Of a
private citizen Of leisure Likewise
our ornamental navy whose ostensible mis-
exist, and whose real occupation is to marry
rich girls and dance the German. Let us
Imagine Mr.. Atkins setting his good, honest
face like flint against these pet excresceDces
upon our body polite. Let US fancy Mr.
Atkins transIating the word Economy to
mean that all useless things must he Topped
of or remodeled TO the style and dimensions
OF usefulness; West Point to be turned into
| a seminary for young ladies, and run in COM
petition with Vassar
The nineteen odd millions that we waste on
a navy Of absolete ships and nothing for even
them to do, diverted to the encouragement
and upbuilding OF American commerce for a
few years. so that we might have something
for navy to protect.
The thirty millions, more or less, which We
devote to the maintenance OF an army which
has staff enough for an empire, with hardly
troops enough for a principality. either
stopped altogether or turned into some chan
mel OF benefit to our internal interests.
Let us imagine Mr.. Atkins turning his dis
tinguished attention to these statesmaDlke
projects. 1t is, | admit, violent effort of the
Imagination; but still let US try and see how
1t would seem. Here are, on an average
fifty millions year devoted to two things
for which, absolutely, we have no more prac-
tical use, as they stand, than we would have
for throne, a dynasty, palaces, and house
hold brigade Of life guards to protect them
AT the risk Of being deemed absurd
by old-fashioned people, / assert that
eight millions a year would be
ample to maintain all the military AND
naval force that the United States has any
need of either for active service In time 81
peace, or for cadres upon which to build In
case of war. L propose to show, la far more
comprehensive manner than would be posi-
BILE In these columns, how this reform can bt
effected, and will fortify my views with the
experience of nations which have vastly
greater Doed Oh armies anu ndVleS Lnau W.
have.
But Mr. Atkins does not devote himself t
these painful excreseences. On the othe
hand, he cuts down
THE POSTAL ROUTE ESTIMATES
until he arrays local interests enough agains
him to give the opposition a majority and hi
| bill is beaten. He hopes to be able to ge
along this year without any river and harbo
| bill, just as though there were not ninet
members of the House with creeks in thei
districts which become navigable every tw
years, just about convention time, regardless
of party!
In short Mr.. Atkins peculiar econom
| knifes every estimate, more or less, that
designed to put wages into the pockets Of tn
hard working American citizen, and spare
those which go to swell the salaries and bloa
the insolence of brass mounted ariStoceacy
which Is as alien to the spirit of our inStitu
\ lions as Ii Is useless to our welfare. Here
where the inimitable illustration of ChaImer
comes in with an incisive vengeance that ha
| actually not been seen since the days {
| Charles Fox. 1t is really as good as
Fox's CELEBRATED REPLY
to the Junior Lord of the Admiralty in th
| North Cabinet.