, 1879-03-06
4 LOST OPPORTUNITY,

Tho President mtsseu glorious oPpor-
tunity to do tho State some service-a thing,
by tho way, which q President Ia not ia a
position to do every doy in tha year-when
he consented to sign the River md Harbor
Appropriation bill. All atlvieeH agree that
hc intended to veto the bill, md Ind gono
80 far as to write his veto message, but that,
as soou as this fact was noised about in tho
lobby, ho was besot by "Cabnet u,embera,
Senators, md Congressman" mud finally
yielded to their pernio,oua persuas!ona.
Such pressure was Bure to DO brought to
bcar upon him, because tie bill only s,,c-
ceeds in Congress by combining all tho sec
tional interostB and thus securing the sup
port OF Representatives aud Sauntors from
allparta of tho country. Tho samo community
Of interests would naturally bonr down upon
tho President. But circumstances were
peculiarly favorable this yoar to a
veto. In running up the bill to
$4,000 600, Congress 80 far outran the lin
It's Of decency TINT no largo opposition could
have been organized against tue President
on account of his veto. Thon, too, it was
certain TINT thoro was to be All extra session
Of Congress In my case, by reasou OF tho
failure Of tho Legislative and Army Appro-
/ priatlon bills, 80 that tho River and Harhor
| bill could have been yotood without sacrifice
Ing tho few mcritorioua improvements II
provides for, since thoso could bo included
in now bill at tho extra session. Tho Pres
ilont sacms to havo boon influenced ut the
last by tho atnsomont that Congress would
surely pass similar bill at tue oxtra session
by so largo minority as to randor veto
| poweross; but he should have remembered
TINT his interference, mud tho public attou.
ton which voto would direct, might result
| in 1natcrinl reduction Of these approp1ia-
tions, and ho might lave onjoyed tho satisfac-
ton OF saving tho country at loast two or
three millions. II not this, then he would
hnvo put upon Congress Democratic In both
Houses tho responsibility for this huge aud
indcfenaibio job.
The River nnl uarbor bill in Congress
occupios much tho Same relation to tho Nh
tional appropriations M tho item for sewers
in tie municipal appropriations Of n growing
city. It Is the rosult Of log-rolling and
trading, Just as tho Aldermen from one
ward agree to voto appropriations for sow.
ors In another ward In consideration Of q
similar concession iron, tho Aldermen whom
they Thus accommodate, go In Congress
Honators from ono S,ato and monbers from
ono section vote extrayagant mud unnocos.
sary appropriations for other statos mud dis
tricts ia order to secure favorable hearing
for tho claims urged upon them by thoir OWE
constituents. It Is by means Of this kind d
accumulation that tho bill grows; without
such trading, tho appropriations for river.
aud hasbors would bo limited to public i'm
provemensa Of actual valuo, which WON'T
, probably DO covered by an expenditure O.
, $2,000, 600 snnually. Under tho prevailing
, custom, however, tho bill includes list O
, rivers which cannot be found In tue lates
. editions Of tho gcographies, md hnrbor
, TINT lave scarcely o mud.scow to giyo war
| raut to tho title.
3 Tho History Of this years River and 1la.
bor bill has been especially soandalous. Th
recommendations Of the War Department
3 land Department estimates arc notoriousl
, excessively were for about $4,000. 600; hrs
n tic IIouso exceeded this exocss, aud tho
!. the Senate doubled up on I1ouso items, an
j. incorporated new items, till tie total wa
X run up to nearly 90, ,00o, 900. THIS include
y IN appropriation Of nearly $4,000, 900 ia
0 continuation on tho work Of EAps' jettios 9
l. tho mouth Of tho Mississippi, though thor
o las bosn no satisfactory accounting for th
l. moneys already spont on that unlortal
1t ing. This Item camo very near broal
o Ing down tue bill aud 1t was onl
u two or thrco days ago that tts failure vi