New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-22
THE RIG DIVIDE,

| THE DJG nv IDE'
tits mistake to overlook so fragrant steal
| as the River and HarbOr bill. 1t is still
greater mistake to suppose that neither party Is
reasonable for this shameless measure, because
many members OF both parties voted for it.
| That public instinct is tOlerably correct which
holds the majority in Congress to strict ac-
cOuntability for the net result Of its sessions.
If it proves a Do-Nothing Congress, like this
one, the people say, "The majority must have
! "been incompetent or cOwaldlV." II it increases
expenditures Of the Government, without
special and visible reason, the people treat with
contempt professions of economy by the
majority. If notorious jobs pass unreslsted,
the people conclude that the majority is corrupt.
1t has the power; it elects the Speaker, and
frames the committees, and yields almost
despotlc control, under the rules, over the ac-
ton of the House; and, while a minority some
times may stop good bill, a bad bill never can
be passed without the assent or culpable neglect
of the majority This is not a case of culDable
neglect. Individual members have been can
vassed to vote for tho River and Harbor bill,
which all the thieves about the Capitol know rs
THE Big Divide" 1t came out of a Democratic
committee, was cOnspcuOusly helped by a
Democratic Speaker, and passed by more than
two-thirds majority IN n Democratic House.
More than half of the fortyseven negative
votes were cast by the minOrityj twenty-five
by Republicans and two by Greenback men,
! brs. The ITO affirmative votes were mainly
| Democratic.
Retrcnchmcnt and Reform" has been the
Democratic cry-On the stump. In its action in
| Congress, the Democratic party has neither re-
trencbed nor reformed. 1t has stolen with dis
c1lise. robbed with hypocrisy, and swlnded the
country with the cant of reform continually on
its Inns. and with ceAscless ISLANDERS against
moro decent and honorable Republicans who,
though TEMPTED greatly by unrestraned power,
wasted and stole less money, in a time of wantOn
| initiation and general recklessness, than the
Democratic patty has stolen in time of sore
trial, enforced and pnchinp economy, and gen
crol adycrsity. Uriah Hcep was a hypOcrlte,
but he did not stOOp to such mcanness as the
country has been witnessing in the conduct of
! Democrats who pretend to be reforming while
they arc stealing; who profess holy horror at
the alleged petty larcenics of Republicans, in
order to turn away attention from their own
wholesale rObberies. The Democratic press and
Democratic orators have filled the air with
ISLANDERS about Republican members OF Congress
who. whatever their faults, never voted for
bill nor were guilty Of participation in an act
so disgraceful, dshOnorable, and corrupt rs the
q Big Divide.n Men have good right TO be IN
dignant who have been hunted down with
every form of insult and falschood, year after
wear, for acts which were white as the snow in
comparison with a vote for this shameless bill.
The hypocrites who have been hunting them,
in many cases, are the very men who have
robbed tho country under the pretext Of I'M
proving rivers and haTbors.
There arc Republicans, it is true, who have
voted for this dlsreputable theft. We pity
them, but they must settle the matter with their
own cOnsciences and their constituents. Some
will say that the particular appropriations which
concerned their constituents were needful, i'm
portant, and niggardly in amount, and will say
so with truth but they had no right on that ac-
count to vote for u bill embracing wholesale
robbery of the people, under cover Of other APP
propriations. Some will say that they were
powerlcss to resist tho current of corruption,
and went IN to get as much rs they could for
their constituents; an excuse so poor that 1t is
scarcely better than mono. Some will say that
they left the responsibility of preparing
that il must bear the blame il the bill Is rotten
and rascallyj q plea which has force where
members were not corrupty induced to support
the measure by fraudulent appropriations for
creeks and bays in their districts. TO their
consciences and their constituents Republican
members must answer. But the responsibility
for the framing and the passage Of this bill
rests with the party which controls the Organi-
cation Of the House.
Look about the country, and see how many
public interests are neglected or scrimpcd, i'll
order that over eight millions may be spent in
this one bill without swelling too Extensively
the annual aggregate! This bill throws away
more money than would have saved costly In
dian wars. It steals more money than would
hnve covered all the cost of refunding the
Dublic GGbt Congress lifts up its hands with
nous horror, because in the Star postal service
there has been spent for the public convenience
a fraction of the money here stolen by Congress
for the benefit of interested members and their
active constituents. Congress shuts of the
lights and tile water from public buildings,
but it does not forget to bore hole into the
Treasury for It's own behOof Congress starves
Door clerks in the Departments, or cOmpels their
discharge, and makes the Nation contemplate
abroad by its stingy provision for diplomatic
and consular service, and denies pay long due to
many Woodworking public servants. But it
has time and disposition to empty eight millions
into the pockets of certain influential or trusted
persons in the districts which majority Of the
members represent. The next thing in order is
O long speech about Democratic economy and
refOnnl
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The heightened Democracy of Essex County,
" I n,nht 10 feel an hnnnat nridn In thu rnfnnklnn