National Republican., 1881-11-25
NCcdlcssly Excited.


Congress it was deemed so excellent
measure in some important respects that
the honor of having been the author of
its being was hotly Contended for by eager
partisans. After the bill had been duly
enacted and had taken its place among the
laws Of the land opposing organs waged
wordy strife over it, the question at issue
being which of the two great political or
carnations was entitled to the glory,
honor, and party capital accruing from
its paternity and proprietorship. North
ern Congressman, whose names were
closely linked with the act ut any stage
from inception to full maturity, supposed
they had made their calling and election
for another term "a dead sure thing"
And the Ohio Democrats dubbed the act
the "Rice Arrearaees Bill" in the fond
hope that Ewing and Rice would be
rushed headlong into the Offices of Gov
ernor and lieutenant-governor respec-
lively on tidal wave of rrepressibe en-
thusiasm because Mr.. Rice, as member
of Congress, had been able to give the
arrearages bill push, lift, or pull
whenever there was danger of its getting
stuck by the way or falling through"
But what n change has come over the
spirit of this beautiful dream Iustead of
wild rush to grasp honors there is a
general disposition on the part of each
party to pile the whole weight of respon-
sibility on the other Instead of hunting
un allidavits to show that they are en-
titled to the credit of that great and
beneficent measure" you will find Con-
grcssmen and ex-Congressmen trying to
establish al,Jis.
Because the arrearages are vastly in ex-
cess of the highest estimates, constitut-
ing one of the few enormous items in our
annual budget, the act has come in for
such an ellluence of obloquy, such gen.
Cral and mcasurcless denunciation all
along the lines, as no measure since the
fugitive slave law has endured. The or
gans, big and little, are pouring contempt
on the "small demagogues" whom they
hailed rs "wisc, far-sccing statesmen 4"
when the arrcaragGs act was in its early
adolescence. We state but the sobercst
matter of fact in asserting that many
newspapers that are now engaged III re-
wiling that law and hurling datribes at
all who had anything 10 do with il were
earnest advocates of the bill and ex-
hausted their rhetorical resources in euo-
gizing those who worked to secure its
passage. Itisequally true that some of the
journals now most conspicuous for their
hatred of the law and dcnunciation of its
early friends were unsparng in their
abuse Of all who opposed 1t at any stage
of its career in Congress.
1t has seemed TO us that all this tearing
ofhair and rending of garments, all this
weeping and lwaling, all this shricking
in rage and bowling in despair over the
immense sums called for by the arrear-
age act is a foolish and unsccmly cxhibi-
tion. We do not say that had the full
cost been known the bill would have be-
come law. We do not say that it was
the wisest and most timely act of our
day and generation.
But we can safely assert that most oi
the large amount disburscd under that
act has gone where it was well deserved
greatly needed, and has done an incal-
culablc amount of good.
The taxes have not been cent greater
than they would have been had no such
bill been passed. No public improve
ment has been neglected on account OF
these pension arrearages. Tho only diff
ference Is this: The money paid out tt
the soldiers would have gone to thC
bondholders. In other words, we shoult
our public debt if we had not paid i
on the soldiers arrearascs claims. An,
we are not sure that the country would
have been so well off, or that the end,
of justice uld have been so we'll servet
III the former as they have been in the
latter case
Itis all nonsense to complain of heavy
taxes to meet these demands of the
soldiers Not q single tax has beer
changed one cent, not dime has been
collected for this purpose; not penny
that has come into the Treasury woulC
have failed TO come in If the arrcamgo
bill had been strangled in Congress
If 1t W uld have been better to puy the
money into the ovcrilowing Golfers of the
public creditors, against their desire and
on debt not matured, than to send it il
refrcShnCstreamc all over the country
doing good in ten thousand WAYS, then
the act is bad one, and its effects have
been injurious.
70 those who assert that the take
might have been reduced if this act hat
not heen passed we have only to reply
that tho history Of revenue Legislation
hat c0ntradicts them. There woul
have boon no reduction of any tax, an
it is yely doubtful # the incoming Con
gress viii venture 10 lay reforming han
on either The tariff or informal lovenu
schedules.
- We are TO go ON getting in alch i'm
meuse revenues tlcgo will be Other eS
pvdim;s lur iyttin" the money ont ann ~
the peor,c, wnere II ought To be.
lr Congress win not take such ac'ipl
as vii raise ihe rli,Uux force %. on
navy above erlsioa and cuntcmrt, le
OH 0d t.h, IA. ,allcd in, uur Gag hau e,
down, u.d me cu lc.aipn frankly mad
tha, wr hiI aG.ru 10 The company M
fellow hip nj naval powers, Even tha
humI ,un wera hInr than tho ,adi
cgoU. Hg1ra we arc cutting nj tins time
---
Trr VIA Wabash is bound not 20 los
its u. in ihc river aud hnrb n bill.
lns RISEN rom Il f;ll 10 u yIg river with
the p,al shree days,