Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-08-17
CONGRESS-.

Much as has been said abont the
extravaganza of the session of Con-
orcss lust closed, few realize how
great it really was. The nation has
been familiarized with millions and
hundreds and thousands of millions
until scarce anybody has an adequate
conception of the vast sums for which
they stand. The appropriations made
during the last eight months amount
to Si19. 600. 900, or nearly $50 ,000,-
900 more than the previous year.
Considering how much of the war
debt has been paid, and how much
the interest on what remains of it has
been lessened, the conclusion cannot
be avoided that this session has been
profigate and prodigal beyond meas
ure that from first to last its supreme
thought has been how to invade the
treasury, and that no explanation, no
excuse, however plausible, no inven-
ton, however ingenious, can satisfy
the taxpayers that have been vic
timized.
1t will avail nothing to discriminate
among the appropriation bills. None
of them can be completely justified.
and all Of them were gotten up, in
troduced and fathered by republican
committees and the republican ma
j~orities of both houses. What if the
President did veto the river and har-
bor bill: All that he objected to was
the work of his party, and the argu-
ments advanced by him were the
weakest ever presented in a veto mes
sage to Congress, and created the i'm
preston that In recommending the
Involvement of western rivers he had
been guilty of insincerity. Moreover,
in Eastern geography a creek is an
inlet of an ocean or bay, usually at
the mouth of a river, capable of being
nayigated and furnishing the means
of receiving and shipping goods and
produce from and to all parts of the
world, and, therefore, as much a con-
stitutional object of improvement as
larger harbors and more important
streams.
1.-THE vast appropriations made by
Congress did not alarm the President
until after he had approved them !; and
the republicans who raided the treas
ury played a high game by keeping
back Improvement OF western rivers
and reduction of taxation until after
millions were voted, well knowing
that an increase of popular burdens
and continued existence of the ma
tional debt would be the result of
their dishonesty and unfaithfulness.
To have withheld appropriation from
rivers and harbors would have been
an additionalimpositi ,n IN agriculture,
and would have deprived that indus
try of its only chance for securing
cheap transportation. There was no
design whatever on the part of the
republicans to relieve the country and
to their efforts to help the
banks, match makers, the getters up
of perfumeries, and patent medicines,
but adds insult to injury.
In 1874 the country rebuked con-
gross for similar excuses, and unless
we are mistaken that condemnation
will be renewed at the fall elections.
BY cntr1lsting legislation at that time
to democratic representatives, the OPP
orators of rings and Hobbies were sus-
pended and the venal practices of the
departments broken up. Under DEM
ocratic supremacy Legislative brokers,
jobhers and gamblers deserted Wash
ington but when a narrow republican
majority WIS obtained and the pres
ident assassinated, Wall Street threw
up its cap and went in for a New
York administration, in which prodi-
guilty and corruption should rule the
roost. The result stated shows how
perfectly it succeeded in carrying
out its aims.