The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-08-13

toon would be applicable to-day; for
no doubt 1t will be with a igh of re-
lief that the business men through
out the country will hear the an
nouncement that Congress has ad-
Journed. So far as The tariff COM
mission is concerned, they have done
nothing but NEEDLE and muddle."
The passage of the river and har-
Dor oil over the veto of the Presi-
dent is one of the great events. of
the session, and it was very inter-
esting to witness the delight with
which the necessary tWO-thirds vote
was secured. The river and barber
bill is as full of "jObs" as an ego is
full of meat. President Arthur was
aware of the fact. A few millions.
1t is true, might have been we'll
spent upon the Potomac flats
the Mississippi river, Charleston
HarbOT, etc., but in-as-much as he
had not the power to eliminate
doubtful items sand retain good ones
the President chose to veto the bill.
He did right, and, notwithstanding
the bill has passed over the veto.
the feeling of the country is in &C.
cord with the President in this in.
stance. But eighteen or twenty
millions Of dollars judiciously distri-
buted can secure the passage of any
measure, however outrageous. The
larger the bill the more likely it is
to pass.
Appropriations Of This nature"
said the President in his message
giving his reasons for vetOing the
bill, ito be devoted purely to local
objects, tend to an increase in num-
Der, and in amount. AS the citizens
of one state find that money-tO
raise which they IL common with
the whole country are taxed-is to
be expended for local i'm proVements
10 another state, they demand SINH
lar benefits for themselves, and it is
not unnatural that they should seek
to indemnify themselves for such
use of the public funds by securing
appropriations for similar improve
mentS in their own neighbOrhoOd.
Thus as the bill becomes more OBJ
jectionable, it secures more support.
This result is invariable, and neces-
sarily follows a neglect to observe
the constitutional limitations i'm
posed upon the laW-making power"
The eff cts Of the passage of this
bill over the veto cannot fail to be
most mischievOus, because hereafter
the Committee on COmme-ce will
feel embOldened to swell the River
and HarbOr bill to any amount they
choose, if they only take care and
distribute the "ginger" properly. so
as to secure the necessary votes.
The country was startled a short
time since by an appropriation of
eight millions in this bill-an IN
precidented amOunt-which was de-
nounced as Wa teful extravaganza;
out the present bill is little short of
twenty millions, ''and," said well
informed member to me while talk
ing upon the question, every mem
Der who has secured an appropria-
ton in the bill for his district, counts
upon that as a means Of securing
him his nomination and election, so
that it really becomes a sort of cor
ruptiOn fund"
One hundred and fifty millions of
a surplus is a constant temptation
for men to devise schemes to get
hold of it. Certa My the aggregate
amount of money appropriated this
session ought 10 arouse a feeling
throughout the country in favor of
a thorough reform in our system of
revenue.
Your telegraphic dispatches may
have informed you of the passage
If some additional legislation in
regard t Utah. Secretary Thomas, l
understand, wrote letter to Sena-
tor Lapham, enclosing a commune
cation signed by the three Utah
judges, urging additional legislation
because of the failure of the COM
mission to provide for an election
on the first Monday in August. |
Secretary Thomas letter is not
published, but that of the judges
is, and they repreSent-aS will
be seen by reference to it in the
Congress iOTl0l RecoTd-that terrible
condition Of things was likeiylto
be brought about unless there was
some supplemental legislation to
the EdmundS bill This communica- |
ton Senator Lapham brought before |
the judiciary committee. The
bill was then under discus
sion.and the committee Immediately /
brought in an amendment, giving |
the governor power to appoint |
officers. Senator Hoar, who drew |
up the amendment, presented it to |
the Senate, and it was passed almost |
without discussion. The attendance
in the Senate at the time was very |
thin, and the real purpose of the |
was not understood,
otherwise some point Of order
might have been raised and a mOdi-
fcation of the amendment obtained. |
But the whole proceeding was hGsty
and not maturely considered. n
fact the Judiciary committee Were
by the letter of the Judges,
into surprising that the failure 10
hold an election would throw the
whole territory into anarchy and
that the machinery of government
would be stopped. Senator HOar,
however, says-so l am informed
that It was not the intention TO have