New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-03
THE RIG DTFIDE.V

Senators and Representatives who passed the
River and HarbOr bill yesterday over the Presi-
dents veto will find reason to regret it. Moth
ing else that President Arthur has done is
likely to receive such general and earnest
public approval as his veto of the Big
Diyide.D 1t is high time that this wholesale
robbery was stopped. For years the ablest
men in Congress have regarded this bill as a
violation of the Constitution. Nor has any
other thing done more to make Congress con-
temptibe in the eyes of honest men than the
concoctiOn and passage of this big combination
of thefts. Year after year this bill has grown,
in spite of the Constitution and in utter def
ance of public opinion. 1t is wonderful that
members of Congress have persuaded them
selves that measure so dishonest is popular.
They are not aware how often they disgust the
people. even when striving most eagerly for
popularity. The air of Washington, the daily
contact with coarse jObbers and lobbyists, have
made men callous who, when they were elected,
would have asked Indignantly, "Is thy SER
want dog that he should do this thingf' Good
men persuade themselves that it is right to vote
for an hundred thefts in order to secure one
needed appropriation. Shrewd men delude
themselves with the idea that, whether it is an
honest bill or not at any rate it pleases their
constituents.
The dishonest appropriations in this bill, we
verify believe, will cost members more votes
than they have gained. Even in districts
which share most largely in the fraud, the
people are perfectly aware that the money is
voted for creeks and bays that have no com.
merce worth aiding, or cannot be really i'm
proved; that it is voted for 10 useful public
purpose, but for the private gain of persons
who help n embers to get nominations and cleo
tons; that the money is used TO give fat sala-
ries OF Jobs to political workers and that the
Government is shamelessly robbed by the
member who claims credit for securing a large
share of the plumber When decent and intelli-
gent men know these things, as they must and
do in every district for which dishonest appIo-
prations are made, there must be loss of
votes and of public confidence for which the
help of few jobbers cannot compensate. But
disregard of public duty is equally dscredit-
able whether members are or are not misled
by low conceptions of public honesty. If it
were true that member could not be reelected
without robbing the Government to please his
constituents, he would be not the less a dis
UOHccI anu ulNOItLy lHclIlDtI lOI 80 uOlIgs
The Presidents veto, although oyerruled,
will still teach a lesson for members who have
voted for improper bills only in order to secure
proper aid for public works Of merit. The
President was anxious for improvement of the
Mississippi and of the POtOmas flats and knew
the need of works in this and other harbors.
But he refused to sign dishonest bill for the
purpose of obtaining greatly needed appropria-
tons for public works of the highest impor-
lance. The reasoning of the veto message was
exceedingly strong, because it was simple, and
everybody could understand it. River and
harbor appropriations have grown from less
than 100000 in 1870, and $6.6OO,OOO in
1875, to SIS, 100000 in 1882, not because
public needs have thus increased, but because
grants have been made to objects "not for the
common defence or general welfare and there
fore not warranted by the Constitution. 10