New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-24
assailed him. he is always strangely and omin-
prcocy WING THE PEOPLES WILL.

RECOGNIZING THE PEOPLES WILL.
II is not unlikely that the new River ana
Uarbor bill. lust reported by the Committee
on Commerce of the House, VIII excite al
animated discussion. The bare mention OIL u
River and HarbOr bill will arouse unpleasant
reflections in the minds of many members Vi
the pre sent Congress. They voted for one at
the last session and thought they were DONG
very patriotic and praisewOrthy thing, lor
which their constituents would rise up and hot
only call them blessed, but what is much more
to the purpose, call them back into the next
Congress They had "looked out for the
deestrict,r and it was only natural that they
should expect the deesrict" to look out "
for them.
We have n distinct recollection that while
that bill was under consideration several he
publican newspapers volunteered the lniorma-
ton to them that the voting people OF the
country were much more anxious that Congress
should be prudent and economical III all
appropriations than that their respective
"deestricts" should be favored with unneces-
sary or extravagant jobs But Congressman
could not believe that the newspapers knew,
or if they knew, correctly represented the
feeling or the people. So at it they went, pell
nell, and passed the last River and Harbor
bill in full confidence that in so doing
they were earning, if not the gratitude OF the
general public, at least a denomination ana
reelection from their own grateful constltu-
encies The subsequent elections were to Il
great many of them very disagreeabIe sur
prise party. The bare mention of River and
HarbOr bill must send cold chill down the
backs Of these members.
We presume that the pending bill contains
some Objectionable items. 1t would be almost
a miracle if q River and HarbOr bill should
come out of committee without them. But 1T
is worthy Of remark that the same committee
which recommended and pushed through the
bill of last session, with all its scand ilous jobs
and wasteful extravaganza, and was rather In
clned to boast of it than regret it, comes in at
this session with bill which
in comparison with the last may
be called modest and reasonable, and in
50 doing offers the explanation with an appear
ance of meckness and humility that it has
recognized in the smallncss of the appropria-
tons the desire for economy i'll public ex-
penditures as indicated in the last elections.
If honest confession is good for the soul, the
members OF the Committee on Commerce must
have had their souls c0nsid rably enriched by
the closing sentences of their report. For
these gentlemen have not only admitted by
the dlminution in the amount of appropra-
tons that their lat effort in this line WAS
mistake. but they have added with commend
abe candor that the desire of the people Tor
economy in expenditures was clearly Indicated
in the Last elections. Obviously they are IN no
doubt ~ 10 what hurt them. They Say, IN
effect, that the people have expressed their
dsapproyal OF tie River and IarJOr bill OF
the las session. and they penitcn.ly put this
one forward in recognition Of the fact.
Whatever there may Doe N the bill itself to
which the advocates of rigid economy may
object. tlc Committee certainly deserves credit
for the candor with which tie mistake OF last
session is confessed, aud for it, evident pur-
pose to defer to the popular will a. expressed
IN the elections. Il il very rare thing Tor
polli,ilns to confess their mistakes Rcpub-
leans do il sometimes, but always with diff
hculty and somewhat grud iugly. Democrats
never do il. In the present instance thc Com
mit,cc on Commerce, and through 1t the Re
publican IN iouty in this Congress. shy III
effect: ave mist0ok public opinion; the
elections have enlightened us; now that
we know what the people desire, we
shall ply due rcsld to their wishes
with the fair ard frdsk confession Of blum
der the Republican party passes ont OF the
control OF Congress aud turns that body over
to the possession Of is opponents. Ii has ihis
advantage over the oppo-' ion, that whenever
it does commit a b,ulder it is quick to dis
cover and repair it.