Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-14
household directed and superintendent the

household directed and superintendent the
luxurious extravaganza. The royal yacht
of the English Queen is not so expensive
ly fitted and neither is the expense of
maintaining it so great as the sum ex-
pended for the pleasure of the Presidents
household.
The President, the Secretary of War,
the Lieutenant General of the Army with
troop of guests have passed a month in a
famous exploit of summer spreeing, the
supplies and equipments for which were
procured by levies upon the military posts,
and the lavish cost is paid out of the regular
appropriations, approved of course by
the Lieute nant General, the Secretary of
War and finally by the President, who is
commander-in-c chief of the army as we'll
as leader-in- chief of the big spree.
But this method of summer pleasuring
is we'll nigh limitless. The Secretary of
the Treasury has been for several weeks
cruising about on the chain of northern
lakes, upon revenue cutter at the service
of his department, to recuperate his shat
tered nerves from the shock of the two
hundred thousand majority recorded
against him as candidate for governor in
his state. A Senator of the United States
has employed another revenue cutter in
the same waters for the pleasure of his
family and friends, all at the expense of
the Treasury department..
The Secretary of the Navy furnishes
another instance of the fragrant and auda-
cious abuse of power and robbery of the
public funds. He ordered the war vessel
Tallapoosa into his private service, where
upon he entertains his friends and guests
and charges every item of expense to the
treasury. Among others Senator Hale
Of the senate committee On appropriations
has appeared with his family and friends
upon the Talla-poosa.
These are only few Of the more prom
inent abuses and methods of robbery of
the peoples treasury by the Executive
branch of the governme nt which the Con-
troller says he will not examine or inter
pose to prevent. Under Republican rule,
congress has neither undertaken but has
absolutely refused TO examine into the ex-
travagance and the squandering of money
by the Executive department. Beside the
transactions thus permitted without let or
hindrance, many other enormities sink in
to insignifcance.
Congress, like the Controller, has had
its axe to grind, and has never been in the
h1mor to check or correct Executive de-
linquencies. Besides, congress has not
been without its proportion of absentee
ism. 1t has not been the habit of con-
gressmen to consider their presence at all
necessary at Washington whenever, for
personal pleasure or the pursuit of bust
ness, they desire to be anywhere else. So
great and SO wretched has this practice
become that at the close of the last session
of congress when the great appropriation
bills were to be finally acted on there was
not quorum present in the House of Rep
resentatiVes, though it was falsely repre-
sented that there was. Thus loosely tens of
millions were voted away.
There is no hope of reform, or any
change for the better at the hands of the
party in power. Things have gone from
bad to worse, and continue to go in that
direction. If the people are content
to be robbed and imposed On, the
Republican party will be continued in
power. In a few months henoeforward,
searching inquiries will be pushed into
these various abuses. Il is now too late
ever to satisfactorily ascertain how many
millions have been unlawfully taken out of
the treasury for Elective pleasures with
no accounting for the money. 1t will be
very we'll indeed if the inquiry puts stop
to the abusive practices or some of them.
It will be better if such en- impression is
made upon the public mind as to result in
an entire overthrow of the Republican
party. That is the only remedy, and it is
a sure one. The temper Of the people is to
apply it.