Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-29

their Joint hapdiwork did not secure the
speed required By the Law. the vessel costing
. half million dollars might be refused and
| thrown on the hands of Roach. The decis-
ion made Roach . euarantor of the intelli-
gence and skill Of the Government oalcers,
| and yet required him without question to fol-
low their plans and specifications - to model,
work and material. 1t is sufficient to say
that. with such rule. none but fool or .
mailman would take contract OF the Gov
eminent to build ship or anything else
The rate of speed fixed by The Law was d.
rectory to the naval engineers. If their
plans and models, properly executed BY the
contractor. did not secure vessel Of the
proper speed, it was the fault of the Gov
eminent and its agents, and not of the con-
tractor; and vet, upon such decision, they
forced Roach to stop his works, to make an
assignment, to throw out Of employment
thousands of workmen, and arrest for the
time the construction not only of Govern
| ment vessels. but of many commercial ves-
sells for private parties, and greatly add also
to the general depression of business.
Practical MULTIPLICATION OF A Law.
Another case of disregard of American in
terests BY this Administration was the prac-
teal notification of the law of the last session
of Congress appropriating s400, 900 to enable
the Postmaster-G eneral to contract. after
legal advertisement, with the lowest bidder
among American steamship companies for the
transportation of foreign mails. This act of
Congress- intended to foster and build up
American commerce. was bv the Postmaster
General disregarded, and contracts were let
mainly to English steamship companies.
have not, as a rule, supported any system of
subsidies, but this proposition did receive
the support of members of both political par
ties, and was believed to be very important
for American interests in building up COM
merce, especially with the South American
states. The subject had been fully and fair
ly debated in Congress. The law was plain
and directory, and should have been executed
bv the Postmaster-Generalw with a view to
carry out the will of Congress have care.
fully read the papers in respect to this mat
ter. and it does seem to me that by refusing
to make the arrangement, for carrying the
foreign mail in American steamships, he has
violated the spirit, if not the language, of the
law, and shown an utter disregard of the in
tent of Congress as we'll as the rights and in
terests of American ships, and acted solely
in the interests of foreign steamship CON-
panies.
No act of the Administration has tended in
the slightest degree to revive the business of
the country. The Secretary of the
Treasury changed the form of the monthly
debt statement and made obscure what was
formerly clear. He excluded from the mon
eys on hand the entire body of the fractional
silver coin, thus tending to lessen the stated
balance in the Treasury below its real amount,
and at the same time tending to depreciate
the value of this silver currency. One good
effect of this pretended reform is to show how
foolish Mr.. Hendricks was in the last cam
paign in stating that there was $500. 900, 900
belonging to the United States lying idle in
the Treasury, kept there by the republican
party. The arrangement by the
Secretary with the National banks in New
York to get as matter of favor some gold in
exchange for silver coin seems to me a viola
ton of the Sub-Treasury act which clearly
forbids all exchange of money. 1t only tended
to emphasize the depreciation of silver and to
lower it more and more in public confidence.
The expedient of his predecessors of issuing
silver certificates in exchange for gold coin
was much more effective way to strengthen
the gold balances. 1t is sufficient to say that
no act of the administration affecting the
currency or finances has tended to restore
confidence, to encourage industry, or to fur
nish employment. The business of all the
departments seems to be confined to turning
out experien ed employees, against whom no
fault is found except their fealty to the re-
publican party, and to putting in democrats
mainly of the rebel hue. Even the ordinary
collection of the revenue is dbstructed by the
demagogism that preceded the election.
Illicit disillers in the South, moonshiners. AS
they are called, were led to believe that dem
ocratic success meant free whiskev, no inter-
nal revenue collectors, no United States
marshals. One hundred illicit distlleres are
now in operation in Middle Tennessee and
make it impossible for legitimate distilers to
conduct their business. The first fruits of
democratic success are contempt for the law :,
harder times, a want of confidence in the
future and widening of the conflicts between
capital and labor.