St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-11

tisan type, He is the protege Of Mr..
BLAINE, and inhales the same inspiration
that the New York Tribune does. Conse-
Quently, if Mr.. CLEVELAND selected none
but seraphim and cherubim to fill the
offices Senator FRYE and the Tribune would
feel it their bounden duty to criticise the
appointments. Loyalty to party, in their
estimation, is above every other considera-
ton, and the highest evidence of fealty
is abuse of the opposition. So far,
then, as Senator FRYE's criticism
goes it counts for nothing. But the
singular and rather amusing part
of it is that partisans like Mr.. FRYE should
parade themselves before the public as
critics of an administration whose election
they opposed and with which they could
have nothing in common. There may be
some reason for mugwump Republicans
offering criticism, for they are in part re-
sponsible for the administration, and they
have some right to offer gratuitouS advice
and criticise what they regard as worthy OF
criticism in the matter of appointments. 1t
the appointees of MIR. CLEVELAND do some
act that is detrimental to the public in
terest, then it would be Senator FRYE's
time to chip in. But so long as they dis
charge their duties with fidelity to the pub
lie, it is none of Mr.. FRYE's business who
fills the offices. The people have decided
that Mr., FRYE and his party shall not have
control of the appointing power for the next
four years, and until that verdict is re-
versed modesty should suggest to them the
propriety of keeping quiet.
CONGRESSIONAL PRODIGALITY.
While the executive department of the
government is doing admirably in the way
of retrenching and economizing there is
another branch of the government which
needs to be looked after in the same way.
That is the national legislature. There has
been wonderful extravaganza in the apprp-
priations made by congress for a good
many years past and it is about time there
was reform in this direction. Not only
has congress in recent years spent maney
on great variety of objects not touched by
federal appropriation bills in the old order
of things, but it has spent a great deal
more on those objects which, according to
the s.strict constructionist, the cOnstitu-
ton really authorizes congress to spend
money for. The Baltimore Sun publishes
a statement comparing the appropriations
made by congress in 1860 with the apprO-
priations made by the last congress, from
which it is shown that while congress has
been spending a great deal OF money
on other things it has also been spending a
good deal more on itself than the efficient
performance of its duties demand. From
this statement we find that under the regime
of ''strict construction in 1860 the amount
appropriated for legislative purposes, ex-
elusive of the items now provided for un-
der the head of public printing, was ST.
232, TAI, while the appropriation for 1885
was So. 237, $40! In the latter sum are not
included the deficiency appropriations for
1885 and the grant of one months pay to
employees, which would add about 500, 900
to the figure named. Neither the house OF
representatives nor the senate has doubled
its membership or its legitimate labors in
the last twenty years, yet expenses have
much more than doubled. In 1860 the
compensation and mileage of senators was
$3.50, 1876; the pay of senate officers, clerks,
etc., sos, 800; contingent expenses, $55,-
SOB. In 1885 these items have become re-
spectively S413,oO0, $355,26 and $107, 1855.
In the former year the house gave its MEM
bers in compensation and mileage $615, $50;
to its officers and employees, $125, 1873; to
contingent expenses, $13S, 9a0. These
items for 1885 were respectively 1906
624, 1929, 213 and $126. 453.
Part of this extravaganza is doubtless
due to the spoils system OF filling offices,
which reached its most shameful develop
ment when the Republican administration
turned over control of. federal patronage to
gang of the MALONE type. Perversion
of the civil service after this fashion tended,
of course, to lower its character and render
it corrupt, inefficient, wasteful and extrav
apant