New-York tribune., 1885-01-30
THE SOUTH TAKING PAY.

The River and Harbor bill reported to the
| House on Wednesday Will require more care
| full examination than such measures usually re-
ce;ve. 1t is melancholy fact that dead men III
Congress are apt to be lavish with public
money. The men whose constituents have IN
yited them to stay at home hereafter, go back
to Congress for their last session with strong
temptation to snake their pile" if they can,
and when the number of such members is large,
a carnival of jobbery ensues. This year the
number is large. There is a prevailing i'm
preston, too, that the Democrats no longer
need to wear masks, need not conceal their
wants in order to get votes enough to elect a
President, and therefore will begin at once TO
take the fat things for which they have been
striving A River and HarbOr bill concocted
under such auspices will bear watching.
The bill now reported, it is said, distributes
about two-thirds of its entire amount to the
Southern States. Thisisnatural, II itisa measure
for the reward of victorious partisans. AS one
member cnrtly suggested. " it seems as IL we
were to be compelled TO pay back the whole cost
of the wal to the South through these appro-
priation bills. But why not? When that ex-
cited young man telegraphed, after the election
of Mr.. Carlisle, sThe Southern Confederacy Is
in the saddle again." his bright visions were
doubtless financial as well as political What
has the South been fighting for-hghting with
shotguns, we mean-if not to get back the cost
| of the war7 There would be small use In
| electing Democratic President by the AID OF a
| Solid South, if, as a net result, the Southern
| States could get no more out of the treasury
| than they had been getting under Republican
| Administrations. Under this bill New York
| gets 1921 900, New Jersey 100000, and
| Connecticut $139, 900 and yet these States also
voted for Cleveland. Unluckily for them, they
| do not belong to the governing end of the Re-
| public PENNSYLVANIA is cut of with $50,
| and the Ohio River with $4,000, and the
| Mississippi north of the Ohio gets only
$500 while the Mississippi south of the
Ohio gets 50, $50 900, anG Galveston HarboI
| S75O,00O and fifteen Southern States
so, ,032 900. Upon closer inspection, 1t will be
seen in due time how far these appropriations
| are iudiciOus and merit approval But it IS eyi-
dent at first glance that those who framed the
| bill have not intended to leave the Southern
| States without liberal provision for their needs,
| whether Northern needs are considered or not.
| If this bill has been prepared in the usual
way. with such skilful lOg-roling that it can be
| put through the House quickly and without
debate, considerable responsibility will re-
main wthIthe Senate. The country expects the
| House to illustrate the character OF the Demo-
cratic party. 1t expects from the Senate some
evidence of Republican regard for the public
interest. If Senators will put behind them for
the time all local and individual interests, and
insist that this bill shall not pass unless it ought
to pass, they will reflect credit upon themselves
and upon the party which majority of them
support.