The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-10-29
ECONOMY IN THE PUBLIC EXPENSE. >

The caption of this article was a
plank IN the platform of Mr.. Jefferson
and has always been a cardinal de-
mand of the members of the democrat
ic party. When government, state or
national, has been under democratic
administration, it has been admins
tered with strict economy and hon.
esty.
Until 1860 the national government
of the United States was the LEAST ex-
pensive of any other government, an
cient or modern; but when the power |
passed from the hands of the democ- |
racy the administration leaped by a
mighty stride into sudden, unparalleled
and unprecedented extravaganza, and
but for the large war expenditures,
covering out of sight the enormous
increase in the civil expenditures. the
people of the country would
have turned out of Office
any administration that permitted
such large increased outlay of the pub
lie moneys, whatever its politics, but
infiamed by the passions and reckless
ness of war, aud absorbed in that end.
not only thelegitimate but extravaganza
expenditures were not noticed, but pee
ulation and wholesale robbery was
connived at and participated in by
: the representatives of the people.
Every department of the govern
i, ment had crouching ct the door of
the treasury the gorged lions of RAJ
pacity, bowling for more, more.
We would have supposed that when
the war ceased, and the demand for
$ sustaining troops in the field no
a longer existed. giving, as it did, such
u abundant opportunity tor wholesale
J. robbery, that the party in power
n would turn its attention to
l: reform in the civil expenditures,
= but it was not the case. The
y carrion crew that had fed to repletion
y on contracts of every nature for the
= Union army turned their attention te
the southern states, and with whette6
appetites they bounced upon the prey
u until it may have well been said, in
" the language of the play, 81 have beer
l. thinking, Pieare, how this damned
starving quality honesty got footing
IT in the world"
Q. Its footing had been thoroughly lost
aud public and private robbery be-
III came the order of the day and night
e. These vultures were not encourage
n. by their fellow republicans in tn
la north to feed upon, tn
'r. south, while they, VIII
.ir did not participate in the dishes o
ht southern states fed with insatiate sp
he petite upon the revenues Of the gen
~ eral government. Corruption wa
81 sapping all departments. TIL
~ representatives of the people for
getting their solemn .oaths an
,is sacred trusts, made jobbery and pecu
of lation profession; men who before th
he war bore high characters for moral II
rk tegrity were as plentiful and as pull
he chasable in congress as blackberrie
in The speaker of tha11nRSe came dow
.' !. = - q s: !: - Il; i:
al inE s In behalf of corporations I
te prove his value. The British parlia
les ment never, in its most corrupt day:
lat was more completely controlled
on gold than were this brilliant galax
d. of American statesmen by greenback
he Morality and integrity became by
on word and a scott. Even SON
,te of our own men, who we wei
n finally permitted TO send there, yieldin
,at perhaps, to their necessities, too
with bowed heads and shamed face
yn part of the spoils of the celebrate
ty SALARY grab"
Ike Virtue and honesty hid its face i
mt humiliation, and corruption waved II
o. red flag, cheering the cohorts of II
,r- pacity. Such was at one time the COZ
Ii dition of affairs in this country, mos
IT'S alarming in its general and wholesal
nd corruptions of politicians, and feal
to were entertained that rottenness ha
n penetrated to the heart of the tire,
ne the great body polite, and that
be would fall splintered into a thousan
es fragments.
There is one thing in regard to thi
-, country that had for time been fol
=. gotten, aud that was, that the masse
~ of the people of this countr
90 were honest, aud that day of retri
- button must come. 1t did come. Th
. south, by the strength of her geniu
- and the political ssgacity of her peopl
= threw off the hated carpet-bag an
= scalawag rule, and inaugurated rel
70 resentative free government With
10 her borders. The honest people of tn
north turned upon the plunderers @
~ the national government, cabinet
g were invaded, and a member foun
guilty of betraying his trust retire
'. disgraced. Star route Spectator
~ were brought to the bar of judg
- ment, and although the full penalt
- could not be accomplished, the expo
= sition startled the country and arouse
rue sense of>dange
kpression of opinio
Try official corruption
nenced to change, tn
onserv&tiVehesSa and the honesty of tn
- people declared itself, and moral
8 improved, eliminating in the election
of democratic administration, an,
20 ever since we have been movin,
~ back to that democratic principle an