The Washington critic., 1886-12-11
II. SYLVESTER. Editor
WASHINGTON, DECEMBER II, 1886.
"A KIND OF ECONOMY THAT DOES
NOT ECONOMIZE.

The party in power, by which we
mean the present Democratic admins
tration and the Democrats In Congress,
will make great mistake If they carry
their policy Of retrenchment and re-
form TO niggardly extreme. Yet, to
Judge by the way In which some prom
inent Democratic statesmen and public
officials dilate upon the virtues of
economy, the great object of human
government is to demonstrate how
cheaply 1t can be run without starving
itself to death.
Some of them appear to think that
when Mr.. Cleveland became President
In 1885, the country retrograded
twenty -four years, and took a fresh start
from where it left off when Mr.. Bu-
chanan went out iu 1861 They make
no allowance for the quarter of a cen.
tury that has since elapsed and the
wonderful progress that we have made
In population, wealth and all material
resources, necessitatiug correspond
ingly broader legislation aud the adop'
tion of new policies with the accession
of new responsibilities.
1t is true that government, like an
individual, should live within its means;
at the same time 1t should live accord
ing to its means. To hoard its reve.
nues Is to subtract so much from the
active capital of the country; and the
question which now, more than any
other, concerns the prosperity of the
people, is not so much to devise ways
and means for diminishing the reve-
nues as to provide for their wise and
generous distribution, to apply them
to works of public necessity and thu;
disseminate through the various chan
nels of trade and industry the millions
that would otherwise lie idle in the
Treasury.
1t is well enough to correct the In
equalities and lift the manifest bur
dens of the tariff-especially desirable
to open new markets for our products
and encourage reciprocity of com
merce-but 1t Is not the amount o'
taxes, directly or indirectly pait
through the collectors of customs, tina
impoverishes the people and makes
business dull and times hard; it is tht
failure of the Government to keep 1t!
surplus revenues in active and health
full circulation.
1t is the tendency of Congress Il
penurious legislation that helps I,
keep the country poor.
1t is doing things by halves ant
quarters and eighths that cripples i'm
provements and wastes expenditures
1t is higgling about dollar here ant
dollar there, as though the Govern
ment were in danger of going into
bankruptcy, that delays great public
works, produces popular disconten
and unnerves private enterprise.
This is q new era in the history o
the country, and its requirements mus
be met in broad gauged spirit.
Coast defenses are wanted, nav.
is imperatively needed, public build
ings are demanded, harbors are to b
deepened, rivers relieved Of obstruc
tions, many vast and valuable interest
to be protected, the wants and welfar
of 100000 people to be consulted
and yet, with the vaults of the Treas
ury more than full, we are met at tn
door of every appropriation committe
with stentorian cry for ECONOMY,
Economy" and Members of Congres
seem to think they have accomplishe
great things for their constituents /
cutting down an estimate twenty-fiv
or fifty per cent below its just an
legitimate proportions.
This is no way for rich and power
full Government to do business If
hopes to maintain respect at home an
hold It's own abroad.
The people are not clamoring ju
now for economy. They want hell
they need it. Half million men al
out of work. The times are out {
joint. The Treasury is full to owe
flowing with money that belong
neither to the Administration nor
Congress, but to the grand army {
Taxpayers. Let 1t be unlocked au
put in motlon-the more the bette
and the sooner the better.
A COMMUNICATIONS from Mr.. w.
no1na onpaore ,.lgntphprn In rp0orb