St. Landry democrat., 1886-05-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WAsHINGTON, May 10, 1886.

to have work enough to do already
without assuming any new burdens I;
but it seems he feels the necessity OF
taking Il hand himself in the retrench-
ment campaign which MIR. Hewitt and
some other influential Democrats have
begun in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Cleveland's predecessors have
generally regarded life as too short to
spend in examining this class OF legls-
latiOn with special care. They have
contented themselves with the assn
rance that Congress had opportunities
for estigating the claims in the most
thorough manner, and that if the bills
had got through both Houses there
must have been some merit in them.
A few days since Il rumor about the
! Capital, to the effect that any further
raids upon the Treasury wonld be COM
! batted by the Presidents veto, created
! considerable sensation. President
| Cleveland is the first President, it is
said, who has undertaken to Scrutinize
private bills. But he became alarmed
at the reckless way Congress was rush
ing the pension business. \ fortnight
ago the Senate alone. in one day,
passed over $50 such bills, after merely
reading their titles. This hurried and
careless way of taking money ont Of
the National Treasury struck the Presi
dent as eminently improper, and he be-
gan sending to the Pension Office for
the records in order to satisfy his mind
concerning each of the eases which
have thus far come before him. 1t is, !
perhaps, no more than the Presidents |
duty, but it is a duty which has rarely /
been performed and the question is,
where Mr. Cleveland is going to find .
the time for the pursuit of his excel |
lent policy.
No speech probably .has been made
during the present session OF Congress
which has created SO much of Il sensa-
ton as the one delivered by Mr..
Hewitt, on Thursday, when he protest
ed against any further raids upon the
Treasury under the name of bounties
or other benefits OF that kind to SOL
dicrs of the late war. Most of these
are ill-considered, and al
though for seventy five years to come
the South will be helping to pay pen
sions to the soldiers and to the widows
Of the soldiers OF the North, IL Southern
Member cannot raise Il question as to
the propliety of any of these grabs,
without rendering himself liable to
charges of disloyalty, tiippantiy and (
cheapiy brought.
The reference made by the gentle
man from New York to the peculiar
position of Southern Members, who are {
thus embarrassed when they wonld !
like to oppose these ruinous schemes
according to their convictions, was es-
Decially relevant and timely. He de
claled that the limit Of endurance on
The part of the tax payer had been I !
reached and that the discomfort on ac- j
count of excessive taxation was break ;.
ng out III riots, dynamite, and death !
Those who wanted to drive their hands 7
Town INTO the Treasury, said he". take |
advantage OF the delicate position in \
Which the Southern men are placed, be- ,
ny subject to the charge of disloyalty Z
t they resist the steal But 40 ore {
ould make this charge against him |
nd he would make the fight.
The great River and Harbor grab 7
which went through the House after ii I
discussion extending over several ;
weeks, takes from River Commissions
heir power and gives it 70 the Secreta- :
J of War. During the debate an OPP S
Ionent al the measure severely criti- ,
lied it. No grandeur Of place, he ::
aid. nor insieniticauce OF spot was s;
gncred. The bin reached everyn here. s
t was not restricted by any unplon- ! !
name, by any Obscurity OF 7
or by any difficulty OF access.
here was nothing that seemed to be y
90 incredible to be contained in this :,
ILL., The DISTINGUISHED citizens OF the i
,apital join Issue with this assertion, Y
uwever. and are indignant because an
appropriation for tho Potomac Flats i,
las omitted. Because OF this neglect
1 their own fair river they hold the
i'll is too impudent to go unrebuked
hey contend that its object was not
, deepen the channel of noble streams,
r to benefit the property OF the whole
.merican people. It's real purpose was
, insure the return of lot of Con- '
.o.s, rs; -, al