New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-19
PECKTESS dPPROPRi ATOMS.

II is not strange that sensible Democrats be-
gin to express fear that the session OF Con
gress may prove disastrous to their party VI
prospect that useful legislation may be accom-
plished they admit there is none. But OF
danger that great jobs may succeed, and large
amounts of money may be taken from The
Treasury, they confess that there is great deal.
II is no longer hoped by many that wise legis-
lation will put an end to the dangers involved
by silver coinage. Those who conceive that
there can be no practical reform, OF dement, 10
business interests without change of tariff,
are obliged to admit that the chance or n
change Of tariff at this session is very slender
There is not the east prospect OF the passage OF
any bill to prevent the decay and abandonment
of the National banking system. II the land
laws need practical reform, if there is need OF
any practical legislation in regard to the rail
way question, or the labor question, or foreign
relations. all now understand that the chance OF
any such legislation is very remote.
On the other hand, il is admitted that bills to
take money out of the Treasury have prospect
of success The pensions bills, the river and
barbor bill, the swarm of bills for The erection
of public buildings the education bill, the
good or bad. which involve large appropriations
of public money, appear to help each other.
The log-rollng process has distinctly begun.
" Help me and ! will help YOU " is the favorlte
motto Of jobbers, and it is likely TO be heard
very often during the rest of this session.
Democrats in Congress do not seem to realize
that the Government has no money to spare.
1t will not do to say that they are really nisled
by the false statement of frce-traders, who
follow the lead of the President in talking
about surplus in the Treasury, for the Secre-
tary of the Treasury showed in his annual re-
port that there was no surplus, and 1t has been
made clear since to the dullest comprehension
that any considerable increase in the appropria-
tons, without an enlargement in the volume OF
business upon which Congress has no right tn
count would leave the Treasury without money
enough to meet current expenses and It's OBJ
legations to public creditors. This in itself is a
sufficient reason for defeating two classes OF
bills the tariff bill, aud others which threaten
to cut down the public revenue, and all
the jobs which threaten to take large
sums of money from the Treasury. II
any measure has in it such merit that under
these circumstances it ought to be passed, It's
friends must able to show that 1t Is SO clearly
necessary that an increase of the public debt
would be justified to carry into effect the ap-
preparation contemplated
The state OF things ar Washington is not the
result of ignorance or inexperence. There are
sagacious aud experienced Democrats who have
wearied their party associates, during the
whole of this session, with their warning
against extravaganza. Members have been
told repeatedly, by those in whom they ought
to place confidence, that reckless appropriations
this year would be likely to defeat and destroy
the party. The root of the matter is that most
of these men are Democrats for the sake OF the
reckless appropriations, the offices and the Jobs
Political principles to bind them together they
have none They do not agree about anything
under the sun, excepting their desire for Office
and for spols. When men whose sole bond OF
union is their hunger are entrusted with power,
the public Treasury is necessarily III danger.