The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-01-28
THE ECONOMY" RECORD.
What the Democratic Party Has Done In
This Line for Ten Years Past-Its Present

What the Democratic Party Has Done In
This Line for Ten Years Past-Its Present
Duty.
The State Administration of Gov
ernor Tilden in 1875 first turned the
tide of public sentiment in favor of
Democratic rule.
In 1873 an expiring Congress on its
last day, with Senate having only
seventeen Democrats out of seventy
four members and House containing
one hundred and five Democrats out of
two hundred and forty-three members,
had passed the Salary-Grab bill, which
boldly took nine hundred and seventy
two thousand dollars out of the Treas
ury and divided it among the Senators
and Representatives for two years in
crease Of back pay, or from March 4,
1871, up to the date of the passage OF
the bill. While several Democrats had
been weak enough to vote for the iniq-
uitous bill, the responsibility was clear
ly with the Republican majority.
In 1874 Governor Tilden was elected
on a platform demanding economy
and honesty in public expenditures,
and he at once commenced the work
of cutting down expenses and cutting
off rascals.
In 1876 the Democratic National
platform declared: "Reform is neces-
sary in the scale of public expenses"
showing that in ten years of Republic
an rule taxation had risen from sixty
million dollars to four hundred and
fifty million dollars, or from five dol
lars per head to more than eighteen
dollars per head, and said: 1--WE de-
mand rigorous frugality in every de-
partment and from every officer OF the
Government" Mr.. Tilden was elected
by the people on this platform, al
though cheated out of the office by
politicians.
In 1880 the Democratic National Con-
| vention based the claim of its candi-
dates to the support of the people main
ly on the ground of '.the honesty and
thrift of a Democratic Congress,
which had reduced the public expendi-
ture $40, ,0OO, 900 year.
Samuel j. Randall was Speaker OF
the Forty-fourth Congress for part OF
the term and of the Forty-fifth and
Forty-sixth Congresses up to March 8,
1881.
In 1880 Hancock was only defeated
by the unscrupulous use of money by
the Republicans and by scarcely con
cealed corruption of the ballot-box II
Indiana, New York and Ohio. The
golden stream from Stephenson
bank" and the .'crisp new two-dollal
bills" will not soon be forgotten.
As Chairman of. the Appropriation
Committee of the Forty-eighth Con
gress, Mr.. Randall kept up the reputa
ton of the Democracy as the advOcat,
of honest expenditures and economical
appropriations and paved the way TO
the election of Democratic Presiden
last year.
Speaker Carlisle has now before hin
a grave and heavy responsibility. o.
economy in appropriations and honest
in expenditures the Democratic part
has been restored to power and to tn
confidence of the people. While tn
appropriation bills we're under MI
Randall's supervision there was n
! danger of retrogression. But Speake
. Carlisle, through the scattering c
.. these bills, has now to find eight RaI
dalls for Chairmen Of Committees ir
stead of one-eight Representatives ir
stead of one who will exercise over th
apprOprlatlOnS the same Watcn1ulneSs
economy and firmness displayed by th
Chairman of the Appropriations Con
> mittee of the last Congress.
No doubt Mr.. Carlisle will seek I
! put the committees which will no.
, have to report important and heav
r appropriation bills in addition to the
other duties into honest and capabl
5 hands. No doubt, the chairman Of a
! the committees among which the al
. preparations are to be scattered, wi
! seek to do good and honest work. tt
question is, will they be able to
< such work effectively without posse
:; sing that knowledge of the whole ma
|. of appropriations asked and of Il
amount to be appropriated which
single committee could commando
l. If the policy of crippling the Apr
g priations Committees power, which HI
= been wisely and benefcially use
should destroy the Democratic recol
d for strict economy, it will be disastro'
; to its authors.-N y World,