New-York tribune., 1886-05-28
UOLNfNS ECONOMY Y.

Mr.. Holman talks ont in meeting" about
the Democi attic party. To The Vorid he says
"he is at "A loss to know what W i'll be the cOndi-
ton of the party when Congress ahjourns." Its
extravaganza i'll voting appropriations he
declares "an outrage upon the people, and a
violation of every pledge made by the party.
Every appropriation bill but one has been
largely increased beyond the expenditures for
the current year, and the aggregate Increase is
about 500, 900. 900. In this state of thing, Mr..
Holman doesn't know what we will have left
with which to go before the people in the
coming elections Innocent Mr.. Holman As
if he did not know that members expect to 20
before the people" with their big jobs and
wanton appropriations. and to claim reelection
because they have granted money to enlarge
creeks, to erect buildings, to increase and
multiply pensions, and generally to spend in
benclitng a few persons many millions to be
taken from the people by taxation. Mr. llol-
man used to say that was the Republican theory
and practice. Either he WAS not honest then,
or ne is not candid enough now to admit that a
Democratic House is doing exactly what he 81
often charged against the Republicans.
Mr. Holman himself Is largely responsible for
this mischief. For good many years he has
been urging economy in expenditure, and bark
ing at Republicans because they voted away
too much money, and his opposition to reason
able and just use> of the public funds has been
50 srnScless that he has made the very name of
economy a stencil in the nostrs Of many. He
has crippled important branches of the public
service by opposing needed appropriations, and
has brought the public service into contempt
abroad and at home by mistaken stinginess.
lie was sustained by many Democratic mem-
bers so long as the refusal of appropriations
embarrassed only Republican officials. But
now there are Democratic officials who have
frleIds in the House. The contemplate
chcese-p pairing policy Is despseh, as it ought to
be, and Mr. Holman finds that he has no inhu-
encc because he has abused the word "econ-
omy" in opposing reasonable and proper
expenditures The larger and higher economy
which iscIimnates between wise and unwise
use of money he has never learned and never
tried to teach bis party associates. 1t did not
serve his partisan purpose when Republicans
were in power. Drspsing at the bottom of
their hearts the nggardly methods which Mr..
Holman has pursued his associates, now that
they are in power, have no conception Of a
travagance because they want to please constit-
uents supposed to have influence.
Economy is never easy in government of
the people. The few who profit by lavish
expenditure of public money always have large
influence in primary meetings and at elections.
\ great free people, moreover, always feel
profound contempt for a scnseleSs stingincss,
and many of the pubic men who honestly aim
at rcfo rm in expenditure are apt to play the
dcmagogue as Mr.. Holman did when in OppOsi-
ton, and to object to all soIts of appropI iaions
because they think it popular. But even Mr..
Holman will learn in the end that the people
Will not uphold a party which refuses half a
million TO expand the Nations commerce by
securing better mail service, and at the same
time votes away scores of millions for jobs,
public buildings, creek extensions and the
creation of new places for needy partisans.