The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-09-14

uOpCu tuot Vic oumtuiStIdIiOu, III
changing its commissioner, will, in
the public interest, modify its poll
cy also. The present policy is ruin
Gus. Our pension rolls contain near
ly 500, 900 names, and the expendi-
ture last year for pensions was $685.
600, 600 out of a total expenditure of
$267, 100000. Place by the side of
this the fact that the expenditures
Of the German war Office for the year
ended March 81, 1888, were about
$50, 100000 The cost of the British
army for the year 18S6-S7, inclusive
of pensions, was about $9l, 200. 0OO
A huge standing army would, there
fore, be no heavier burden than our
present pension roll.-Balo. Sun.
Six Months of Republican mis-.
rule.
1t is now time to look back over
the six months that have elapsed
since the Republican party resumed
control of the affairs of the nation.
What has it done?
In these six months it has proved
itself a veritable Bourbon party,
which has learned nothing from ex-
perience, and has not profited from
misfortune. The only reason of its
existence and the sole object and
aim of it's political work seem to be
public plumber and spoils. Such a
display of greed, of "hunger and
thirst" has never been seen before.
There was a plausible pretext for
the inaugur alton of the first Repub-
lican President, but no possible ex-
cuse for the rapacity of the vora-
cious horde that invaded the offices
of the Government last March, and
have since been clamoring at the
White House doors, who regarded
the President as simply the Commits
sary General of the army of office
seekers.
President Harrison has one eighth
of the entire Presidential term be-
hind him. He has held the rein of
power longer than two of his pre-
decessors. He is regarded as a man
of some ability, of good impulses,
naturally siding with the better '.ele-
ment' of his party. But if his re-
cord as Chief Magistrate of the Ma
ton were to close suddenly, how
would it look in history? There
has never been President, except
ing his own grandfather, to whom
only one month of life and power in
the Executive office was granted.
who has made 80 little impression
upon the popular mind. Long be-
fore his immediate predecessor, Mr..
Cleveland, had been in office six
months the whole country, includ-
ing his political opponents, recogniz-
ed the fact that strong, able and
safe man was at the head of the
Government. President Arthur,
who at the time of his accession to
office was widely distrusted, soon
won golden opinions by his conser
vatiye spirit, tact and good iudg-
ment. Even poor Hayes seemed to
have administrative policies and
ideas of government not wholly con-
nected with public patronage Mr..
Harrison after six months of Presi-
dental power, is known to the coun-
try and his party simply as a dis
penser of offices. His appointments
have been mostly Indifferent or bad,
and OF conspicuous merit only in
few very isolated cases. No official
act in these six months, no word
spoken by the President since his
Inauguration, has reflected special
credit upon his Administration. A
distinctive record has been made
chiefly by three Executive Depart
ments The Treasury Department
has broken the laws of Congress by
arbitrary rulings. The Postoffice
Department has at no time been
more completely subjected to the
spoils system than it is to day. The
Pension Bureau of the Interior De-
partment has become a powerful in
strument for raids upon the Nation
al Treasury. Though the Admins
tration thus far has worked without
the cooperation of its partisan ma
jority in the Legislative branch,
these first six months of restored
Republican rule have been marked
by extravaganza, depreciation, and
the degradation of the public ser
vice Register.