New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-31
THE RIG DIVIDE,

re II he n fact as dispatches report that ne
nublican Senators have consented to lay ASIDE
the Tariff bill on August long enough to have
the River and Hafbor bill passed, they should
realize before they do so that such step VIII
not tend to enhance public confidence III lheni'
This River and Harbor bill has for many years
been 50 notorious for the number OF JOBS ana
improper appropriations which get 1nto IL lnaV
if is commonly called at Washington the Dig
Divide" Part of the appropriations are al
uavs meritorious and very strongly demanded
nv nublic feeling in certain localities. But inc
ponre.ortatives Of those localities do not get
these appropriations brought forward uS's1
tboir merits Instead. they tolerate comblna-
tion with a multitude of wasteiul ana wrong
srl concentrations in which particular mem
bors or their influential constituents have an
;ntorest The threat that the most mentoriouS
concentrations shall not be made unless olhcr
members "get some of the pork Is always
more or less efficacious; the commit'ee III
cbarce always Yields more or less to the per
sonal OPPORTUNITIES OF members ana Jus '"''
are essentially Matchmaking IN character so'
into almost every River and Harbor blI' linus
il becomes on the whole one OF the least uc-
fensible of all the regular Appropriation blHS'
The spirit of Eastern opposition to THIS meas
,no i often misrepresented, perhaps unlnten-
tionallv. by those who have deep interest III
;+s naIsape Intelligent Eastern people do not
onpo,e but heartily commend appropriations
for the Improvement OF the actual hIShN"'
nd borLors of National commerce. but theN
Ito IN 600 the measure more carefully purged
So concentrations which have no such merit.
Tberc is every reason why rich and powerful
Nation should employ large sums IN WoIAS ''''
oopt,ihute 70 the National welfare. But there
is no reason why even the richest na'loh Nou'"
he plundered, under pretence oil hhpio''"S
.troams and harbOrS which can he OF 10 lc'
service TO commerce.
To give this measure, always 20 some extent
objectionable. and always regarded Win as
favor and suspicion by mulutudeS OF upr'S"'
and intelligent voters the precedence over
Tariff bill upon which the welfare OF miiIo">
81 industrious workers depends Will not apPea
70 sincere Republicans reasonable preference
Durine the month just closed 1t Is probable tAa'
rho lamentations have been the largest ever
l,poun in any month. and 10 a great extent be
canse DELAY of the Tariff bill has given foreign
importers ODpOfIU0lt. ~ tIV''" 49, -
markets in advance with goods on which dulicN
a,e likely TO be increased. 41other month OF
DELAY would mean a further enormous increase
of This obstacle TO the prosperity OF nome III
dustries and American workingmen. lHL
Tp1RrXE does not think that the artisans
mechanics and operatives OF this country thou-
sands OF whom are now out OF work because
defects in the tariff are not yet removed VIII
apnroye the delay of this bill in order to fnI'h
the Big Divide"
If i, only TOO obvious that those VINO haVe
selfish interest in the passage OF tins appro-
nriatjon bill think that partiSanShip may dei'\
and possibly prevent action on the taIlH' anu
some of them wish as Democrats 70 be Tree III
Joining such partisan resistance without en-
danperibr the bill with money in it Can
Republican Senators afford to help these men
to defeat a marty measure? Can they aloiu
70 saw 10 these men, "1hc measure Ill which
van have deep personal interest or upon
which yonr reelection may depend, shall be
kindly got ont of the way first 50 that Ion can
Glibu,ter against the tariff indefinitely without
usking any personal loss? That does moi
seem 70 TIE TRIBUNE the right way to uca'
=, great National issue, concerning when 'h'
'Rcpublican party has given sacred plco3eN t.
industry and to the millions OF American Woik-