Huntsville gazette., 1892-06-04
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
Instances of CheesepariDg of the Par
of "Reform."

Instances OF Cheeseparing of the Party
of ssReform."
Following the passage of the colossal
| fifty million river and harbor bill the
democratic house brought forward the
| sundry civil service appropriation bill,
| and as if to make compensation for the
former appropriation, which is twice as
large as any ever passed by congress
before, began cheeseparing the latter.
Mr.. Cogswcll, of Massachusetts, in his
| vigorous speech exposed not only the
| partisan sham and humbug of this al
| legged economy, to be used for campaign
purposes. but the serious detriment
| these demagogues have inflicted upon
| the service of the government and the
vital interests of the people at large.
1t is claimed by the committee demo-
| cratic majority that it has saved S13,-
600, 900 in this appropriations Gen.
| Cogswell shows how it has been saved.
| II is claimed that there is a difference
| of $7,70o.000 in the appropriation for
government buildings already ordered,
which is merely postponement of nee
essary expenditures, if the buildings are
| to be finished For the improvement of
certain harbors 81, 137, 900 less is called
| for, but this is not democratic saving.
| The government engineers report they
| need that much less. In the construc-
ton Of the congressional library build
| ing the committee enters up a saving
| of $3.50 900. Gen. Cogswell shows it
was done by trick. While they ap-
propriate $3.50, 900 the engineers in
| charge are authorized to obligate the
| government to the tune of S1,035, 000.
| So nothing has been saved. The COM
mittee has struck at the safety of
| those who 60 down to the sea in
ships by cutting down the estimates
of the lighthouse board from S3l7, 900 to
| S42, 900. 1t not only has decided that
navigation shall be made more perilous
for want of lighthouses pointing out
dangerous reefs and shoals, but it has
wickedly and inhumanly cut off the
last hope of vessels in distress by refus
ing to make any appropriation for life
saving stations. With criminal recl1
lessness and Indifference it has still fur
ther endangered navigation by cutting
off S75, 900 from the coast survey appro
priation. 1t has reduced the expend-
iture necessary to preserve the public
buildings nearly one half. Is this econ
omy? 1t has SO far cut down the appro
priation for light that the public busi
ness will have to be conducted in semi
darkness unless the employees pay fol
the gas out of their own wages. 1t ha:
almost wiped the fish bureau out of ex
istence and thereby struck deadly
blow at the cheap food of the people.
The moonshiners of the south and the
rascals who evade paying revenue vii
be grateful to the democratic cheese
parers for reducing the appropriation
intended to aid in looking after them
1t has crippled the land Office and the
Howard university, closed the schools
in Alaska, encouraged crime in the ter
ritories and struck deadly blow at the
United States courts by wholesale
slashing at the appropriation for wit
nesses and jurors.
Such are the details Of this shan
democratic economy which makes NJ
provision for the future and cripple
the present; which makes no saving o
|
tions which must be provided for in de
fciency bills; which paralyzes the activ
ity of the government and endanger
the rights of the people, and which i
practiced for the narrow, mean ant
contemplate policy of making partisan
capital in presidential campaign. An'
yet the man who is chiefly responsible
for this petty, picayunish business
which is a disgrace to a great, rich
powerful nation-is the one who woult
not, though urged to do so, allow o
any opposition to large and useles
waste of money on dam at Lawrence
burg, on the Miami river, in the stat
of Indiana, from which this peanu
political humbug halls! And this dem
ocratic house which has made this shan
exhibition of frugality where it affecte'
no votes is the one which passed tn
river and harbor bill, carrying with
$50, 00O 000 or twice as much as an
other congress ever appropriated-yeas
1856: nays. 65 Could there be any clear
er evidence of the inconsistency an
humbug of democratic economy, whic
turns off the gas in the post offices, put
out the lighthouse lanterns, locks Il
the life stations, cripplesg the courts {
justice, shuts off fuel and water fo
public offices, takes awsy soap from tn
military academy of tF.e nation and tis
from the people, shufs the doors OF II