Year: 1868

The Patchwork Of Congress.


In looking over the work of Congress,
whether upon financial questions or those of a
political character, we see nothing. but mere
patchwork. No'country ever as much needed
broad and comprehensive legislation in none
was ever felt more the want of statesmen Of
sufficient grasp of mind to understand our po-
litical and financial situation and to apply the
proper measures. We have passed through a
great and an unprecedented revolution,
politically and financially, within few
years. The war broke up the old order of
things as mighty earthquake changes the
face of nature. Four millions of slaves have
been set free and made powerful element in
our political system, though utterly unprepared
to comprehend or exercise the civil duties
thrust upon them. From being comparatively
free Of debt and scarcely feeling taxation or
the hand of the government, we have in six
years become the most heavily taxed people
in the world have accumulated heavier
debt looking at the high rate of interest it
bears, than any other nation is burdened with,
and have a more expensive government than
that of any other country. The constitution
has undergone and is undergoing the severest
strain. We are, in fact, in both our financial
and political affairs, in an abnormal and dis
organized condition. We are drifting we know
not whittier, and there has not yet appeared
any hand to guide or save us. The national
legislature, to which the people look for those
measures that would restore the country and
the finances to order and prosperous con-
dition, has shown the most lamentable inca
pacity.


Those few able and bold men in Congress
such as Stevens, Butler and few others-who
might have capacity enough to grasp the great
national questions, use their talents for parti-
san and factious purposes only. They, indeed,
are the revolutionists and the greatest obsta-
Gle to restoration, peace, order and economy.
AS to the rest of the members Of both houses,
they are mere nonentities, and are unfit to legis-
late for small State or municipality. They
have not the least idea of the wants of the
country or of those great national questions
now pressing for solution. For three years
they have been tinkering with reconstruction,
doing and undoing, and fighting with the Ex
ecutive, when they had the power at any time
to have restored the Southern States, and
ought to have restored them long ago. So have
they been wavering and trimming about the
finances, leaving nothing settled. Had the coun-
try been fortunate enough to have had states
men in Congress our national finances would
have been placed upon sound basis, and we
should have had the debt reduced by this time
five hundred millions Time and experience
do not even enlighten those miserable legis-
lators for instead of maturing comprehensive
measures on broad principles for raising reve-
nue., for establishing sound system of taxa
tion and for making tariff that would bear
equally and justly upon all, we see nothing bnt
patchwork legislation in favor of certain sec
tions and interests. The cumbrous and un-
Justly partial Tax and Tariff bills have con-
sumed a vast deal of time, and then in the end
have been abandoned for piecemeal legislation
on two or three articles. The same number
Of school boys could do as well. Seeing our
present Congressman have not the CAPACITY
to understand and legislate upon the great
questions before them, the best thing they can
do is to go home and leave the country TO
take care of itself until another and abler set
of men can be elected in their place.


-A