Year: 1878

saved by contracting for cleaning the
streets if the Republican Council would
have done so. But their caucus deter
min ed otherwise.


THE LEGISLATION of the United States
costs an immense amount of money-en-
tirely too much for people bent upon
living in an easy, economical, yet sub
stantial and Independent way. The vast
sums lavished by Congressman upon
themselves and their political friends and
associates in the last twenty years has in
duced like extravaganza in the legisla-
tive bodies in many of the States. When
the cost of the diflerant legislative bodies
are summed up and added to the cost of
Congressional legislation, it will be found
that the aggregate paid by our people to
their Lawmakers exceeds that of any ma
lion in the world. This was not so
quarter of century ago. And yet the
people were better served and received
more value for their money than they do
now. There were no such purchases then
as Alaska, nor such scandalous arbitra-
tions as the Halifax Fishery Award. BY
he former seven millions of dollars were
thrown away and nobody but John Sher-
man is benefited e; and by the latter five
millions and a half of dollars Were
awarded to the British without adequa' e
consideration, and actually before the
great Washington statesmen had inquired
into the matter to see what claims we had
20 offset those of our graspng friends
across the ocean. Such poor statesman
ship was never known at Washington in
the days of jackson, Van Buren,, Polk,
Pierce and Buchanan, or Clay, Benton
and Calhoun. If the nation could get
back in her legislation to the wise and
economical position it held in the days of
Webster, Calhoun and Clayton, we should
no, feel so burdensome the payment of
he tremendous debt put upon the whole
people by the false craftsmanship of the
period of New England fanaticism,
brought about mainly by the talsehood
lropagated by an iniidel anti-Christian
pulpit "A pulpit that has since brought
shame and scandal upon its whole peo-
pie. Having already paid fearfully in
blood and tears and sorrow, we are now
being made to pay doubly for the John
Brownism OF those men who, while they
diverted the public mind from their vile
sins and gorged their purses with gold
through Credit Mobilier schemes, by
Their denunciations of the sin Of sla-
very, were themselves committing the
most immoral acts that virtuous mind
can conceive of. Why should we not get
back to those days when ii was an honor
to be legislator, and when men did
not 90 TO the National and State capitols
to make money. but to make wise laws
for economical government ? Business
men have been reduced to a state where
less money is to be made than in 1860
and labor is not near SO well paid while
lands and agriculture are in the very depth.
Of distress for want of profitable returns
Why should labor be taxed to pay fol
such inferior legislation and mean repre-.
sentation, at rate that only the servant.
Of potentates and princes expect ant
demand where the people are but labor
ing serfs? If we do not want to be re
duced to similar condition, without
knowing it UNI il too late, we must retrac,
our steps and adopt policy that will en-
able us to pay our debts and still reserve
a small portion OF our earnings to keel
us in our old age. Now, this seems i'm
possible. The government holds th
purse and the sword, and its great gene
rails and great (?) statesmen seem but to
ready that both shall be used to compe
the people to obedience at any cost. Tn
debt put upon the children OF the peopl
10y those mean, revengeful, sordid an
grasping political trafficers, is somethin
wonderful, and, therefore, it is scarcely I
be wondered at that Ben. Butler shoul
receive 10000 votes of men called X,
pudiationists, against 10000 IN Mass.
chusetts, the very hot-bed of the vii
ISLANDERS that caused the South to adoI
her unwise and rebelllous course in 1856