Year: 1870

l y
| deriul development Of the material interests OF
the country on one hand and at the disorgani-
! zation of political parties and the consequent


rush for public plunder on the other, it is evil


dent there is going to be such carnival of


extravaganza as we have never seen before.


The war uprooted all the former ideas of the


people and government about economy and


doing things on small scale. The expendi-
ture of sixty or seventy millions year by the
federal government ten years ago was con-
sidered enormous, and this extravaganza was
bitterly condemned by the ''watchdogs of the
Treasury in Congress and by large portion
of the people and press. The stupendous
grants OF land and money to rail-
roads since that time would have
frightened the country and would not
have been listened to in Congress. Such
grant as that to the Pacific Railroad Of gov
ernment bonds and lands, for example, could
not have received ten votes in Congress. That
body and the people would have stood aghast
at such proposed appropriations of hundreds
OF millions of acres Of land to railroad COM
panies as are now made. The war made the





people familiar with enormous expenditures.
hundred millions of dollars were and are
spoken of as unconcernedly as a million was
previously. In ten years the peace expendi-
ture of the government has been multiplied
from sixty or seventy millions to three hun
dred and fifty millions or thereabout. In
ten years the expenditure has been increased


five times the amount it was previously. There
never was such a revolution in the financial
affairs and condition of country before. No
other nation on the globe could have endured
such revolution in so short time. tsuch
are the resources and wealth of the country
that our people feel the change and the bur-
dens far less than other nations do theirs.


True, we hear something occasionally from
Congress of retrenchment, of reducing the
taxes or of modifying the tariff few millions
but this is a bagatelle compared with the vast
and now necessary expenditure, and is used
merely by Congressman for political capital in
their districts or at home. The truth is, the
extraordinary revolution produced by the war
has launched us on sea of extravaganza
which was never dreamed of before. Were
political parties organized upon broad princi-
Piles of national policy, and were they more
equally balanced in Congress, we might expect
reforms and greater economy; but neither
the republican party in power nor the dem
ocratic party have any fixed policy. Neither
presents any issue to the country. The revolu-
tion produced by the war has not only changed |
Ouv nfo fu,u h,,fs hoo
also buried the issues of the past The negro
is no longer available for political capital
The amendments to the constitution and the
laws OF Congress have placed him on an equal |
footing with the white man. Nothing more
can be done for him or made ont of |
him. He must now find his level and place in |
society in accordance with the laws of nature
and his capacity. Reconstruction is about
finished, and that, with all the other issues
growing out Of the war, viii soon be closed
up. The republican party cannot perpetuate
itself upon these dead issues, though it is
endeavoring to gavanze them for that pur-
pose. With all the great questions relating to
our finances, progress, foreign affairs, the
tariff, taxation, the enlargement of our COM
merce and destiny Of the republic, neither
the republican nor democratic party has shaped
a policy. They are utterly without policy |
with regard to the wants of the country or the |
future. Even the republican party, which has |
an overwhelming majority in Congress, cannot
agree upon any important measures, and has
no cooperation or afiliation with the admins
tration of it's choice.


The consequence of this state of things is
that all are scrambling for public plunder.
Those representing the iron and coal interests
Of Pennsylvania, the manufacturing interests
Of New England and the land-grabbing rail-
road interests of the West, are intent upon
making the most for themselves and their sec
tions regardless of the general welfare of the
republic. In the general disruption and want
of principles of cohesion in political parties
the members OF Congress and sectional cliqnes
are bent upon making all they can out Of the
government and people. The future is uncer-
tain: they see nothing beyond the present;
they will make the most of the present carni-
val of extravaganza. The only hope that
remains is that in the lavish use of public
money something will be done on large scale |
for the benefit of the people and the country.
The Pacific Railroad, for example, was a |
stupendous job-one that has cost the country |
an enormous sum and that has made many
spectators very rich; but it is, after all, a !
grand work which will prove of the greatest |
advantage to the country. Let us have, then,
in this era of reckless expenditure, some
thing to show for the cost. There is
hardly any limit to the wealth of the nation |
or to the patient submission of the people, and |
if we must be extravagant let us have some
thing grand to show for it.


These remarks, though intended for the |
federal government especially, will apply |
as well to the State of New York and |
IN our citv Uovarnmant W. ynuct I,o foxa5 |