Year: 1876

The Message of the President on the ap-
preparation question is not in the best spirit
There is harshness about it which shows
On unbecoming temper on the part of the
President in dealing with coordinate
branch of the government. No doubt the
President is vexed with the House for the
manner in which it has cut down appropria-
tions. We have not approved all the acts
of the House. but we cannot help admiring
the persistence with which Mr.. Randall
and his friends have labored in
the interests of economy. The country
demanded q large measure of reform.
In time when every private citi-
zen was retrenching it was natural that
the government should retreoch. The only
way to do SO wns to cut down right and left,
even at the risk of weakening some branches
of the government. The President, with
justice, points out where these reductions
injure the public business, and to that
extent he will have the public support We
agree with him that there should be no
reduction in the appropriations for the
revenue cutters Upon the efficiency of this
modest and efficient branch of the service
depends the collection of the revenues. 1t is
amistake to cripple the Signal Service. This
is new feature. BY the Signal Service we are
gradually learning to know the moods of
the mir, the clouds and the planets so wei
as to be able to prophesy the weather for
day or two ahead. This is not. as may be
supposed, the qualification of vain Curl
osty. The sailor who goes out to sea, the
farmer who has mown his hay crop, the
maiden who has been dreaming of a picnic
all classes ore interested in the weather. If
we can bring this Signal Service to such
degree of perfection as to have even a reln-
tive knowledge of the weather for forty EIGHT
hours in advance it will be great blessing.
For Congress, therefore, to cripple this SER
vice by reducing the number of stations or
limiting the employees is blunder We
have spent good deal of money upon the
public buildings, our navy yards and the
District of Columbia. and we can afford to
rest while. While not agreeing with the
President as to restoring these appropria-
tions, we do agree with him that it is mis-
take to cut down the Judiciary Our judges
in the national service are badly paid. We
give our judges in New York much more
than is paid to those who sit on the Supreme
bench. There is no economy in having
beggars in the administration of justice.


The President says that the appropriations
are only sixty-five per cent of what is neces-
sary for the Ordinary demands" Of the ser
vice. We think sixty-fve per cent is enough
Congress and the President together could
reduce the sum even more if they were to act
in harmony That five millions for river
and harbor improvements could be cut down
to million. The whole diplomatic service
might be reduced. We could send two good
Ministers to Europe-one for the Continent,
the other for England-who could do oil the
work performed by our various legations
All we really want is q first class man in
London and another in Geneva, whose bust
ness it should be to take up serious ques-
tions like extradition, and go from court to
court when needed. The rest of the diplo-
matte work could be performed by consular
agents. This would be large saving. AS
to the army, we need large staff and a small
body of troops. In the event of war the
staff will organize the new levies. We do
not need great navy. first class torpedo
service is required for defence, and this
should not be in any way stinted.


Altogether we think the Presidents Mes
sage fair criticism upon the work of Con-
gress. At the same time the work has been
we'll done. There is middle ground be-
tween tho two positions, which is the cor
rect one, and if the President and the House
the interests of the Treasury and no detri-
ment to the public service.