926 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON's BEQUEST. 



If it were otherwise this pretence would prevail. We should 

 ask in vain for $30,000 out of $30,000,000 of our own treas- 

 ury. Paltry politicians would cant about econom3^ Dem- 

 agogues would demand credit for the vigilance with which 

 they guarded the Treasury from all but peculators. Patri- 

 otic statesmen would stand ready to defend the Constitution 

 with their heart's best blood from the horrible violation of 

 doing good. Fortunately all this is estopped. The Gov- 

 ernment has accepted the trust ; and it is too late to urge 

 that it is unconstitutional to fulfill its engagements. 



Fund Not Insufficient. — It may be thought that the income 

 would be insufficient. By no means, if we may have the 

 whole. $700,000, yielding an income of $42,000, would 

 allow, in round numbers: for the Editorial Bureau, $10,000; 

 for stereotyping and engraving, $25,000; and for contingen- 

 cies — expenses of Regents, books, correspondence, light and 

 fire, etc., $7,000. This is enough for the present. A por-* 

 tion of this formidable amount would go to American 

 scholars, a portion to American artists, and a portion to 

 American mechanics — all would go to reward talent and 

 learning, labor and skill ; and sad to say, notliing to the 

 political parasite. This evil must be patiently endured. 

 When useful things are to be done, useful men must be em- 

 ployed — as to the rest, they must content themselves with 

 the millions of the Treasury. Forty thousand -dollars per 

 annum is a mere bagatelle in the mass of party spoils; but 

 it is a very great deal to be expended in good faith for the 

 benefit of the people. Let it be appropriated in the way 

 here indicated, and it will do us more good — more, a great 

 deal, than we now derive from all the national revenues. 

 This fund is most sacredly ours. Let not our rulers covet 

 it — let them extort no black-mail — nor fritter away the 

 funds upon useless projects and hungry politicians. Let 

 the funds be charged simply with the erection of a small 

 plain building requiring no heavy expenditures for repairs 

 and attendance, with the salaries of the officers constituting 

 the editorial bureau, the production of the plates, and the 

 necessary contingencies — let this course be honestly pur- 

 sued, and I repeat the averment, the Smithsonian Institution 

 will do the country more good than all the millions of the 

 Treasury. 



Government to do Nothing but to Organize It, and then Let It 

 Alone. — It may be thought that this would make the Gov- 

 ernment a kind of publishing house. It is that now, and 

 expends much money in publications which never reach the 



