New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-10-19
And now on the other point: Mr. Giddings

And now on tue Quiet punt MI ViuuhSS
admits that he left his seat in Congress some
weeks before the Session closed, drawing full
nav ND to the last day of the Session, and went
off about his own business-electOneering, for
the most part He considers this justified BY
The practice Of other Members, as well as Ex-
G veofficers, who leave their posts for weeks
ar I receive compensation as if they had
kept at work throughout. Now, without at
tempting t. decide on the correctness OF these
charges by and allowances TO Others, we insist
that they do not justif, Mr.. Giddings. If a
Member. in the course of the Session, takes
occasion to run home TO his family, or other
wise absent himself for a few days from Wash
ington, the presumption is that he has so
timed his holiday that no public business OF
importance'will be concluded in his absence
that nothing can suffer thereby. But Mr.. Cid
dings positively knew, when he abandoned his
seat that almost the entire work of the Ses-
sion remained undone-that hitherto Members
had been mainly qualifying themselves TO vote
iutelligently. and that to leave now would be
practically equivalent 10 absence throughout
the Session. We do not see how cOnscien.
tious Member could absent himself at all for
the last three weeks of SessiOn-but to thus
absent himself and yet take pay as if he had
served faithfully to the end, is not consistent
with our ideas of honesty and good faith.
Let Us here state pertinent fact which
occurred in lSi7. We met Wing Member
of a former Congress, aud proposed 10 him
the name of another Wing Member Of the
same Congress for the office of Secreta-
~ Of State. to be filed that year By election.
He responded d" have one objection to him,
viz: He left the House for home three days
before the Session closed, leaving important
measures to be lost or carried by close
vote and drawing his pay to the end
Then he is not the man | took him for,
was our reply, and We never more advocated
his selection for that or any other office.
All great abuses fOrtify themselves by asso-
citation with lesser ones. The gambler with
ulCe lIlsBsIS lIdl nc II W bhC HlNNH-
lators in stocks, and is entitled to equal con-
sideration. The drunkard props himself up by
the example of somebody who drinks literally,
and has been seen slightly disguised but is
still considered respectable. So Mr.. GiddingS
finds justification for his enormous charges
in the less enormous but still wrong charges of
others, who probably never thought nor said
any thing on the subject, but took Just what was
allowed them. If that don't suffice, he tellsyou
that he has always voted to correct these
Mileage abuses. $50 every one will say, if ar
raigned for unjust exactions.) And yet the
abuses 90 on, and nobody takes the credit of
them, while nearly every one takes the money.
We entreat those Members who really mean
Reform to turn over o new leaf at the next
Session, and only charge and receive Mileage
by the most direct road instead of the circum-
ambient usually travelled route. If only fifty
will do this, and give publicity to the fact, d.
Quoting from their pay bill s. for every day
which they were absent from Washington dur
ing the Session We think they will bring matters
to focus. VIII they not try it