Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-07-14

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l. freely 10 express IL opinions respect
: ing any law which Congress may pass,
without any regard 10 The fact that Mr..
Giddings or any olher member, belong.
; ing 10 Whatever party he may, has
9 voted for, or against that law. In the
present case, we have done precisely
, this, and no more. Ifdoing thi is making
. an attack upon, or reiteraiing charges
against any man, so be it.
When The law of 1856, increasing the
compensation Of Members Of C1ngres, was
e passed, it received the almost universal
conformation of men IF all parties on the
Reserve. As for ourselves, we thought
it extrayaganr, unnecessary and uncalIed
/, for. This law gives to the members three
thousand dollars per year, (or FIVE hun
l dred dollars per month, or nineteen23-l00
dollars, per day, (Sundays excepted for
a session of six mon;hs.) Add 10 this the
mileage, (the member from this District
received 1913, deduct actual cost oftrayel
which is less than $50, leaves $685. and
We have five hundred and ninety two dol
lars per month, or twenty two dollars and
seventy seven cents per day, (%compaling
26 working days, to the month";
1. is true that the present law does not
like the old one, give TO each new member
all the books which former members had
received, but il does giUe 10 each member
a copy of The books published by Congress
during his term Of Office. Ii their value
is estimated by the cost of congressional
printing, they certainly ought to be very
valuable. Mr.. G. says:
As to the length of the sessions Of Con-
eresS. Your article implies thai the time
actually employed at Washington cons;i-
tuies the whole labor of members. That
is wrong. He who supPoses he can APP
propria;e his vacations 10 other business
than preparing for the coming session, can
have no proper conception Of The duties
incumbent upon a representative; aud |
add, if elected, he will ind life too short
TO attain thai knowledge which viii ena-
bic him fully to perform his obligations to
The public.
Il was not the intention Of The trainers
of the Constitution of the United States 10
fix The rates of compensation of any Gifts
officers 50 high as 10 pay them ex.rava-
ganily, not only for the time they were &C.
tually occupied in performing the duties
of their office, but while they we've recre-
ating themselves at Saratoga Springs,
sunping The country for reelection, and
for tie years spent in educating them
selves, besides, and make them anxious to
be office holders for life. In order truly to
represent the people in the popular branch
of Congress, 4 man should be of the peo-
pie, and not be placed far above them in
point OF wealth, as well as position; but
be cognizant of their wishes, and so far
as they are consistent with his du;y, be
governed by them. The rate of COM
p~ensa,ion, should never be such as 10 10
duce men TO strive for an election, for the
mere purpose of accommodating a fortune
Mr.. Giddings says, the compensation
Of Il member, ''nnder The old law, limited
his pay to the number Of DAYS which the
session contained. Il therefore, became
the interest Of the member TO make the
session continue so long as possible, foI
every day would give him eight dollars"
Now oae oftwo things is certain: either
eight dollars per day, Sundays included
and mileage) was a sufficient salary, or
it was not. If it gus sufficient, what
necessity was there for increasing il? If
it was not sufficient, how could il become
Tie interest Of tie member 10 make the
session continue as long as possible2-
Il certainly could not by any possibility
do this. but on lhe contrary would he the
strongest inducemeut ID members 10 fHish
The business as speedily as possible md
return to more profitable employmenls.
Again, if the salary was too small,
why was it that most of the members.
Mr.. Giddings included, were SO willing
to return year after year?
The fact that other officers of Govern
ment received more, if it proves any
thing, proves that they received too much.
But the great benefit already realised,
is the improvement of the Morals of Con-
gress. 1t IS something new in the ethics
of morals 10 claim that the greater the
facilities a man POSSESSES for gratifying
his passions, the more he will restrain
them; that the greater his temptations, l
The purer he will be; the higher his sal [
airy, the less extravagant, &c.
Speaking of bribery by the President. (
Mr.. G. says:
Yet 1 have seen that high functionary I
purchase members of Congress Ike G
sheep in market, by the mere promise Of /;
a clerkship of three thousand dollars. r
If the President could formerly pur, q
chase a member, whose salary was
about two thousand dollars per year, by :,
the mere promise of a ~clerkship of three y
thouand, then certainly all that would be 4
necessary to purchase the same man /
when he receives a salary of three thou :
would be to give him the mere +,
promise of an office Of four thousand r.
dollars. !
The record Of the bribery and cor II
by which the Lecompton bill was i
forced. through Congress. the quarrel p
ling, by the members, the closing ofthe .
in the Capitol. by order Of A
the Vice President, TO prevent drunken !
ness, &C., is a sad comment upon the :,
morals of the last Congress. I
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