New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-29

the Repubncan party, SIMPLY because not naii INC
legal voters have any clear and true idea of what
Republcanism really is. If we win this battle, it
must be by the help Of voters Indifferent or hostile
to our cause to-day. Men and brethren we are to
succeed by WORK, or not at all, and the time to
begin that work is NOW
The Country owes debt, which it will not
hesitate to acknowledge, to JOHN SHERMAN of
Ohio, for his straightforward and successful blow
yesterday at one of the most scandaous abuses now
practiced under our Government We allude to the
transparent swindle known as Congressional Mile
age. The compensation of Members of Congress
was originally fixed at six dollars per days service
with six dollars for every twenty miles necessarily
travelled in going to or returning from the seat Of
Government The Mileage was then no more than
fair equivalent to the ak dollars per day. But, in
process of time, steamboats, and railroads have
changed all this. AMember could formerly average
forty miles travel per day, at cost, including board
and lodging, of SIS; he now travels three hundred
miles per day at a cost of Cat the outside) Sl5
But the new routes are far circuitous than the
cid ones: 80 that while the Members make thou
sands by the change the Government loses 1t
actually costs the country 800 600 more per annum
to get its Members of Congress to Washington and
home again than it would if they Travelled on horse
back, as Henry Clay, John c. Calhoun and John
Mclean did fortyfve years ago, at the rate of forty
miles per day. And the amount to which they are
legally entitled is swelled, thousands upon thou
sands, by dishonest charges and roundabout jour-
neys, made expressly to distend their pockets with
public plumber.
Mr.. Sherman, as the Chairman and organ OF his
Committee, has struck this rascaity sumner
right in the face. He proposes to pay hereafter
treny instead of forty cents per mile and to COM
| pute this mileage on an air line from the home OF
each Member to Washington, instead of zigzaggiDg
about by Robin Hoods barn, making the journey
as long possible and charging for distances never
Travelled, even thus. The Members from Louisiana,
for instance, now receive from 81 500 to $4,000
each from the Treasury per annum Cor did when
we we're last enabled to get look at the Mileage
roln for travel fees to and from Washington; in
stead Of which, under Mr. Shennans bill, they will
receive about $500 each for that same. The three
Members from Oregon now receive some $4,000
each per anDum for Mileage; instead of which,
Mr.. Sherman's bill will give them about $1,000
each, which is enough.
OF course this bill was resisted by all the tricks,
and doeges, and qurks, and sorry jests which cum
| ming lawyers know so well how to employ. Most
of these quirks were based upon bill not before
the House-one for which Mr.. Sherman's was
a substitute. No use-Mr. Shermans bill was or
dered to q third reading, by the decisive vote of
I2S to a. and would have finally passed but for the
pertinacity and ultimate success with which the
dodgers struggled to throw it over. But it will
come up again, and will pass, jugge and shuttle to
the contrary notwithstanding.
Was human impudence ever carried further than
in brazenly maintaining that poor men can't afford
to give four or five months per annum to the work
Of legislation for pitiful SO 900 per annum, unless
they are allowed TO double the dose in the guise of
Mileage Where is the poor man who can't afford
to 90 to Congress at this rate TrOt him out and
let us have lock at him all round Put him
through bis PAGES, and let us time him There is
many poor egislatOr-unsQeakabl poor-that
The Country can't afford to hare in Congress at any
price; but Of men who can't go to Congress because
tie pay is only $4,000 a year, with liberty to
shorten the seeso ns to til average of four months,
we are profoundly ignorant. Show them up 1t
will rejoice our souls to find all the adyersaIies of
this moot righteous Mileage Reform among them.
-Gentlemen of the Senate The Press, without
distinction of party, has nobly backed you in your
efforts to abolish the FraDkiDg Privilege. 1t will
back the House just thoroughly in lite demOnstra-
ton against ziezag ard exOrbitant Mileage. DO
not, we beg you bar the way to the success of this
most needed reform
-
mEDARY,s VETO.