Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-10-03
&. L. BLISS.

STANDING STONE, Sept. 20, lSGl
Col VICTOR T. ProLLEr FHANK SMITH Esq, and Others
Committee, &c.
GENTLEMEN Your communications dated at
ToLauda, September 4, 1861, together with
the printed proceedings Of a Democratic Mass
Meeting of Bradford county, which authorized
You - act was presented TO me by F. e. Co
BURN, Esq, at Towanda, last evening, in which
YOU make inquiry of me whether " | am viii.
ling TO serve as Il member of the Legislature.
at the coming session, at the old compensation
of three dollars per day"-aud You also
" desire to say. in conclusion, that my agree.
ment to serve the people as a Member of the
Legislature, for the old compensation of three
dollars per day, together with my pledge to do
all in my power to reduce the expenses of the
State Government, by a reduction of all sala.
rics of Office holders to the standard fixed hv
the law passed in 1912" and that "my answer
will influence large class of my feIow-cIti-
zenS,' and therefore you will give it to the
public
In reply to which, | would say, that if the
OLD taio, which fixed the compensation of all
the Members OF the Legislature at three dol
lars per day, were now in force, | would be
willing to serve for the old compensation of three
d0itarS per daV, but as the 0id ia2c is no longer
in force, and as the law of 1853, fixes the sal
aries of aU Members Of the Legislature at
500 for the session, inaSmuch as | had moth
lug to do with the passage of the law of 1853,
but most certainly would have opposed its pas
sage, if | had been in Il position to do so,
cannot believe there are any very considerable
number Of my eOw.citizens, in Bradford coun.
~, that would desire to have me, and me alone,
serve IN the next Legislature for less than half
the sum that all others OF the one hundred and
thlrty-three Members are by law to receive for
the same service from the same COMMON Trca-
Sury of the Commonwealth, aud more particu-
larry so under the circumstances of the case
presented. If | were so lar to forget my own
self respect as to make any such improper
agreement with an opposite party n politics
from my own, for the express purpose of 4" in
lueuciug large class of my fellow citizens" to
vot" for me, theu | would loSe as ought, the
confidence aud esteem of all good and right
minded men, no matter to what political party
they may belong, aud thus, if elected to serve
in the next Legislature, such an agreement
could only serve to lessen my influence and
US 5fuluesS in that body. If were capable of
making such humiliatiug agreement as you
propose, still | find another serious difficulty
10 my way You inform me that you, in con.
nectlon with those whom you represent, know
of no better way to begin the reform, so ur-
gently dema 1ded 10y the eXigences of the times,
but for the people to exact from men soliciting
their sutilages for public Office, an agreement
beforehand, as to the measure of compensation
which they are to give for such public service"
This declaration of yours, explained, as it
seems to be, by the light thrown on it in one
Of the resolutions adopted by the meeting
which authorized you to act in this matter, in
which it is resolved that all salaries and dai-
ly pay which has been increased in the reck-
less extravaganza OF later Legislation should