The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-05-02

| Ooe more consideration NAV bo added in
favor OF the mode of payment pronosed. If
oy any means session is unusually or.
tended, or IT within the same year an extrn
session should be holden, no additional ex.
pohse would be incurred by tho State for
'ne pay ot members, and in connection with
'his last romark, is added tho fact. that
lhere nave been, in the history of the State
Iour extra sessions called, tho first con-
tinuIng Tour days, the last nineteen. and in
one OF moie instances these sessions becamc
necessary from the fact that the GeneraI
assembly ala not do its appropriate work
when In regular session. because some no
liiical object could not DO carried out. Re-.
currenco Of such things would be yery much
hindered, If members wore TO receive mn
pay when coming together for such extra
sessions.
There is one point moro I will call M.
tention to very briefly. Thore have been
petitions presented in this BODY asking that
the per diem OF members be reduced io two
dollars per day, Experience of momhors
viii teach thom that if this change were
made, no one could be a member of this
body except he was able to Ioso bis time
and pay portion of his expenses. No moor
man could be member of this Goner Al
Assembly. That man be rich or noor
does not fit or disqualify him for a seat
here, or tho occupancy Of auy position of
trust or responsibility, and tho rule OF com.
pensation should be such as that a man ran
at least pay his expenses and save himself
from loss.
But more than nthis-exporiepce bss shown
that the attempt to reduce pay of members
too low only results in evil. rs an illustration
the members of tho Iowa Legislature are
paid two dollars per day, and carly in the
past winters session tkey bad voted thom.
selves some S3O 90 each in the way of books
gold pens and pencils, pocket kniyos. &c.
But those remarks have been sufficiently
extended and IL would seem that the pron
osition OF itself was sufficient to claim the
favorable action of the Senate The Sena.
tor from Hamilton, (Mr. Eggleston.) how.
ever. objects, that it is proposed to pass q law
10 elect those who may come after us. and
not make It apply to ourselves. What does
the Senator mean Does be not know that
the chairman OF the very committee that
aas Just now reported this bill, early in the
session sent to tho Judiciary committee of
toe Senate resolution asking IL tho pay
cou'd be reduced constitutionally during
tho term of Office And that that commit.
know that upon the plan he suggests no
change can ever be made That, carving
out his idea, no change in Tho sara.
rios of any State officers can be mndo =
The Senator's talk sounds very we'll and
very much like talk for talks sake. No in.
justice should be done him; but IL does
seem that be could hardly have been m
earnest in taking ;he position he did.
Tho SBnntOr from I,ictipr (Af, \
"hiie no doos no. claim but that the sub
stitute makes proper reduction. objects
that It IS done IN such a way as that til.
people cannot understand Il, and refers IN
the change mado in Congress, as showing
that while 1t was claimed as a reform. the
people afterwards found out it was an in.
creased compensation.
do not think so poorly of my coustitu-
ents, neither of the constituents of the hou-
orabie Senator. as to suppose that they
would have looked upon 80 900 annually to
members OF Congress as a reduction from
SS 90 per day; nor do think it will trouble
them at all to figure from a reduction of
800 each, in body OF ono hundred and
fifty men, the saving of $4,000 or. as be-
fore noticed, with the amendment making
the compensation $500 90, to discover tho
saving o. $2l 600
No proposed reduction of COMPENSATION
in any other department of the public SER
vice begins to equal this, in proportion TO
the amount of expenditure fo- this and such
other public service. Not even the Senator
himself, or any othor Senator upon this
floor, pretends TO say but that the reduction
made ia sufficiently large, or that the prin.
ciple of paying by fixed salary is rot tho
corr ect one. But it is objected that the
people will not understand it, and it will
not be polite. Out upon all such reasoning.
DO mhat is righ:, and your course is much
more likely of approval. than if you adopt
peopte-wafeh'ng, time serving policy.
But lot there be any proposed reform or
retrenchment, and wo are mot with oliec.
tious, and told that we are not beginning in
the right place. That it is all right to re- |
trench, but in some other directions is the
proper one to make the change. Attack !
shat one, and wo are told we must begin |
somewhere else. The truth is, it is hard
UOrk to retrench. |
No individual retrencbes his individual !
expenses, until necessity compeis him to do |
SO. So in regard 10 public expenditures |
Ii is easy TO sail down stream, but when |
the prov is turned in the contrary direction,
it meets the current, and whichever way
you attempt to steer, serious obstacles hin |
der your progress, and by straining every
nerve only, can you make Roadway. The
only hope is in manfully stemming the tide,
and regardless of complaint from interested
parties, to take hold of, and reduce com
pensation aud expenditure in the public
service. wherever it can be done without in
terfering with the efficiency of that service.
Duty to our constituents and the State dc.
mands this. and if direlect in this duty We
shall be hold accountable.
@es------------
R-E- Han Iosanb Il Tob..tor 80 r.