New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-10
RAISING SALARIES.

The county is nobly struggling and econo-
mizlng to pay the debts incurred III our late
Civil War. 1t has TO pay Sl2O,OOO,OOO per an
mum merely as interest on its National Debt
alone; beside which, there are State, County,
City and Township debts incurred Ill the same
struggle. and n Pension List of S3G,OOO,MO TO
the cripples, widows and orphans, whom the
War commended to its gratitude and sense of
Justice. The total charge for Interest and Pen
sions together must exceed One Hundred and
Eighty five MlliOns-more than Half Million
Dollars per day. Considering that not less
than Half Million stalwart men-mainly IN
the prime of youthful vigOr-either died in
that War or were disabled by its casualties
and hardships this is very serious charge
upon the resources of Forty Millions of people.
But we are not merely paying the interest
of our vast indebtedness-we are steadily re-
ducng the principal. We are wisely and nObly
paving considerably more than One Hundred
Millions per annum of these National State
and local War debts, thereby rendering the
burden lighter and lighter with the lapse Of
each succeeding year. Such payments are not
made without effort and sacrifice. They cost
The Three Hundred Millions (Greenback) per
annum thus paid as War Taxes are full tenth
of the annual product of our National Industry
The People bear molly, realizing that they
have but to pcrsevere few years, and their
public debts-NatiOnal and lOcal-will be ex-
tinguished. Twenty years of just such taxa
ton as the present would wipe out the last
vestige of our War Debts.
Prices are lower and falling. Europe takes
little of our Brcadstuhs this year, and that
little at low prices. The Great West has poor
crops as well as low prices Farmers have but
half as much Grain as they had last year, yet
must sell what they have for half of last
years prices. They paid high Greenback wages
for labor, yet must sell its product at nearly
Specie prices. Many of them cannot sell their
crop for enough to pay the cost of growing 1t.
OF course, they feel poor; and demagogues are
tempting their poverty by telling them that
they could escape it by Reputation. Such
times try mems souls; happy they whom the
result proves to hare souls!
In this critical hour when too many are
feeling their bones through their skin, we are
asked to consent to q general advance of Of
fetal salaries. OF course, the demand is not
made in this shape, but we all know whittier
it tends President Grant tells Congress that
it has raised its own pay twice since 1T has
added cent to the compensation of Judges of
the Supreme Court. Do we not all see that
the scope of this argument stretches far be-
yond the Judges aforesaid? Are there not
many others whose compensation is no greater
now than it was when Congress managed to
exist on SS per day?
We certainly consider $4,000 small pay for
Chief Justice of the United States. Consider
ing the sort of cattle that receive more as
Judges of all manner Of inferior Courts in this
City, this stipend seems paltry indeed. But, If
we begin to raise salaries, where shall we stop
The Chief Justice is in office for life. After
ten years service, lac can retire at seventy years