The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-01-22
High Times In the House.

oNei euo oio'oI hahh'uS Piifii0Roi 40
the custom of distributing postage
stamps to members may be styled. The
resolution to give ten dollars worth Of
postage stamps was voted down on
Thursday. Yesterday the question
came up in a new form. Instead Of
giving the stamps to the members di-
rect, it was proposed to have the Ser
geant alarms stamp all mail matter
for the nIeEbers, the privilege of each
member to be exhausted when stamps
to the amount Of ten dollars had been
used for his benefit. When the discus
sion had taken a wide range, under the
vigorous supervision of the member
from Morgan who sports the ce.
real cognomen, DAVIS, Of Harrison,
threw in hand grenade, in the shape of
a resolution declaring that the consti-
tuition forbade the direct or indirect
increase of the compensation of the
members, and affirming the uuconstitu'
tionslity of any resolution voting to
the members postage stamps or other
emoluments. The explosion was pro-
digious, and the consequent copsterna-
tion ludicrous.
The resolution was proposed as sub
stitute for . tangled mass Of propo'
sitions, all looking to the appropriation
of the postal plunder. The effect Of
red rag upon mad bull is traditional
The mention of the Constitution to
some of the members of the House
seems to have a similar effect. With
rather more zeal than discretion the
member from Marion, PIERPoINT,
bore down upon the offending
proposition. There was fire in
his eye, wrath in his roar, immi-
neat deadly purpose in his plungipg
but not mustard seed full of prudence
IN his angry assault. After carsering
around the field in course Of demoli.
ton aud destruction. he subsidized to
take breath and give opportunity for
any expressions of wonderment and con-
graduation that might be forthcoming.
The member from Harrison coolly apol.
ogized for having occasioned the men,
Der from Marion such violent emotional
exercise, and then lib ten minutes
speech dis,ected the humbug theory of
indirect compensation and laid open
the fallacies Of the postal perquisite,
naked to tho world. The effect was the
total decentralization of the brevet
frankers.
The venerable member from Morgan
tried to rally the skedaddling elements
with a sample of the old, familiar
blasts that were so potent a few years
ago, bat in vain. Then the Marion
county man began to weaken. lie
wanted compromise. He was not in
favor of voting stamps to the members
direct, he said, although he had voted
for that very thug the day before. He
wanted their documents stamped at
State expense, that was all. Moreover,
be heartily concurred in the first part
of the DAVIS resolution. He was ready
to declare that the Constitution forbade
the direct or indirect increase OF com
pepsation. A division of the resolution
was conceded, and the vote taken upon
the first branch. 1t was carried unan'
imously. Then came still worse
embarrassment. The second branch
declared that the voting of stamps
or other emoluments to members was
unconstitutional. To vote against
this was to assert the right
of the House to bestow upon
the members "Otber emOluments'
in addition to their salary, thing ex.
pressly forbidden by the Constitution.
To vote for it was to surrender iDglori.
ously. The Marion man first tried for
another division, so as to clear himself
of the "emolument' pit-fal into which
he had blundered. Failing hero, he
seized his hat and beat an inglorious
retreat to one of the committee rooms.
This produced such unpleasant chatting
that he finally faced the music and
by his vote placed himself on the record
as in favor of the very proposition, in
opposing which he had just attempted
to assert his claims to leadership.
The Morgan member stuck to his colors
gallantly and voted in gloomy solitude
for the time. honored custom of extra
perquisites. A more complete exposure
of pretentious emptiness and baseless
consequence has never before been wit
messed in our legislative halls.
After the substitution of the DAVIS
resolution for the DoNEHoo substitute
the House adjourned. The matter will
come up again on Monday, upon the
question of substituting the resolution
for the original proposition to allow the
Sergeant alarms to stamp allfnail mat
ter sent out from the House, within tn o
ten dollar Limitation. We would like
to see every member, no matter what
party he belongs to, sethis face firmly
against this illegal appropriation ofpub-
lie money. 1t looks like small matser
we admit, but the right to appropriate
ten dollars illegally involves the right
to make similar disposition Of ten
thousand. The papers to-day will
carry the report Of yesterdays proceed
ings through the length and breadth Of
the State. The people will heartily and
gratefully approve them. Let there be
no going back upon this honorable rec
ord. The House has made capital
strike for popular favor. The golden
i .,ra,dv ron oupht not to be