The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-16
Per Diem.


Per Diem.
The Legislature has done whit from the
beginning il was evident II would dp--ln-
definitely postponed the whole subject o.
reducing the pay Of members. Ills q'1cS-
ton is "standing bag 4: The mil! Win
the Legislature, and its fate has always been
the same. 1t is mainly subject for deina-
sosism. Many stupid man has gotten int"
he Legislature By raising tempest III Il l"'.
pot in his county about the extravaganza Oh
the LEGISLATURE, the enormous pay ana mic
ace of members. and the months spent III
idle debate. They make great promises
abou, what they will 10 when they sc' 10
Richmond; and when they take thci' seats
thew find that they have no weight IN lAc
body, and that their feeble and inslnceTc ci-
forts to reduce the pay Of me4peE' arc
brought to contempt.
The members are not nor have they been
NJ any time ovcrpaid. We blame the mayor
i,y for not boldly taking this ground. lhcv
often f;sht the dcmagogucs with strategy ana
G,;hustcring which docs them no credit,
showing some skittishne5s about popular
opiujons. II they would only boldly de-
nounce the attempt TO reduce the pay, and
claim that tlsir services arc poorly rewarded
considering the sacrifices they make by long
,bscnce from home and neglect Of private
business, the rcoric would applaud them.
What is wanted i not reduction Of pay, but
the proper discharge of legislative business,
and that there shall he no waste OF tine III
idle propositions such az The humbug about
reducing per diem. If gentlemen will give
:!lcir attention to their legislative duties IN
The enlarged sense that each Of them is rep
resentativc of the whole State as well as the
little district bv which he is elected, there
will be no cause Of complaint. Few lcgisla-
tors carry home more than very small sum
Of money out Of their per diem. Expenses
here absorb the greater rIt Of it; and il Il
mar cnGcavors to Give Ike q gcntlcman'
nc will have left "nothing to speak off, But
ihc liaplic>t man amongst all the lacmbcrs
promised to reduce per dicm. He is joyous
That per diem WIS not reduced, and that he
IS able TO 60 lack homo 50 well paid for de-
nouncing his fcllow-members'
There have been honest men who cndca-
yorcd TO cconomiZc by reducing the pay Of
members and the length Of the sessions. The
elder KEEN. of Piltsyvania, was uuqucstion-
ably IN honest man and most cstimahlc
neighbour He never failed. as the disiim-
guiShcd Ex-Governor Of Washington Terrific
~ would say, TO "inlroducc a BILL toreducc
per item. He was Il man Of strong will, and
coEcciying that the members of the House
had shown some disposition TO cast rid;culc
upon his measure, as well rs to get rid OF 1t
bv evasion, he swore that he would force
them to the bul-rin%' and make them vote
upon it directly and show the world who it
was that refused to reduce the cXtravagant
pay Of mc.nherS and the cXtravagant length
OF tie sessions.
1t came about that the determined old gen
tlcman was placed hy his tenacity of pur-
pose and his plain talk in antagonism to
nearly the whole body. Year after year the
battle was fought. The solitary antagonist
WAS came. but the odds against him were as
great as that between ELLMAKER's bull and
the locomotive. At the lust session OF his
annual tight his attack was brought to a sud-
den and ridiculous conclusion, that afforded
rreat amusement to tic House, hut annoyed
him UNNECESSARILY. lie used an expansive
bandanna, and was an inretclatc >nuil-lakcr.
His habit was to take little snuff and blow
his nasal trumpet at every pause i'll his III
ycctive against Legislative extravaganza. The
trumpet-tonc was clear and sOnorOuS. After
using it the bandanna was thrown upon his
desk. He would then generally cross his
hands behind him underneath his coat-tai,
and throwing his head back he would ad-
dress the Speaker with great energy and fire.
The snuff and the bandanna were the threads
of his discourse. After he had gone Oh for
some time, the House regarding him with
more of q mischievous feeling than attentive
hess, just as he dropped the bandanna and
assumed his speaking attitude, WILLIAM VI.
BURwELl, who sat behind him, adroitly with
drew the handkerchief from Mr.. EEEH's desk.
and when that gentleman had rounded OF
one Of his most vehement sentences he made
his regular dive after the bandanna. His
disappointment was terrible; be looked
around with rage that appeared to choke
him. He was the picture Of anger and dcs-
peration. The House was convulsed with
laughter. The Speaker in vain attempted to
restore order; and the orator sat down fairly
exhausted and beaten. He maintained q sui
len silence. He would have found relief in
Il fight, for he was determined and fearless
man; but how was he to fight a whole house
or find his chief tormentor: That scene
wound up "KEEN's war" on per diem, and
we think there was al interrcenum Of serc-
raj sessions before anybody had the courage
to renew struggle in which a very honest
and brave gentleman had met with such an