Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-05-08
The Salary Grab.

The following paragraphs are
from the New York Observer,
a paper of great ability and in
fiuence-nOw, and ever since its
establishment, fifty years ago,
the leading organ Of the Presby-
terrain Church:
ILL-GOTTEN PRIZE-MoNEY.
Mr.. r. b. Roosevelt, a MEM
Der of Congress from this city,
has offered to the Board of Ed
ucation the back pay which was
voted TO him and the other men,
bers. 1t amounts to $500, and
he proposes to the Board to ac-
cept the money and invest it,
the interest to be applied to the
distribution of prizes among the
best scholars of the public
schools. We do not know what
action the Board has taken on
this remarkable proposition,and
we trust that they will deliber-
ate with some caution before
they adopt the suggestion
There is a moral in the matter.
That "back pay" was little
better than robbery of the pub
lie treasury. The moral sense
of an enlighted people, which is
rarely at fault, has, with unex-
ampled unanimity, set it's seal
'of condemnation upon this ac-
ton Of Congress. Mr.. Roose-
welt voted against the measure.
That is to his credit. If he has
a moral right CHS legal right is
unquestioned) to draw this mon
ey from the treasury, he has
both moral and legal right to
keep it. But if the act is in
trinsically wrong, then his Civ
ing the money to a charitable
object does not justify him in
taking money that ought not to
be in his hands at all. The mon
ey belongs of right to the peo-
pie of the United States-it was
improperly voted away by Con-
gress, some of the members
thought so at the time, and said
so by their votes. They sure
ly cannot consistently take the
money, after having said by
their votes that they ought not
to receive it. And if they do
so receive it, by no means would
we have the boys of the city
stimulated to diligence by the
offer Of prizes derived from
such fraud. 1t would forever
perpetuate the fact that the
Congress of the United States,
with the appreciation of the
President, voted themselves
"back pay" and while a-few de-
clined to receive it, the most of
them had no scruples, and some
of them, after taking it, gave it
away, and out of this ill-gotten
pay these prizes were purchased!
That rs not good lesson for
the boys. The Board of Edu-
cation will do well to decline
the proposition Observer, 18th
A Memphispaper says: Cali
the magistrates composing the
County Court, except four, have
been indicted for voting them
selves five dollars per diem, when
authorized by law to draw only
two dollars. -Four Of the men,
bers refused to draw the addi-
tional pay" This is not con-
sidered so respectable a proce-
dure as that of the members of
Congress, who passed a law ap-
propriating to themselves ST.
865.60 to which they were not
entitled, inasmuch as the magis-
trates were not law makers, on
ly administrators. But the
Senators and members of the
House are gradually coming to
a sense of honesty. More than
a score have refused or returned
the money, and every few days
adds another to the number
Those who hold on to their share
of the ill-gotten funds, will find
it burning in their pockets as
long as they live, and it will
burn large hole in their repu-
tations.-ObSerUer, 18th.