New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-22
WHAr MR. NIBLAcK DID ABOUT IT.

WHIT MN. NIDL1th M
Mr.. William E. Niblack of Indiana has con-
tributed his mite to the back-pay discussion
in the form of long letter to Mr. .. W.
Richardson. Mr.. Niblack is one OF the Con-
gIessmen who voted against the blu, Dut tooh
the money. He did not believe, with ME-
CARPENTER, that keeping down the salaries
would close the doors of Congress against all
but aristocrats and 'milliOnaires; nor Win
Mr. Hanbleton, that his constituents were
bound to keep him like a gentleman; nor
with Mr.. Machen, that he was worth all ne
got and more too; nor, with Gen. Butler,
that il was nobody's business. MIR. NlDlack
confesses that he know 1t was al
wrong; that the bill was against puDhc
policy unfair, indecent, without paraliel
sin our history and "presuming very largely
"on the forbearance of an already sorely taxed
"people.n He did not err therefore from lg-
norance, and his constituents were naturally
curious to know why he took the money whch
he was conscious that it was so very dirty
Mr.. Niblack tells us how it was. Deductlng
mileage and perquisites, his share came TO
something over four thousand dollars. teIt
myself he says, every much embarrassed
"Much as | needed money, | did not wish TO
"haye it come to me in that way lie
weighed the pros and cons for "a week
or ten days." On the one mana
was four thousand dollars = and he
needed money. On the other were his con-
stjtuents. and they were pretty certain TO get
mad: Il was fully alive to the fact that
many would criticise my conduct in accept
"inc this additional sum of money! But ad-
verse criticism, he reflected, sis one OF the
incidents of public life, and is often una
Z" voidable.n A public man braces himself
against that when he goes into the business ;
IL ia considered, 80 to speak, in the wages
Resides. he reflected further, suppose | had
&" turned the money back into the Treasury,
there would have been many wen-diS-
"posed people who would not have gwen
me full credit for disinterestedness ana
"patriotism. So you see that 1t Is an unpleaS-
" ant pieee of business TO one like me from
Z" anv point of viewn OF course 1t IS; Tor
what is the use of being patriotic anu dlsln-
terested if you are not to get any credit tor
III What is the use of keeping your handS
from picking and stealing If you can't make
capital out of your honestly 1t certainly Is
an unpleasant piece of business"
Well. Mr.. Niblack az last, after turning the
matter over and over and feeling of the
money and estimating the political value OF
restitution, and remembering that ne hau
already been reelected before the Dill passed.
concluded-as he rather c0mlcally expresses
it-"to allow the law to take its course lilo
" accented a draft for the money" and al
"loved it to be placed to his private
"credit.n stood, if we may be pardoned
the expression, entirely non-resistant,
merely holding his pockets open while
the Sergeant at-Arms stuffed four thousand
dollars into them and then he Duttoned his
nocl,ets and went home, shaking his head
over this unpleasant piece of business" la
mentinc the decay of public morality, pro
" foundry regretting that Congress felt called
"upon TO precipitate this salary question upon
"tbe country so suddenly and especially In 80
" awkward a shape,n and vowing that his "re-
" oret would ripen into a seething and bis
"tering notification" if he felt himself III
"any degree responsible" for the outrage
Mr.. Niblack has been in very bad company
and it must be great comfort to MN 10 get
ont Of il not only with such consollng con-
science but with such fine lot OF the plunder'
Put it back, gentlemen; put it back. IL Is
an unpleasant piece of business" and the
sooner you wash your hands of it the better
for you. Don't wait for one another Mr'
Niblack says he would gladly turn over his
share if there could be "a general retundins
=" and cancellation all around" But we don't
believe the people will have much patience
with Congressman who wait to do right until
virtue becomes universal. The popular dis
gust is fast ripening into seething and
blisteripg" Indignation, and the next time
Mr.. Niblack goes before the voters of his dis
trict he will probably be more painfully =" en-
barrassedn than he ever was before In bis
life.