Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-11

out the popular will and who in doing so is
willing to submit to personal sacrifice and
loss, then he wished that the House were
full of such demagogues. He supposed the
gentlemen Of opposite views who might be
called
Anti.DemagOgues,
belonged to that school which believed and
practiced the belief that the public offices
were created not for benefit OF the public
but for the benefit of the incumbent. AS
an extraordinary example of that class OF
public officers, he referred the House to one
who had once been member Of that body,
who subsequently held an office in the city
of New York, and who by means OF con-
spiracy with other office-hOlders used the
public office for the aggrandizement OF his
own fortune. That man had suffered the
penalty which sooner or later comes to
punish those who violate the laws OF God
or man. Those who wished to profit by
that mans example might look in upon
him in cell No. "a in the penitentiary on
Blackwell's Island. In conclusion, he ap-
pealed to the House to repeal the act OF
March 8, 1878.
Hawley.
Mr.. Hawley, Of Connecticut, addressed
the House in favor of the reduction of sala-
ri6s. He did not object so much to the in
crease given to the members of the Cabinet
and justices Of the Supreme Court as to The
Presidents salary. He had not voted to
make it fifty thousand dollars, and would
not do so. He was sorry to see such tone
of denunciation or censure as prevailed in
the House on this subject, below the tone
of the nation. He would vote for a reason
able reduction of salary, and to give MEM
bers what he thought they ought to have.
Mr.. Kellogg favored a reduction Of the
salaries of Members and Senators, but did
not believe the people required any inter
ference with the salaries of the other off
cials.
NegIey Attacks a Brother Rad.
Mr. Ellis II. Roberts, of New Y orll, said
il was true that great violence and lack OF
characterized the public
press on the question. The indiscriminate
abuse of public men, without reason and
without preteXt, was a crying shame. If
the effects could be kept at home, it would
not be so mischievouS, although it dimin-
ished the Indictment to lauslable ambition.
If the members carried their eyes to the
OIlltE sue Ol tut AIldtllliN, tllCl Nb'hu SNS
how greatly more mlschievOus it was.
Mr.. Negley-Did not the gentleman carry
his back pay to the other side Of the Allan
tic?
Mr.. ROberts-If the gentleman has salts
fed his own conscience with reference to
his own back pay, he has performed his
duty, but appeal TO him not to decide my
duty for me.
Mr.. Negley-I mean nothing mkind to
the gentleman, but simply make the in
quiry whether the gentleman did not lately
return his back pay to the treasury.
Mr.. ROberts-When l assent to degrade
this body bv a personal controversy, it will
be when I change my estimate Of public
duty.
Mr.. Niblack said
The Most GrcefuI Thing
to do was simply to reinstate substantially
the old law, leaving all other questions con-
nected with it to be settled hereafter on
some more appropriate occasion. He did
not think that the compensation OF mem
bers of the Cabinet and judges Of the SUI
preme Court too high, but he thought the
Presidents salary was
Out of All Proportion
to all other salaries fixed last session.
Mr.. Durham did not consider the COM
pensatiOn fixed by the last Congress toe
much, but would vote for the reduction IL
obedience to public sentiment. He be-
lieyed his district demanded, and that the
GOOD of the whole country demanded the
restoration of the franking privilege.
The Leader of the House.
~, l.
did last session, that the increase Of salary
was an unwise measure. lie thought there
should be revision of the rates of compen
sation of persons in the civil service. Al
that had been done relative to increase o
nav must be undone, so far as the COnSti
tuition will permit. The constitution ha
wisely guarded the Executive against an,
encroachnNnt on his compensatiOE we can
| therefore, talk freely about the salary O
the Executive, because We know that any
| thing we do cannot reach the present EX
ecutive. He stands before the country,
Thank God,
| as one who never sought that place as a pc
sltion for the attainment Of wealth, but W
have made the compensation for the tr
ture. together with the perquisite
Of office, so high that hereafter
| when he shall have left that place
we shall proclaim to the country that tn
highest Office in its gift is position for tn
attainment of wealth. If weleave the maj
ter there, contenting ourselves with tn
idea that this whole condemnation is cor
fined to the fact that it touches our owl
salary, we misjudge. With 100000 salt
nv, there are perquisites allowed which var
very little every year from S5O,OOO, so tha
we leave the Presidents Office hereattt
with a compensation of 100000 attache
to it for the term, and | submit that whe
we can do so without our motives being in
pugned, when we stand so far from an
person whom it can effect, and when W
can do it under circumstances that nobod
can say that it is reflection upon him,
is our duty to meet that question and met
it fairly and squarely. Mr.. Dawes sal
that he saw no propriety in increasing IL
salaries Of the Judges Ofthe Supreme Cou
and Cabinet officers, and he thought II
compensation of the latter should
brought down to the same as that awardt
the President of the Senate and the Speak,
of the House.
Mr.. Hale, Of New York. ask the ge1
tleman from Massachusetts as the leader {
the House and Chairman Of the chief +
nancial Committee of the House wheth,
in his judgment, leaving the voice of Il
people aside for moment, and on his oat
as a member Of the House, he conside
the salary Of $4,000 year an inordina
or eXtravagant salary either for the head
department or for Judge Of the Supren
: | Court.
Mr.. Dawes-In country which prid
itself on its
simplicity Of Manners
= and Of institution, and in Il country whe
= no place ought to be sought in the gift
S thepeople fOrthemoney it confers, i say ton
: friend from New York, that believe tn
: it will be a sorry day for this country VIII
: we put such compensation to our ofilc'
that they will be sought for the mon
J, they win bring, and | say therefore that
: is better for every one of these men I'll
= their compensation shall be what it W
: before the passage Of the law of '53.
> Mr.. Hoar-My colleagues statement
relation to the Presidents perquisites W
undoubtedly attract attention throuShc
the country. He has stated that the ?
o,,isiteS Of the Presidents office amount
j. j. nm average to $4,000 year, making
u salary aud perquisites for single te