The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-07-24
SENATOR eARPENTER.s DEFENCE.

This DISTINGUISHED gentleman has re-
Gently made a speech to his friends in
Wisconsin-to convince them that the
action of Congress, at the last session, in
voting back pay and increased salary to
| its members, was not only constitutional,
lawful, and supported by distinguished
precedents through the entire history Of
the Government, but thatit Was thing in
itself entirely just, proper, and honor
able.
notwithstanding all this, Mr.. Carpen-
against him. and that he might as well
attempt to brush back the falling vol
ume of Niagara with feather as to sup
pose, for single instant, that the people
can be satisfied by any amount of argu-
ment, with the action of the last Con-
gress.
There are some subjects which are
settled only by instinct and intuition, by
that which, in human beings, we call
common sense, and not by established
forms of logic not by the sophistry, the
plausibility, the faesse of oratorical dis
play. And this happens to be one of
them.
The very things which are argued in
Justification of the deed have excited the
popular suspicion and disgust, and the
point which is made by the people
against their representatives in Congress,
on this question, is not that they acted
under the sanction of the Constitution
and of former precedents, but that they
took advantage of these pretexts to be-
tray 6duciary character, viii ch is even
more sacred than forms of law. The ac-
cusation ofthe people in this case is that
being clothed with power to do it under
the forms of law, and emboldened by
prior examples, they pro6ted themselves
at the expense of the public treasury,
without so much as asking the consent
of the people
And the same reasoning which would
justify the act in question would, upon
the same principle, justify the next Con-
gress in voting themselves any amount
of the peoples money. The argument
of these gentlemen, therefore, proves too
much !; the people cannot stand it, and
they will not They will not allow their
agents to vote themselves salaries of aEy
indefinable amount on the plea that they
can earn more in other occupa tions
that their living necessities require it;
that other men have done it before them,
or that the national charter gives them
the power to do it.
The people will say to such men, by
their votes at the next election, True.
you have done this because you had the
power or the right, but we will see to it
that you shall never have the power or
the right to do it again and we will
make such an example Of you that it
shall prove a warning to ali future poll
ticians not to trife with the treasure of
the people simply because they are cloth
ed for the time being with Legal or con-
sttutlonal authoritory which shields
them in it. y
This is case where, under the exist
ing SYSTEM the people have no remedy
against the encreaehments of their re-
representatives. in Congress but the ballot.
1t IS remedy very imperfect and unsa
tisfactory, but such as it is they will be
sure to use it.
There ought to be another amendment
to the Constitution, which would supply
an efectual remedy against the repeti
ton of the salary legislation last winter.
We are sorry Senator Carpenter has
opened this question afresh. We like
him for many reasons. We admire his
genial spirit, his great talents and honest
purposes, but he has made mistake in
this matter, which will be brought home
to him and to the Republican party
WASHINGTON Republic