Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-02-17
NATIONAL SALARIES.


the salaries of Senators and Represen-
tatives, and some of the principal officers
of the national government, contains one
provision which calls for the severest
denunciation, and that is the proposed
increase of the salaries of the members
of the present Congress. The PROPOSE
tion is for these gentlemen to advance
their pay proper from five thousand dol
lars up to eight thousand. When it is
considered that the proposed increase is
to be made for work already done and
paid for under the existing law, the
scheme involves one of the most bare
faced attempts to plunder the public
treasury which it is possible to conceive
of. 1t is worse than the Credit Mobilier
scandal, and would justly cover with in
fanny every man who should vote for it.
1t is nothing more nor less than for
Congress to vote itself bounty out of
the public treasury after having received
the full and agreed compensation for its
services. One advocate of the scheme
talks about the franking privilege hav-
ing been abolished, and makes that one
excuse for advancing the idea. This is
perfectly idle; for, admitting that there
was any force in such suggestion, which
there is not, the amount of postage hon.
estly accruing to members, under any
circumstances, is but trife, and the
franking privilege will remain in force
until next July, leaving the present
Congress in the full enjoyment of the
same until its powers and authority ex-
pire.
It is matter of profound astonish-
ment that the judiciary committee Of
the House should have sanctioned the
introduction of so shameful measure
into the salary bill under the pretext of
precedent, or any other, and there can
not be doubt that the good sense and
common honesty of the House will very
promptly repudiate it. Aside from the
obnoxious features referred to, the salary
bill contains no recommendation which
has not some support in reason, while
several of the propositions for increase
are founded in justice. The increase Of
the Presidents salary for the time to
come to fifty thousand dollars per annun
is nothing more than the Importance and
dignity of the office and the honor Of
the nation require. The same may bt
said of the proposed salary of the chic
justice of the Supreme Court, fixed a
ten thousand five hundred dollars, an(
the salaries of the associate justices a
ten thousand dollars each. Lawyers o
the ability and eminence in the profes
sion which the highest judicial tribuna
in the nation demands, can and do com
mand a much larger income than this il
their private practice, and it is a decid
; ed mistake to set up cheap judges t
cope with the best forensic talent in tn
country.
The bill provides for salary of te
thousand dollars each for the Vice Pres
ident and for the Speaker of the House
which cannot be regarded as more tina
fair compensation for those officers
| The pay proper of members of Congress
for the time to come is fixed at eigl
: thousand dollars, and actual mileage
instead of FIVE thousand dollars and col
structive mileage, as at the present tim'
: 1t is said, however, that members q
u about thousand dollars in the way {
J perquisites and allowances, besides tt
> pay proper, and their ct ceteras will
; but slightly diminished by the propose
d change. Perhaps a full allowance (
i eight thousand dollars, and cutting Q
u all perquisites of every description, ,lnigl
be fair and proper 1t is certainly we
X to give Congressman enough to keep the
= from dabbling in government jobs to Ell
. out their incomes, but still not cnoue
. to make the office sufficiently remuner
10 tive to tempt unworthy men to intrig'
Z for election for the sake of compensate
'e which the position should afford.
r
l VINO WOULD BE kING.-Accordil
to rather rough account, out of nur
ber of about two thousand five hundr
- and forty emperors and kings over sixt
: four nations, two hundred and ninet
~ nine we're dethroned, sixty-four abdics
" ed, twenty committed suicide, elev
70 went mad, one hundred died on the b;
= tle-feld, one hundred and twenty-thr
10 were made prisoners, twenty five becal
IN or were pronounced martyrs and sain
be one hundred and eight sentenced to deaf
u total, nine hundred and sixty-three
. Hearth and Home.
r. Boston, after her great fire, fndi
I'd that the loss effected her business Ca
h. tai and resources. only, and did not d
nd tress the laboring class of her citize