Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-08-28
From the Baltimore Gazette.
Morton On Back Pay.P

Senator Morton is distinguished for two
qualitles-bOldness when he can carry his
point by sheer force OF audacity, and artfui-
ness when bOldness will not serve his turn
II needs be, he does not shrink from eQuiVO-
eating" paltering In double sense" In
his speech at Athens, Ohio, on Saturday last
somebody was put forward to ask him WlAeth-
er he had not personally taken the back pay
voted Rt the last session OF Congress. The
question was adrOitly put aud this was the
equally adroit way ne answered It,! ~
Well, can say.I hGUe not taken IL, and neD-
er erDecttO. [Cries OF GOOD" "We will vote
for you,.' and loud applause Immediately
after the passage OF the bill had an interview
with my distinguished colleague, Mr.. Pratt, OF
Indiana, and We there agreed that we would
not take it, beISeViRg that he pT1NcIpls iRVOLUed
M back pay sodS not a sound one.
There are two points worth notice In the
reply. We propose t. treat Of them sepaE-
ately. The first is that he has not taken the
back pAy,and never expects to. That Sena-
tor Morton has not vet drawn the mOney Is
true. But he has allowed it to remain to his
credit in the Gus Ody OF the dlsbursing Oflcer
of the Senate. He has not taken it. for the
simple reason that he wants the popular in
diRnatiOn that has been aroused In this matter
to subside, before he claims 1t and apprOpri-
ates 1t to his personal uses, IL he really did
not ''expect' 10 demand 1t OF the Sergeant-at-
Arms at some future time, he knOWs-nOne
better-that there was but one course to pec-
sne-the course so promptly adopted by Sena-
tor BayaFd, and, We are sorry to say, by very
few others. He should have drawn it from
the discussing officer and returned 1t to the
Treasury That was the Ouly Way-c0verlng
it into tho TreasuIy-tO put It beyond recall.
Instead Of this, he lets 1t remain where il iS
within his reach, and then publicly assures the
prOple Of Ohio he has not taken It, and does
not expect TO. 1t Is mere subterfuge. II
lacks even the ordinary boldness that men as
criDe to him. Itis q sneaking way of creating
the impression that he will ha We nothing 70 DC
with the money, leaving 10 all the time IN the
hands Of another and subject TO call.
The next point B cOntalned In the last two
lines we have itaHcised In the oXtract. 10
those few words he gives what puEpOTts to b'
his reason for not taking hts money. He De
Ileved, he said, 'that the principal involves
In back pay was not sound one"
viii it be credited that this man, when thu
hill was before the Senate, never once oblecteS
10 the principle involved In the bill did NOT
in point Of fact, oppose the blu at all On th'
contrary, when the House amendment 20 th(
original bHl, reducing the back pay tr9m e3l
ZOO 10 1880, came before the Senate, thi
stIckler for "pTincple' manifested hvel!
interest in retaining the larger sum. ID
move to strike out so much Of this amend
ment as refers 20 Senators. Representatives u
Congress, and Delegates from the Territories
II am to have the name Of having my ealaF
Increased SOant q sttbStaRtt0Ag 5laeredSod
IoGnt e InersdSeG iR SIeh q Sodg as to gnsOpRt
,sOD1othSnQ. The increase here given, %, 500 70
salary in lieu Of mllage, stationary, and new
paDeFs. would be an Increase to me Ofabeu
$500. prefer TO let It stand as Il e raths
than TO have such change az that Epdkes.
Mr.. President, lG We are TO tneroae0 our SAN
rles, let US make Il a SubstdRtIaI and red'0RGo
incredS6.
IL was finally agreed to LET tho matter b
settled by the Joint Committee OF COnterenc
which soon afterward, IS might have Deen g
pected where every mans pocket was int
ested, reported back In favor OF striking o.
the amendment When It came 70 the an
vote Mr.. Morton dOdged1t. When the BILL VI
passed hIs colleague, Mr.. Pratt, drew bis bae
pay and returned Il 10 the Treasury. Not |
the more wary Morton. He neither took
nor rejected t. He simply let it lie In g
hands Of the discussing Ohleer ol the Senas
Six months have passed, and Z remains thei
still, unless Mr., Morton, since his Athe
sDesch. has been g0aded into following u
example Of his Senatorial ussOeiaees