Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-22
wTBETvGF0H, DEL.
Tuesday Afternoon, July "a.
TIE BACK PAY, AGAIN-A SAD CASE OF
SUN-srROKE.

The Eastern Shoremdn, Of Salisbury, inhu,
enced. doubtless, by the heat and drought
(Which have been very severe down the Peninsu
la,) lUses it's temper, in manner sad to see The
object Of it's attack is the COMMERCIAL, and the
cause some recent comments in these columns
on the Salary Grab question.
1t seems-to be candid-that we did our Dem
ecratc friends something less than justice in re-
gard to the matter, having stated that majority
Of the votes in the House. in favor Of the Salary
Increase were Democrats. This was an inaccur-
acy, for which we consent to be overhauled
though the averment OF the ShoreDdn that we
seek to draw support to the Republican party
by falsehood is altogether unfair to us, and,
since the copious rains of the last few days, our
Salisbury neighbor will, we hope, withdraw it,
To take, however, the figures given by the
Shorenldn, (and also by the Middletown Tran
script it appears that out OF seventy Democrats
in the House, who voted ,one-half supported the
Grab and large number, Gncluding the Dem
ocratic member from this District lodged the
vote How much credit does that reflect on the
Democracy 1t further appears that the vote
in opposition was made up OF ffty-nine Republi-
cans, and only thirty-f five Democrats. And also,
further, that il but five out of the thirty-hve
Democrats who supported the measure had voted
against it,it would have been lost. Did the Dem
o'rats do their duty, on what the. Shoreman calls
this damnable bill p"
Now, as to the President the Transcript can
not see how the operations OF the Government
would have been interfered with.it the President
hid vetoed the bill containing the increase OF sal
aries, and the Shoremdn INDUCES In round Of
unqualified and discreditable abuse Of him, be-
cause he did not. 1t believes. or pretends to-
that the President is ' usurper," and that " a
more corrupt, d s1onest ruler never disgraced any
nation or people," and that his name will be
remembered with scorn and contempt BY future
generations" &c, &c, &c.
The GOODNESS and apparent desire to be fair
evidenced by the Transcript are so strong con-
trast to such verbal monstrosities as the Shore
mans, that on it's account, il not for the public
information, we may repeat the facts stated on
this point some time ago. The appropriation
bill containing the Salary Increase is a general
DILL by which appropriations are made to carry
ON various departments Of the Government, for
the year commencing July l, 1873 II the Pres
ident had vetoed the bill, all these appropria-
tlons would have been vetoed, there would have
been no funds available to carry on the several
departments Of the Government for which they
are needed, and until Congress took action and
aSain appropriated money they would have me-
cessarily ceased to operate. This would have
been the case with all the Departments at WASH
ington; with all the Mints aud Assay Offices
with all the Territorial governments and with
all the United States Courts; for the bill under
description annually appropriates the money
they require, and without such appropriations
they would suspend.
Now, was it reasonable that the President
should be expected to throw the government iu-
to confusion, by vetoing the whole bill in order
to prevent Congressman from increasing their
salaries
As to the Presidents own salary, we think
$50 900. year none too much. II s25 900. was
Considered proper sum, eighty years ago csr-
tain ly the double Of it is too little rather than
too great, with the enormous growth in the
wealth and population Of the country, the in
Crease OF the Presidents duties aud responsible
tiles, and the decrease Of the purchasing power
OF money.
The S'torendn we hope, will recover from its
sln-stroke. To 80 denoulce the man whose
generalship subdueI the Rebellion and preserv.
ed the Cnion, and whose course as a civil officer
has added new lsurels to those worn in War. il
as foolish as it is uppat riotic