The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-04-29
A Political Remlniscence.


TNROM the records of Niles Register the
Il fact is shown that Congress, in 1916,
passed what was called compensation
bill," changing the pay of members from
Sc per day while in service to $500 per
annum, and increasing the pay of Speaker
and Vice President at the same time. 1t
passed by a very decided vote, but was so
distaseful to the country as to defeat every
man who voted for it and compel the next
Congress to change it although it made the
new act take effect upon the following
Congress. Pay was again fixed at SO much
per day during the session, but the amount
was raised to $S. The increase voted then
amounted to 100000. Henry Clay was
among those Swho had to run the gauntlet
of popular disfavor because he voted for il.
Hence this little incident:
During the canvass Mr.. Clay met an old
hunter who had previously been his devoted
friend, but was now opposed to him on the
ground of the compensation bill. "Have
you good rife, my friendP" asked Mr..
Clay. Yes" "Does it ever fash ?''
I" Once only" "What do you do with it.
throw it away?" g No; picked the flint,
tried it again, and brought down the game"
I" Have ever flashed but ON the compensa-
tion bill" "No." "Will you throw me
away?'' "No no % quickly responded the
hunter, nearly overwhelmed by his enthu-
siastic feelings; 81 will pick the flint and
try you again?''
John Pope, well-known in the politics of
Kentucky, offered himself as candidate
against Mr. Clay. He was one armed
man which gives point to the following bit
of Irish wit:
An Irish barber residing at Lexington
had always given Mr.. Clay Ii is vote, and on
all occasions when he was candidate for
Office eiectioneered warmly for him. His
ardent temperament and unrestrained pas
sions involved him in scrapes and diff
culties, out of which Mr.. Clay had gener-
ally succeeded in extricating him. While
the canvass was going on, after the COM
pcnsation bill, the barber did not evince
his usual zeal and animation; on the con-
trary seemed to be Indifferent as to the re-
suit of the election To all inquiries for
whom he designed to vote he answered eva
sively. He was accosted few days pre-
vious to the election by gentleman for
whom he entertained the most profound
regard with the question, "For whom,
Jerry, do you mean to vote?" Regarding
his interrogation with shrewd look, he re-
piled, "Faix an shure, docthur, mane
to vote for the man who can't put more
nor one hand into the threasury."
The Irishman's logic was as good as his
wit. But the results of the proceeding
are most fully described in the following
extract from a letter of Thomas Jefferson
to Albert Gallatin, dated June 16, 1917.
He says:
, According to the opinion hazarded to
you little before your departure, we have
had almost an entire change in the body
Of Congress. The unpopularity of the
compensation law was completed by the
. manner of repeating it as to all the world
except themselves. In some States, it is
said, every member is changed in all.
, many. What opposition there was to the
original law was chiefly from Southern
! members. Yet many of those have been
left out because they received the advance
! wages. / have never known so unani-
i, nous a sentiment of disapprobation, and
what is remarkable is, that it was spon-
taneous. The newspapers were almost
Q entirely silent, and the people not only un-
, ruled by their leaders but in opposition to
them 1 confess was highly pleased
with this proof of the innate good sense,
; the vigilance, and the determination of the
D people to act for themselves.