Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-12-17
Our Washington Letter,

''' mus i"V iiousc mas spent flo
entire week in poinilcss and proftless Olson.
sion Of the salary question, which was eror.
closed by referring the whole subject bach - az
special committee, with instructions IN -,
the whole salary act 80 far as il can cors,t,.
tionally be done, and to provide for G,ns.
salaries so as TO make them as nearly No -
bic the same as they were before tho t.,
increase, with actual necessary travellin, -.
pensos. To the disgust Of sixty. seven memho..
las shown by the voto) who would have oor
sumcd the balance Of the winter in airing M.
views, it was ordered that when the hin NO..
reported back It should be discussed in comm,
tee Of the whole, under the five minute rplo
The event Of the week was the speech oett,.
Alexander II stephens, upon the salary one.
ton. His intention had been announced a.,
the galleries were crowded BY curious and,
ence, and every seat in the Hall was oocupiol
Scores Of Senators and other officials epioyi,,.
the privilege Of admission were upon the g,o,
MIR. Stephens spoke for nearly an hour viii,
all the force and fcrvency which Of old cha,
actorizcd his utterances, showing that MI,
mind had in no measure been affected by tlo
wreck Of bis physical constitution. lis foo
bic and atteuuated body was supported bvo
crutch, and his head was covered BY a yel,c,
smoking cap. lie took the boldest and mos,
radical ground in Justification and defence or
the late increase Of salaries, and declared fla,
had be then been in Congress he should nat
only have voted therefor, but should have toke-
and retained both the back pay and increased
compensation lie was listened 10 with tho
most interested attention, the members and
others in the remote parts Of the Hall LEAVING
their seats and crowding around him. Upop
his conclusion, many members and senator.
| Gen. Butler among the FIRST, came forward
shook him by the hand and gave him their con.
gratuations lie had evidently given voice anil
expression to the views privately entertained
By his hearers, including thlse who for urn.
Dental and polite reasons ore among the a8.
yocatcs Of a return O the Old grade Of salario.
The recent discussion has disclosed the fac,
thai scarcely Representative thinks the now
rate too high That those who returned the
" back pay to the treasury, or fastened 10
part with % by an ostentatious donation to some
worthy object, were not altogether convinced
that they were not entitled thereto seyideneed
by the fact that an the Senator'S and Represent
atiycs have drawn and retained their pay. at the
increased rate, since the ith Of March last
The history Of this question is iorcible illus.
tpti1n Of the fear IN which American politi.
clans stand of popular disiayor, Having in.
creased their own and the salaries OF a few
other prominent officials TO an amount still be.
low that generally commanded By talent and
education in business and professional ayoca.
tons, with the first words Of comment or criti
csm uttered By few newspaper correspond
ents O sudden aud -enstlcss panic seized them
At the first cry Of stop thief, they almost
justified the cry, by running and casting their
bundles back, or tossing them hastily to some
honest person by the way Terrified by the
hue and cry and ,,uug by the shout Of "sallry
grab 30 and back pay steal upon the drst
day of Congress. a score Of bills are introduced
20 appel-e the popular clamor, by re-cs,abIish.
log The old mto % pay ! know Of none who
in private conversation DO not claim that the
new rate Of salaries is none too high They
advocate its modification. not as being demanded
By honesty, justice or equity, but by policy
and prudence. There certainly does not ap-
pear TO be any present danger from centraliza.
ton or Cuarisn. so long as the legislators Of
the people arc So ready 10 hear aud heed the
peoples voice.
j. The attention Of Those who think that the
Republican party is chargeable with extraya-
gancc in the payment of the public servants, il
directed to the fact that in the Democratic
city Of New York, the present pay Of the
sheriff Of the County is $3.50, OOO per annum /,
that Of the County Clerk, $500 900 Register,
100000; Surrogate, 500 ,oOo, Chambe. in,
$50 900, and Judges Of the Courts, Si7 800
each This, be remembered, is in the present
rJorDied New York, with Tweed in the pen-
tertiary and the power Of Tammany broken
Compare with these startling figures the pres
ons salary Of the President Of the United
States, 1000 Cabinet officers. $4,000 4;
Judges Of the supreme Court, $40. 900, and
Senators and Representatives in Congress, 81. p
500. II IS not probable that the salary ques.
ton will be brought before the House again
before the holiday adjournment, and it will not
be hastily passed by the senate
The reelection of Hon Matt u Carpenter,
as President Of the senate, pro icm.. was in
tended by the Senate not only as an expression
Of It's recognition Of his superior ability, but as
a triumphant yindcaton Of his good name
against one Of those foul ISLANDERS that have Of
late become the reproach and disgrace Of jour
nalism. Some years ago Messrs White and
Ramsdcll, correspondents Of the New York
Tribune, were before Senate committee, Of
which Senator CARPENTER was chairman, 10 an
swer from whom they procured a stolen copy Of
treaty. Refusing to answer they were re-
ported to the Senate as contumacious wit
nesses. Still refusing to answer, they were
very properly, by order Of the senate, i'm
prisoned detained in one Of the committee
rooms) for contempt For this indignity, these
vampires Of the press have since followed Sena
tor Carpenter with constant abuse. Last fall
while at Long Branch Mr.. Ramsdell published
IN his correspondence TO the Tribune, an afro
clous Islander against Mr.. Carpenter, which
was made the subject of repeated editorial com
ment by the Tribune, and extensively copied
by the press. With lofty contempt of the
press, or rather Of the class represented by Mr..
Ramsdell, Mr.. Carpenter made no effort at
reiutaton or defence. His friends, however,
furnished the Tribune with conclusive evidence
OF the utter ialsity of its correspondents story,
including Ramsde e admission that there was
no truth in it, but that the libel was uttered to
get even with Carpenter for being instrumental
IN his imprisonment by the Senate. Though
convinced, the Tribune ungeuerously refuses to
make public acknowledgement of the fact, or to
do anything to repair the injury so uHustly
and cruelty done Senator Carpenter. This
wicked and willlul attempt 10 ipjurc Mr.. Car
penter has excited the indignation Of even his
enemies. The intention of Ramsdell, and the
effort OF the Tribune, was to render Mr.. Car
penter's reelection as President pro fem. i'm
possible its effect was to make it inevitable.
THoHls.
The State oranges Of Iowa and Illinois
are now in session, the first at Des Moines
and the latter at Bloomington. The adj
dresses of the Grand Masters have been
published in the daily papers of both States,