New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-27
RHICH SEEMS NECESSARY.p

We have occasionally received from readers
of THE TRIBUNE letters containing in one
form or another the impatient query, " what
is the use of harping upon the back pay
"business 7" We remember, too, to have
observed in various Administration journals
remarks to the effect that it was disagree
able subject and there was no sense in keeping
I'D the discussion. Not a few members of Con-
gress who had not drawn their back pay
"and did not intend to- have expressed the
opinion that there were other subjects vastly
more interesting to the general reader; and
some who had not drawn it, but thought 1t
was "a good deal of money! have not hesitated
to state their positive conviction that 1t was
"child's play" and that nobody took any in
terest in it. With great respect for the opln-
ions of all these gentlemen, and for the per-
feet candor and frankness of their utterances,
we may be permitted to repeat that the agita-
ton of this subject by the press of the coun-
try is the only way to convince the gentlemen
who have been leaving their back pay In the
hands of the disbursing officers of the House
and Senate subject to their orders, while they
were getting credit for refusing it, that 1t Is
not safe thing to do, and that the only
course which will satisfy the people is to
formally cover it into the Treasury. We
are convinced that the agitation 10
wise and wholesome, and that 1t has
already done good. Not alone as financial
transaction saving to the Treasury a rev
thousand dollars, but as a moral purifying
agent in giving to members of Congress
clearer ideas of their own duty and OF the
nt tyha honorable
decent.
Occasionally a bird drops. The firing from
all quarters is not in vain. A day or two ago
the Hon. o. p. Morton, possible candidate
for the Presidency, who " had not drawn his
"back pay and did not intend to-" made a
political speech in Ohio, in the course OF
which he was Intercepted upon the dispo-
siton he had made of his back pay. he
replied with great dignity that he had not
taken it and never expected to, but was
particular to add that Senator's and Repre-
sentatives who had drawn it differed with
him, and that he had no doubt OF their
honesty, &c. This being quite an old story,
and it having come to be understood by
everybody through the agitation OF the sub
iect by the press that the back pay was
already drawn for every member of Congress,
and stood to his credit subject to his order
until formally covered into the Treasury, 1t
did not answer. So the next day an Indian
apols journal supposed to be his authorized
organ announced that he had already directed
the Secretary of the Senate to turn the amount
into the Treasury The next day but one,
being yesterday, it was announced that Cen
o. L. ,ooo,.ro1 tho hack Df two
members of Congress, accompanied by re-
quests that their names be withheld from the
press, and that one was supposed to be
Senator Morton.
II was added that the reason for withhold
ing their names was that "neither OF them
desired newspaper notoriety." CThe modesty
of some menD
This morning we have the letter of Senator
Morton to Secretary Gorham, directing him to
return to the Treasury the increased compen-
sation to which he is entitled known as" back
"pay.n He says: 81 had determined from
" the first / would not draw this money, and
"now comply Nth a Jormdtih Which seems
necessary to close up the matter in your ac-
" counts The letter is dated New York,
"Aug. 1871 or four days earlier than the
speech referred to. We shall not be 80
unkind as to dwell upon the fact
that the announcement of the fact was not
made until the 26th, or that the money had
not even then been covered INTO the Treasury.
II is proper, however, to direct the attention
of the reflective reader to the significant re-
mark of Senator Morton that the Formally
{" seems necessary That gentleman doubt
less understood the law on this subject months
AGO az well as he did on the 10th of the pres
ent month What made the formality "seem
necessary was this disagreeable agitation
of the subject.
(Which seems necessary" Tally one.