Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-04-09
From the Washington Chronicle.l
CONGRESSIONAL SALARIES.

-e. writers for the sensational press, by
.b skillful use of their pens and the Il
egraphic wires, occasionally produ
'se a similar effect on the newspap
- world. The comments of the pre-
n throughout the country on the recei
os law increasing the compensation.
members of Congress furnish a not
Ue BILE example. 1t was perceived |
o. these lynx-eyed correspondents tn
Id the mass of the people, who do n
10 earn, on an average, over two or thru
hundred dollars per annum, woul
% not understand the necessity of il
- creasing the pay of public servan
+ already in the receipt Of over fol
II hundred dollars per month each.-
l. Such an opportunity to create a sen
II alton is rare, and, of course, Woul
s not be neglected. And by keepin
d steadily out of sight all the facts jus
e flying the increase or mitigating th
s enormity Of the transaction, and b
: exaggel ating every Objectionable fea
e tUre, they have drawn into the col
q umn of assault probably a majority {
!. the newspapers of the country. The
f charged that Congress increased th
compensation OF Senators and Repre-
sentatives from $4,000 to $l5, 900 eacl
| per Congress, giving to themselve
: s., 900 each as back pay during the ex
piring hours of the Congress, violates
their contract to serve for the compen
sation previously fixed by law, whicl
amounted to an unblushing robber,
of the people by whom they were EN-
1 ployed, thus proving themselves Il
be pack of thieves, &c.
Without proceeding to justify thu
increased rate Of compensation, it may
be well enough to take the sobel
second thought" " at an early period
and to examine this transaction in
the light shed upon it by the Consti-
tuition, precedents, admitted facts, and
dispassionate reason.
As we have heretofore stated in
these columns, the Constitution pro-
vides that Senators and Representa-.
tives shall receive compensation for
their services, to be ascertained by
law" and that /" the legislative pow
er shall be vested in Congress 4" that
each bill passing both houses, before
it becomes law shall be approved by
the President, unless withheld by him
o yer ten days, and If not so approved
or withheld. on being returned to
Congress may become a law by two
thirds vote of the two houses.
1t is therefore clear that the trainers
of the Constitution intended to clothe
Congress with the power to fix the
compensation Of its own members. 1t
is a question cOnfided to their own
Judgment. Whether this is or is not
wise provision is not now in issue.
H. 1,a ,ol
right to fix the compensation of its
own membeIs must be conceded
Hence the passage of law so fixing
it at whatever rate is not robbery or
3 steal in any just sense in which these
terms may be used.
Fixing 1t at an exorbitant rate
would be the subject of just censure
on the part of the people. But the
people have. in the adoption of the
Constitution, clothed their Senators
and Representatives with the unqual-
fled right to dowhat they have done.
And this raises only the question
whether the compensation voted is
unreasonable or not. This question
we will notice hereafter in this article.
But it is urged that the increased rate
of pay was made retrospective, so as
to include as participants 10 its advan-
tages the very men who voted it that
il would net have looked so bad if it
had been made prospective. Voting
it into their own pockets, therefore,
seems to be the gravamen OF the Of |
fense.
This leads us to the inquiry wheth- |
er it was not the intention of the |
trainers of the Constitution that each |
Congress should have the right to set |
tie the question of the compensation |
of its own members. Had they
deemed this indelicate. or in any sense
improper, they doubtless would have
so provided as to relieve at least the
first Congress from this necessity. by
declaring the compensation of its
or by referring the question
to some other officer or tribunal; and
each succeeding Congress, by requir-
ing that their compensation should be
fixed by preceding Congress, and
that no act changing the rate of COM
pensation should apply to the mem
Ders of q Congress by which it might
be passed. But the Constitution con-
aims no such provision. /,
The foregoing statement of the plain
intent of this constitutional provision
s in harmony with all the acts OF Con-
yress on the subject. II
Congress, at its first session, COM
March and ending Septem- /,
)er %, 1769, passed an act, approved ,
september p of that year, fixing the !
,ay Of Senators and Representatives,
including members of that Congress,
It So per day for every day of attend !
nee, or detention by sickness on the /
Fay to, at, and on the way from the !
eat of Government; and also, allow !
ng for travelling expenses $6 for each :
wenty miles of necessary travel for
ach round trip. This act also pro q
-ided that from and after March.4, ;
795, the compensation should be 81 :
er day, and 81 for each twenty miles .
f travel.
An act approved March 10, 1875, re- !
+ pay at $6 per day, and mileage as i
efore March 4, l795. q
On March 19, 1916, an act was ap. q
roved changing the compensation +
'om So per day to salary of 81 500 3
er annum, with mileage as fixed un- v
er the previous law. a
On the 9Th of February, 1917, an act :
-as approved repeating the act of =
Iarch IS, 1915, and providing that =
his repeating act should not be SO :,
1nstrued as to revive any former act
D the subject; but it was so framed a
not to affect the compensation of =
ting Senators and Representatives n
I'D made il necessary for the mem u
srs of the next succeeding Con- q,
ress TO serve for nothing or to regu- =,
te their own compensation, e
An act was accordingly passed by n
le next Congress, approved January :,
J, 1878, providing compensation at h
Ie rate of SS per day, and Ss for each ;,
Tenty miles of travel. This act was e
Prospective, extending back to =,
arch 4, 1917. r.. e
On the 18th of August, 1856, an act h
as approved changing the mode of Al
Iyment from s. per day to a salary so
S, 900 per annum, with mileage as 10
fore. The third section maue this
I applicable to the Congress which of
lssed it. ne
The seventeenth section of an act r.
)prOyed July q, 1865, provides that di
eh Senator and Representative shall NJ
ceive as compensation S. 900 per an fv
Inn, |" 70 be computed from the first "a
y of the present Congress- and m
Tenty cents per mile for travel, be. 20
z one half of the former rate, but
.cepting from this reduction of mile
e the accounts which had already
crued. Hence, for that session the &c
ileage remained as before, although nc