Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-12-18
HOUSE.

ellie all contested QueStOnS thefeNltn.
4 resolution was passed asking the
Post master General the number of
men required for postal saving banks
aud telegraphed when in full opera
ton.
The salary bill was discussed with no
definite action:
Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, spoke on
this subject Hegot on his feet with
some difficulty, and not without assis
lance. There he. supported himself
with cruch under his left arm. He
spoke with clear, ringing voice, which
was distinctly audible in every portion
of the chamber, except when he drop
ped his tone, as he did very frequently
at the close of sentences. His manner
was nervous and rapid, and his remarks
very disgressive; many Of his sentences
being left uncompleted. He was lis
tened to with the closest interest and
attention by members, officers and all
dience. He commenced by saying lie
would examine the question before the
House, first in its moral and then in its
political aspect.
He spoke of the comments Of the
public press on the subject. He would
say nothing in dcrogation Of the power
OF usefulness of the press. The posi-
ton of the journalist in this country
was one Of the highest. The fourth es-
tate did in this age control public SEN
timent; but he would i'll all earnestness
say to the press and its conductors that
nothing was more important than that
in the treating of subjects with the
masses of the people they should look
well to the truth, and correctness, and
principle of what they addressed to the
people The press had denounced as
thieves and robbers the members Of the
| last Congress, and he had seen one pa
per which represented the raid on the
Treasury very much like the charge OF
the six hundred at Balaklava. He had
thought the wit Of that representation
more appropriate than the wisdom. The
gentleman from New York CMr. Ire
main) had spoken Yesterday of dema
goguism. He (Stephens) maintained. tina,
out it. There never had been a states
man who was not demagogue. The
word originally meant, leader of the
people Pericles was a demagogue.
There were two kinds Of demagogues
+ the sham and the genuine. The gen.
uina demagogue was the man VIII led
the people, who guided the people.
The sham demagogue pandered to Ell
rors and prejudices of the people. The
real statesman IVES the physician Of hu-
manity. The sham demagogue simply
courted fayors iii order to get office and
the spoils of the Office. He considered
Lord Chatham as the true, the genuine
demagogue, and related an anecdotc t.
the effect that when Chatham was pro i.
posing to the English Cabinet a new
measure of taxation, including the tax
ing of windows, he missed one member
Of the Cabinet, and asked for him by
name. The answer was that it made
no difference whether that member
was present or not, because he was
fool. "That is the very reason said
Catham, "that want him here, because
| the way be, thinks about this thing
is the way that the majority Of the PEG
pie of England may think about it, and
want to know the sentiment Of the
public. 'Ie wanted'to know it-not
to pander to it, but that he might go
before the people and raise them to a
sentiment Of the necessity and propriety
of the measure -
Recurring to the consideration of the
increased salary bill, Dir. Stephens said
that, he was very glad to say that, that
was a measure for which neither poiti--
cal party was responsible. His opinion
was that the Democracy, in the proper
ton of it's votes in Congress, was quite
as responsible as the Republican party.
1.-The gentleman from New York (Mr.
Freeman) had admitted yesterday that
under the constitution every Congress
had right to fix its own compensa
ton. 1t had done 80 from the begin
ming of the government. 1t had f:e-
quently increased that compensation,
and the increase was always and neces
sarily retroactive Worthy men had
done this in the last century and in the
early part Of The present century. The
brightest ornaments in American his
tory had subjected themselves to be de-
nounced as salary grabbers and thieves.
| The first great thing to be learned
in this life, that which had been taught
in the schools OF ancient Greece, was to