New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-11-13
The Back Pay Question.

One OF our exchanges, which growled itself
hoarse over what it calls the ''salary grab,
thus attempts to account for the slight re-
verse the Republicans have met wi,h in some
Of the States:
'lf we look at particular causes for events,
we are forced TO repeat what We said at the
beginning of the contest in New Iork-that
the Republican platform in that state was
not outspcken AMI bold in regard 10 the one
thing-the Congressional salary grab-whch
caused the greatest political discomfort. IL
simply denounced the back pay feature; but
II did not lind any iiull with the increas OF
future pay; aud IT did not demand n repeal
oil heincrea>ei pay"
! But in Ohio tie Republicans demand not
only the back Jay, hut the increased salary
III the strongest and most indignant terms,
and demanded repeal Of the law authoriz-
ing it. Then we lost tae Legislature and
Governor, and barely saved the rest Of our
State ticket.
The Republican Convention of Wisconsin
were equally Rigorous aud outspoken III con-
demning the measure AMI demanding lis
repeal. In that State we suffered an over
whelming defeat, losing the Legislature
Governor, the whole State ticket, and every
thing else.
The Massachusetts Republicans were also
very ferocious in CONCERNING the salary
grab" and resolved that it must he wiped
from the statute books. Yet they barely
escaped defeat, their minority falling from
7C,GO0, or SO, to about l2,ooo. And worse
yet, General Banks, who advocated and
voted for the measure, and pocketed and
kept Tie money, was elected TO the Massa'
chusctts state Senate al strong Republican
district AGAINST an ant;-".aiayy grab" Re
publican candidate. General Butler, too
who reported tEa measure TO the House, an1
strongly advocate it there. and defended i
before the poypl', came very near bein=
nominated fOl Go.cra IS the STATE, shown.
vastly more strength before the convention
than he did the year before.
And the CagoHicic gives some equally sig
niicant facts as to the opinion of the people
of Iowa in regard to this greatly abused sui
jcct. 1t states that in the first district 0
the State Mr.. McCrary was among the first t.
dcnOuncc back-pay and return it to tn
Treasury. lis district, however, gives tn
Opposition eighty-ninc majority, gain o
several thousands for the Democracy.
In the second district Mr.. Cotton b0ugh
United States bonds with his back-pay, can
crled them, and returned them to the Unite
States Treasury; but the Hciormers carr
his district by 900 majority, gain for ther
of 5 900.
In the third district Donnan kept his pay
and the Republicans carry his district by
handsome majority.
In the ninth district Orr pocko'ed his por
, ton, and in his district, over Grants larg
( majorites, there is an increase Of some twelv
, hundred.
In the sixth district Walden divided hi
I back-pay among the schools, and very Sc
I verely denounced the measure; yet tn
| Opposition have carried the district by 34C
although he was elected By nearly 5000 ma
, jority.
The truth is that this question, like tn
franking privilege ard civil service humbugs
have been seized upon by demagogues {
, both parties as means Of commencing them
, selves to the people as vigilant and faithful
= defenders Of their interests. But the peopl
, care very little about them. Ours was abOu
, the first paper to condemn the back-pa
, measure. But we never thought it matte
Of such momentOus Importance as to dcvOt
, our columns exclusively to its denuuciatio
and those who differed from us in regard t
it. The people have shown by their vote
that they care very little about it.