Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-13
"THE SALARY THEFT.

The New ork Times, known as "lIrant's
oEn," grows virtuously indignant over the
at of members of the late Congress voting
themselves a little "swag." In its issue Of
TIE S,h inst. that paper says:
"We trust that the Congressman who
valei for an increase in their own salaries,
covering the past two years, have already
legua to learn what their constituents
think Of them. II they are not still hang
ing around Washington, besieging the de-
IsItments, but have gone home, we have
] doubt they begin TO see what the people
think of their dishonesty. The have found
tat the men who pay taxes, to whatever
POLITICAL party they may belong, can under
stand a clear act of cheating without any
fficulty. TO take money which does
LOT belong TO one, simply because one
Can take it, is very clear pre-
Cess Of plumber, no matter who may
lie engaged in it. If salaries are TO be
Iaised at all, they must be raised by tie
vote of a Congress of which some mem
bers may receive the advance, But an ad-
vance might easily be made TO date from
two years ahead. In that way only one
third of the Senate would be interested,
snd the interested Senators could withhold
their votes without defeating the measure.
such course would have been that which
6 body of honorable men would have adopt
ed. Time was when
tven such faint of possible corruption
would have killed measure of this kind
in the United States Congress. No one
can imagine that James Madison c. Cow
GTneur Morris would have touched such a
s.rn,.oefffov, &. - II,
days Of Clay and Calhoun have tolerated.
We have changed I'll that. We have
raised generation OF statesmen who are
content TO follow the lead Of 1Ir. Ben But
tier. That iliustTious Statesman is &C
CustOmed TO deny with much Indignation
that be stole spoons in New Orleans. de
reed no longer trouble himself to deny tnat
charge, or any other like it. People viii
forget it in remembering that Mr.. Butler
led the raid on the Treasury, in which
I.inety-nine Representatives and thirty-six
Senators captured So, 900 each for them
ielves and their associates"
In another article in the same issue
the Times says "the shameful trick has
thus far excited comparatively little COM
Jnent," "but people who suppose Oh this
sccount that the scandal will 'blow over
will find themselves much mistaken" and
adds:
"Wher the nation fully understands how
il has been swim lied by its representatives
IN Congress, there will be a storm which
Inay make even Ben Butler question the
wisdom Of his course. The Forty second
Congress did little or nothing for the peo-
lie. 1t simply distinguished itself by max
ing grab at the national exchequer on
the eve Of its separation. 1t is one Of the
Ilost monstrous abuses Of legislative power
ever perpetra;ed, and every man who took
part in 1t will be irretrievably disgracedin
the sight of the public"
This fragrant outrage might have been
prevented by Grant; but, interposes the
Times, be could not have done so "with-
out blocking the wheels of the govern
ment." But does any man suppose this
amendment would have been tackled to the
precipitation bill if il had been known that
Grant would veto it? Not bit of it. Sup
pose he had thus stood upIfor the right
and vetoed the bill and blocked the wheels
Of government, could he not have convened
the Forty-third Congress in extraordinary
session right away, and that Congress would
have passed the appropriation bill? But
be was after a little "swsg" himself, and
he knew he could not get it from
the new Congress, for the Consti-
tuition interposed too positive barrier, and
30 to get some ''swag" himself, he helped to
perpetrate this 'salary theft" The conclu-
sion of the Tines aptly applies here: "The
public viii not readily forget piece of ras-
cality so shameless, SO despicable, and SO
conspicuous. Following close on the scan
dal of the Credit Mobilier-a scandal aris-
lug largely from the moral cOwardce of
Congress in treating tit has wrought a
deep impression upon the people, which
will make itself felt sooner or later-and we
sre inclined to think IL viii be sooner rather
than later"