The New York herald., 1873-12-04
Political Pceksnins and the Back-Pay
r. Larceny.

A aort Of rivalry manifested itself among
certain OF the republican members at the
opening Of Congress on Monday. for the
honor Of being the nmst to introduce bills for
the repeal of the law Of last session, giving
increased salaries to Senators, Representatives
and other national officials. Senator Conk-
ling carried of the palm with his little bill
lin relation to certain moneys appropriated to
members Of Congress" but he was followed
10 closely by others as to make it evident that
the anxiety of our Washington Legislators to
wash out their past record was equal to the
greediness with which they openly supported
or the suavity with which they silly aided
the 'back-pay'' larceny only few months
ago. This sudden conversion is certainly
gratifying, if we are to regard it as an indica-
tion that our Senators and congressman who
have heretofore been unpleasantly mixed
up with lobby schemes, who have been
mere men Of putty in the nimble
fingers of national banks railroad corpora
tions, land grant Spectators and their lobby
agents, and whose reputation has been
notoriously tainted and suspiciously favored
had become convinced of the error of their
ways and had resolved on amendment for the
future. But unhappily, the suspicion will
force itself on the public mind that the virtue
now manifested by such recent sinners is only
the result Of the popular condemnation of
their meanness and dishonor, and that if the
voice of the country had not made itself sig
nifcantly audible in denuncation of the back
salary law. we should have heard no word in
favor of its repeal from any of these high
toned politicians. This suspicion is natural
enough when we remember that the influence
of Senator Conkling alone would have
suficed TO defeat the contemplate measure
now affect to be Mortified at the iniquity were,
only few months ago, either openly or
-coverty directed to its consummation.
The truth is that this pretended anxiety for
repeal is only an ''artful dodge" of the politi-
cal Pecksniffs, and the public may as well un-
derstand the fact at once, so that the farce may
fbe speedily brought to close The people
.have not asked for the repeal Of the increased
salary bill They are not so mean as to be-
grudge those who serve them in public ca
pacity fair and even a liberal recompense for
their services The increased salary of the
President is little enough The law fixing the
new compensation will never be repealed.
What the people do condemn is the mean act
of Congressman in voting themselves large
amounts of back pay for services that had al
ready been gladly performed for stipulated
Iecompense, and this petty larceny act can
never be recalled. Members have received the
money and spent it, and no power can make
them restore it. The bills introduced for such
q purpose are bald frauds, designed for politi-
cal effect, and only serve to render more often
sive the previous action of those who intro
duce them. The members who like the dem
ocratic candidate for Speaker, button up their
pockets, laugh at the popular indignation and
boldly declare their intention to keep their
back pay, are far less contemplate than those
who did not discover their desire to cover it
into the Treasury until the popular voice was
heard, or those who, now that opposition is
useless, turn round and oppose the measures
they failed to oppose last session.
TIE UNsEAwoRTHY MANHATTAN. have