The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-05-22
From the N. Y. Evening Post. ]
Sumner and Shellabarger.


Senator Sumner, although delayed in
the settlement of his accounts with the
United States on account of ill-heaIth,
has taken precisely such action in respect
to the ''back-pay" theft as was to be ex-
pected of an honest man. He has turned
it over to the United States. His simple,
manly letter on the subject is as follows
'SENATE CHAMBER, May 2, 1873.
SIR: Please pay into the Treasury of
the United States, on my account, the
sum Of 81, ,443 60, being the allowance to
me of what is known as back pay for
the Forty-second Congress, deducting
therefrom the mileage allowed by law
81 am, sir, your obedient servant,
CHARLES SUMNER
"The Secretary of the Senate"
We have taken the liberty of calling
this the act of an honest man-an act,
therefore, which deserves no particular
commendation, but which, because of the
different action of many of his fellow
members of Congress, becomes notable.
By so doing, according to the Honorable
Samuel Shellabarger, of Ohio, we have
put ourselves into the class of vulgar
demagogues. To be demagogue, and a
self-confessed one, is certainly very dis
graceful; but to be vulgar one, in the
copious vocabulary of the Pathological
honorable man, we are vain enough to
think is infinitely worse. In short, we
shoulder the entire odium of the phrase
as it is understood by this most eminent
Ohio casuist.
We are well aware that Mr. Samuel
Shellabarger is one of the persons to
whom the President has intrusted that
tender plant, Civil Service Reform"
The presumption is that the moral no.
reformation in the civil service of the
government are correct. But are they
correct? We think not.
Mr.. Shellabarger pretended to be op-
posed to the "backpay" swindle. 1t was
assumed, therefore, by a credulous public,
that he would refuse to take the money.
Indeed, the report that he had so refused
was publicly circulated and Mr.. Shella-
barger gained great credit from his sup
posed action. Some cynical and inquisi-
tive person, however, distrusted the re-
port, and discovered that the new Civil
Service Reformer had, contrary to the
general belief, put the extra salary into
his own pocket-book. Thereupon Mr.
Shellabarger metaphorically rose to eX-
plain in a public letter. In this letter he
declared that he had "striven in the
forum of his conscience and in view of
all obligations to God, country, self and
children, and decided fearlessly what
duty is" This is well said and breeds
confidence. But concludes this eminent
gentlemen, did l return this money l
would be guilty of either an act of vul-
gar demagogism, which l am not ambi-
tious to achieve, or else of moral coward
ice, which l would gladly leave undone."
Or, in other words and still after his
manner, by refusing to take this money
he thinks he would commit an act of
vulgar demagogisn, with an imputation
that my [hisl comrades were thieves"
The inference is that Mr.. Sumner is
vulgar demagogue and that he imputes
thievery to Mr. Shellabarger. This is
unkind of Mr.. Sumner, but we are cruel
enough to take sides with him, irrespec
tive of the condition in which it leaves
the gentleman from Ohio, to whom the
President has in part committed the care
of "eiyil service reform"