Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-04-08
CONGRESSIONAL SALARY BILL.


CONGRESSIONAL SALARY BILL.
We see it suggested, says the Wheeling
Register, that suits be instituted against those
members Of Congress who have pocketed the
extra $4,000. upon the ground that it is money
"illegally distracted from the public trea-
sury." 1t is certain that the passage Of the
increased Salary bill has provoked more pop
ular indignation than any other legislation
since the Kansas Nebraska bill twenty years
ego. 1t meets with universal dissent. It's
retroactive operation stamps it in the popular
judgement as deliberate robbery Some of
the men who accepted the additional nav have
We observe. donated it to educational or benev.
client institutions and purposes. receiving not
a little credit and commendatiou therefor
This is all wrong. Either the money is their
own or i, is not. IF it is theirs why should
they not keep possession of it? IF it is not
theirs how can they give it away7 A man
cannot give away what is not his property, nor
can the person or corporation who receives it
have moral title to it The only proper
course was to have refused to touch the money,
THE POSTAL CAR DIFFICULTIES.
A difficulty arose recently between the Post
othce Department. at Washington. and the
leading railroads of the country, on account
OF the complaint of the latter that proper
compensation has not been made to then, for
mail service. The companies gave notice to
the Department that after the LIST inst. thew
would refuse to provide postal cars, and also
to carry the mails and mail agents of the
United States over their roads al the present
prescribed rates. The Postmaster General
became very indignant and uttered some very
imprudent threats about taking possession of
the roads and running their own postal cars
over them. lie proposed several perplezing
questions to the Attorney General as TO the
power of the Department and also the power
OF Congress, under the Constitution. over the
railroads.
Happily, compromise has been arrived at
for the present, and the companies have
sgreed TO run the cars until a special COM
mlttee OF the Senate shall have heard, and
made report upon tLeir demands.
IS Several weeks ago We tw;,tgd friend
l,aIs"rn of the Spirit tor either mapping in
church, or being absent from his pcst-he
having ed!t"rIsily alluded to two interesting
ana logical sermons one in the morning and
the other at nl%tt-wEen the gentleman thus
handsomely euiosised only preached in the
morning. Las: week based II BON information
cqna! as we supposed, to that upou which
most notices vi the kIuh are inserted, we pub,
hshed marriage notice which contained an
error as t" the name OF the minister who rer-
formed the ceremony, whereupon the Shirt
thinks 1t has good turn and cl,uekles
m's"'iy "vor It's Imaginary opportunity. II
our ne1"hbor Is vcrdant enough to sunnose
that his readers will appreciate it "a a t1oo3
joke upon us-he'd better keep out Of the
way OF the COWS and goats, or thev'll feed on
a journalistic co,p"s-that's ali Free Press.
When the shoe gets on the other foot it
p'nehes. and the Free Press bowls Perhaps
ii we were to look through tie green goggles
OF the cold Family" we might be ',verdspt'
and egotisfieal enough to believe that we we're
the 'sous OF Wit" aud that he who dared in
fringe Upon our claims did so at his neril
~ ~ paper from Charles:orrn. Jeffsr.on
county. his State. reached US this week With
one word OF the heading" omitted. We're
oeived it as the spirit Ut Jefferson" hu, i,
should have been the spirit Of Jefferson
O"o's We would advise Mr. DAuIoApN
to make the CORRECTION as soon as possible for
no DOUBT, it is injnring the rcrutltiun of his
paper among the r"dci* "f Jefferson county.
[i'r"s'o" C,""ty .Jomrunl.
GPerhapa. if tie spirit Of Jefferson Davis"
were hre"the'i into the columns of the 'Yan-
kee- printed" .0"y"o1, its editors would be
enabled to publish home printed" paper,
TO ci"the IT in eentlemanly language, and dis
PeDse with the vile New England eaoy So
homogeneous to the spirits CT its present pro
prietors.J
e In the Supreme Court of tie United
States on Monday OF last week, in cage from
Wisconsin. the court gave it az its "nioion tina,
railroads are pnblic highways, no matter
whether they are built and operated by the
State or by private corporations; and that the
building OF railroads is therefore matter of
public concern. to aid which it is Just as con-
st'tutional to levy taxes as for the bu,ld;o. Of
a wagon road OF any other public work. and
the collection of these .a1as carro, l., -,.:,I