St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-10

| Grand Commander, Sir Grant Weld
man, delivered an address, in which h,
reviewed the rise and progress o
knighthood, and set forth the true prin
ciples necessary to retain and incrcaS,
if possible the honor of that knight,
order Thus was completed the con
secration and dedication of the largcs
and finest Masonic Temple in tn,
world. TETIA Moss.
Hon. C. w. Willard on the Salary Steal
An article from the pen of Congress
man Willard, of Montpelier, is maxim!
considerable talk in the newspapers. jus
now. 1t was called out 10y resolution
of the Massachusetts Republican Con
vemti"n, which we give below; also tn,
article 10y Mr.. Willard:
Rc>oIrcd. That the Republicans .
Massachusetts, emphatically di>approv,
of and condemn the action of the mem
hers of the last Congress. Republican,
and Democrats, who awaited thrmSclVc,
| of the occasion of an increase of tn,
salary of the President and of tn,
Judges of the supreme Court and of tn,
/ members of the Cabinet, supposed I,
/ he Just and necessary for the future. [,
secure to themselves Il di>prnp"rti"nat,
and cNtlavagant compensation for past
rs well as future service.
The expression of the convention re-
speeding the increase of salaries bN tn,
last Congress is hardly according to tn,
truth of history. and makes what will
seem to many persons an unjust dis
elimination between the increase of the
salary of the President and that OF
members of Congress 1t i not true
that Congress or the country supposed
amy increase of the Presidents salary to
he more Just and necessary" than the
additional salary of members of Con
greS>. When the proposition to in
crease the Presidents salary first came
before Congress. standing 10y itself. ii
met with small favor either in Congress
"r the country: and the scheme of in
crcasinG Congressional salaries WAS an
attcrthought and rcSortcd to To help the
bill through to increase the Presidential
salary. The President favored the hill
before it passed either House. and per
Sonally expressed to members Il desire
to have his own salary Increased and
the selfish interests of members in i'll
cIcasing their own pay WAS only one of
the devices by which the President :
salary WAS raised: in other words. it
pulled that increase through. and the
whole measure had favor at the White
House ON that account.
How far there * any opinion that the
increase of tho Presidents salary is more
lust and necessary" than that of mem
beers of Congress is not quite clear: but
the convention in Massachusetts is the
first one vet held that has expressed
such an opinion. 1t is certain that
most of the members of Congress who
opposed the one opposed the other
The salary of the President WAS go,
600 Il year, previous To the passage of
the hill. About S1O.OOU more WAS an
mually appropriated for the White
House and grounds. Til, .estahli>h-
ment''-that is. the White House.
grounds. etc, has always been kept at
the public charge; besides the annual
salary. carpets, furniture. gas, fuel. and
many servants are paid for by separate
appropriations. I'm short. the President
only has the personal expenses of him
self and family and the expense of his
table to pay for. Besides. his public
entertainments cost him nothing: the
few dinners he gives to members of
Congress are the chief items of expense.
outside of the ordinary expenses of IL
private family. There is not a member
of the cabinet who keeps house in
Washington who does not have need to
spend more money than the President.
even without taking into account house
rent, furniture, servants. and care of
grounds; yet the salary of members of
the Cabinet is only. now. SIO.0OO wear.
while the Presidents is S5O.OOO. and
so, 900 mOre-and this sum is annually
increasing-tor house, grounds, etc.
Those who think, that. in view of these
facts. the Presidents salary was prop
erly doubled have. of course. IL right to
their opinion, but it is not easy to see
why they should. ut the same time, de
nounce members of Congress for max
ing their salary, i'll fact, about ne-tenth
that of the Presidents. The condem-
nation of members of Congress who
favored this increase has been in the
main undoubtedly deserved, but even
an American love of fairness ought not
to make distinctions between those vot-
ing for, and the one urging the passage
of and approving with his signature.
necessary to making the bill law. a
measure unfairly and unreasonably i'll .
creasing salaries. Members of Congress
voted for the bill increasing their own
for which they have been prop
erly criticised: the President urged the |
passage of this bill in advance, APP
proved it after it passed. and thereby /
made it law and doubled his own sal |
AIRY. and the Massachusetts Republicans
approve his course. Then |
why object to Gen. Buffers advocacy of
the measure
Since the above was in type. an ex-
of the appropriations for the
last four Years shows that S20.OO0 is |.
much too low an estimate of the appro-
priations for the White House and
grounds. In 1870 there was a deficiency |
alone for repairs, &c. of
S26.0O0, and the appropriations for
ls1O-7l, amounted in the aggre gate to |
more than SI5.OOO. exclusive of clerk |
hire, and not including gas. which is |
put into a general appropriation for the
public grounds. OF this amount over
S27 900 was for repairs and refurnishing
the executive establishments: aud over