The sun., 1873-06-24
4 Dodging Senator.

\ Dodging Senator.
Senator SuERNAN has found il necessary
10 write letter in order to relieve his
bad position ON the hack-pay grab; hut
instead of bcttcriug il he has only exposed
himself to stronger ccu-urc hyattcmpting
TO escape from responsibility through II
wIlful deception. lie says:
81 determined would not receive the back
pay, hut leave Il where it nov - In the Treasury
Of the United states.
II 80 notified tho dishur-lng ofrccr of the Sem
ate; and when asked nN any one about the mat
ter have answered that would not receive 1t.
I did not, Hnd do not now. deem II necessary
formally 4" receive the money and then pay II
back again.
This j. the substance Of a very lame and
unworthy explanation. Mr.. SHERMAN is
Chairman of the Committee OF Finance,
aud i, supposed at least TO know the COM
mon routine by which he receives his pay.
tie cannot bc ignorant, except 10y ntcn-
tion. ON thar subject. Each House has
disbursing officer. who draws the salary
due 10 members in lalk from the Trca-
sury, and distributes individually among
them, taking receipt, which i the formal
voucher in closing his accounts at the
Treasury. 80 member can receive pay at
the department, because il l. not voted
personally. The money i, appropriated IN
a gros. sum. ami must b, drawn under the
prescribed rules.
Therefore. when Mr.. SuERMAN alleges
,hat ho "woull leave the back pay where
II now is in the Treasury Of the United
States, hr Is guilty of II pcrvcr>ion of
truth. for IL i, not There. If II was. there
would Dee no occasion for him t. add"
So notified the disOursing officer of the
Senate, for in that case, il subject To his
own control. "a, lac evidently wishes it to he
uudCr,t BOD, an order 10 the Treasurer of
the United states would hlv" at once ended
all doubt ou the matter. There is but one
simple and direct way of returning this
money to the Treasury, and tn" example
has been set by honest mon who would not
coil their reputation with such plumber.
II i now in the hands of the disbursiug
officers or under their control only. order
check in each ease for the amount due.
and assign it to Gen. SPINNER, who will
turn the money into the public erAeIs ana
credit tho ,,"I.i-'- member
If Mr.. SHERMAN really desired to live up
20 his professions, all he had TO do was To
follow III the footsteps of his own colleague.
Mir. THURMAN. who. without any osteuta-
ton or fu>>, quietly did what AN upright
gentleman should do aud sought no ap-
plause for the discharge of PLAN duty.
The contrast prc-cutel by these two sen
utots Representing tho same state is far
from being credtable to the former, who
has dodg td aud beat about the bush, pa-
rading II false pretencc of integrity, and
yet leaving thc-c stolen goods where he
can always lay his hand On them. Various
members have re>ortcd 10 similar methods
Of deception in the hope of misleading
their constituents while pOcketiug the
the spplls. The trick is to write 10 the
Sergeant -at-Arms declining t. receive the
grab, and then publish the fact. That
does not affect the right of the ,chcmmg
member IN the least, Tor il stll stands Ia
his credit. aud may De claimed AT any sub
srqurnt time ~ the money can only get
back INTO the Treasury through the agency
of the person entitled 10 receive II from
the Disturbing officer.
The Ncrgcaht-at-Arms has no power to
dispose Of the salary due to Il member, eX-
rep! to pay il over to hi, order and protect
himself by receipt He draws perhaps
100000 or some other large sum onagivcn
day. ON account of the general appropria-
ton tor pay Of Representatives ana Dele
gates, and lie squares that draft by
vouchers, and 80 on until the whole fund
rs exhausted. He understands perfectly
well what Is meant when some Christian
statesman writes that his conscience is
troubled about receiving the back pay. 1t
Is conclusive evidence to his mind that one
man at least means tu get ms i've thousand