The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-05-01
Tho Congressional Salary Steal De-
Tended.

Tho Congressional Salary Steal De-
Tended.
PRUNTYTowN, TAYLOR Co, W. VA, |
April %, 1873 !
To the Editors Of the IntellIgGneer:
have noticed the comments 10 your
paper and ether papers upon the back pay
and increased salary Of the members OF
Congress, and | think they do great injus.
tice 10 the subject. am not the apollo.
gist OF any one who would knowingly and
wilfully delraud the government, or an in
dividual. The organic law oil the country
gives Congress the power 10 fix the pay
Of iLs own members, as well as the salary
of oil of the officers Of the government. In
the early history ot Congress, with con.
sliluency of three millions, Congress
deemed 1t fair and just to fix their own
pay at eight dollars per diem, and their
mileage at forty cents per mile, and the
Presidents salary at twenty-five thousand
dollars per annum. Why this high mile
age? Then there were no railroads, no
canals, very few steamboats, or lines Of
coaches. Men had to travel on horseback
to tie seat OF government and keep their
horses there during the session oil Con-
gresS, and 1t was decided that twenty
miles day was as lar as o man ought TO
travel. They spent q day In travelling
twenty miles, and they received eight dol.
lars for 1t. As the country improved and
the facilities Tor travelling increased, Con-
gress made many attempts 20 lessen the
mileage but failed, because a majority Of
the members lived at q distance and were
interested in keepingit at forty cents per
mile. Now many Of the members can
take sleeping car and travel with COM
fort six hundred miles in twenty.four
hours, at a cost of twenty-five dollars. In
the carly settlement OF California, the
member from that State received over
seventeen thousand dollars for mile
age and three thousand for salary.
while a member from Maryland received
less than forty dollars mileage and three
thousand dollars salary. Was it fair; was
It lust? Certainly not. Who wants 10
see such unjust discrimination between
equals? If the mileage was just, and
Justly due the members who lived at a
distance, were they guilty Of any wrong
in giving up, the mileage and taking an
equivalent in the shape Of increased
salary! Iithey were guilty OF no wrong
In voting for and receiving the same
amount as they had heretofore, were they
guilty of any wrong In voting their equals
the same pay as they received themselves
Surely they were not II the members
who lived at distance were justified In
their vote, and maintain they were, for
am utterly opposed to laws that dis
criminate between the citizen, or office
holder Of tho same grade, then the mem
bers who lived near by were JUSTIFIED In
their vote. Then the only open question
Is, Is seven thousand five hundred dollars
too much for the member, and fifty thou
sand too much for the President? 1tlooks
large to the man who earns seventy five
cents per day. It would not pay h. B.
Clalin, A. T. Stewart, Hood, Bondbrite,
Hamilton Easter, nor q thousand otherS l
might name. The pay Of the members Of
Congress and the President now, with q
constituency Of forty millions Of souls and
the increased wealth Of the country, Is
not half as burthensome as 1t was at the
formation Of the Government. II was an
unjust discrimination that am glad 10
sec wiped out. We have another relic Of
barbarism In this country that / would
like to see 20 under. Tint Is the dis.
elimination against females who perform
tho same labor, or an equal amount as
tho males. do, for mere pitance. 1t Is
unjust.
EDrroRs: l will ask you ono question
and believe you will give me a candid
answer. Ifyou had II In your power "a
repeal the statute which increased the
pay, or could induce Congress to do It
and leave the pay Of mileage just as II
was, would you do itS I think a great
deal that has been said about the Con-
gresSlonal "steal" INSTEAD Of correcting any
real or imaginary abuse, has q tendency
10 demoralize and destroy confidence and
do great deal Of mischief. The butch
cry in Louisiana was the legitimate fruits
Of some Of the public men and journals O.
the country, and they are as guilty before
God as the poor dupes who were actually
engaged in It, Your Friend,
| Harmon STHaRI,