The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-10-24


THE SALARY sTEAL.
We trust that our newly elected
member Of Congress, Col. Nssnith,
will be Erst III introducing bill to
repeal Che infamous salary steal passed
BY the late session Of Congress. The
more We contemplate the salary steal,
the more its enormity grows upon us.
Pie members Of Congress whose
votes passed The bill, and the Presi-
dent who signed il, are all guilty, the
former in less degree perhaps than
the latter, because they voted them
selves each $1,000 for services which
they had already rendered, and for
which they had already been paid
They, in fact, stole the peoples mon
ey with which to bribe themselves
And the President was bribed by the
increase Of salary amounting to $780,
600 during his present term. Grant
is the only President since the foun-
dation Of the Government, who would
be guilty Of 80 mean thing. It is
an act Of the same hue as his nepot-
Ism, only worse in degree. But this
: increase Of salary by members of Con-
gress is all wrong. When the Re
publican party came into power, the
pay Of Members Of Congress was
eight dollars per day, and plenty of
men, more worthy than the members
Of the last Congress, stood ready to
take the office at that rate Of compen-
sation. As soon as the Republican
party got into power, the members
voted themselves salary of 5000
apiece, which gave them eight dollars
. day the year round. That was GER
tainly a sufficient compensation. -
Soon after they voted themselves $5,- |
600 per annum. And now they have
voted themselves 1880, or about $75
for every day they sit in their places,
AZ the same time making up their pay
az the same rate for the last two
years. which they stipulated to serve
for $4,000 per annum. And this has
been done when the whole country is
groaning under the burden of taxa.
ton growing out Of the late war. And
the pretext Tor the increase Of salaries
IS as unteuable as the fact is uniusti.
able. It is, that the expenses Of liv.
ing at Washington have increased
and therefore the members require an
Increase. Very likely the style of
living has become more luxurious at
ne corrupt national capital, and very /
likely Members of Congress enter in t
0 the gayeties Of Washington lite :
nore extensively than formerly. But !
he people are not bound to pay for {
1xuries or pleasure. There is too /
luch aping the show and splendors !
I foreign courts at the seat of our !
oyernment. It is sapping the foun. a
alton of republican morals and vir- a
le. Better far return to the stern k
implicitly of the fathers Of the repub- =
Q, who supposed they were founding h h
frugal and unostentatious govern al
ent, which should be felt only by il
J benificence and its blessings. Let o.
cry member who gave his vote for 4, i,
9 salary steal be hunted out of DO. in
ical life. Not one OF them should W
cape the vengeance of an injured u
d insulted people. The sordid ~
'esident who, in consideration of az a.,
ibe Of 100000, gave life to the bill, ne
mot be expelled from office at pres as
T. but ne can be deprived of the OF M
ce OF his treachery to the people, s ba
e Act can be repealed. 1t should an
repealed; and let repeal Of the in he
1eus Salary Steal be the watch ma
rd Of every convention, and every ~ u,
lventicn, and every election, until wi wi
5 accomplished. Il
NnmmunruuuwuI-nu,.-~, ~.