The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-13
The Salary Grab-It Is Indefensibl'
ana WIN BE Punished.

The Salary Grab-It Is Indefensible
and WIN he Punished.
Public indignation has been 80 thoroughly
aroused against the Increased Salary act OF
the last Congress, and especially its retroactive
clause giving back pay to members, that few
politicians will be able to remain In public
life unless they have returned the amount
into the Treasury and are at the same time
recorded as against the measure. This feel
ing has been slowly growing. but 1t has at last
become overpowering. The Congressman
who voted against the bill, but took the
money, is in as bad position as If he had
voted for it. No excuse for taking money not
earned according to the terms upon which
members were elected will answer with the
people. The only test of honesty in this mat
ter is the receipt or the refusal to receive the
back pay. It is not to be wondered at that
this should be 80, for the wisdom as we'll as
the cunning of professional politicians tended
to draw the lines very close. When Colonel
W. r. Roberts, of the Fifth district OF this city
who was the first to surrender the money bis
over to the Treasury, he was criuciseo aS
setting up o standard Of morality Tor otner
men equally conscientious with himself Other
men-notably Senator Casserly, Of California
took care to provide against such invidious
comparisons by the express declaration that
they were acting only for themselves. 1t indi-
Gated singular state of public morality that
the first Congressman to return the money
into the Treasury should be attacked for
the act, and that Senators distinguished for
their integrity should apologize for doing
right. But the people have decided that what
is right is honorable, and that no public man,
however stainless his previous record, can put
his hand into the Treasury with IMMUNITY.
A remarkable fact about this salary grab is
that out of the majorities in Congress which
voted for the measure so few have been found
to defend it before the people. Though bold
thief who defends his crime is worthy Of some
respect for his courage, there are few examples
of such courageous conduct From review
of salary grabs in general, and OF
the salary grab of the last session
of Congress in particular, which we print
in the HERALD this morning, it will be seen
that the bill has had only Ave supporters
among those who voted for it and received the
money. Of these the boldest and ablest is
General Butler and it seems likely that he has
strengthened his enemies and jeopardized his
chances Of becoming Governor of Massa-
chusetts by his courage in defending his votes
and the action of Congress. Senator Carpen-
ter cannot be re-olocted because of his course.
Brownlow no longer enters into the account,
and it Is waste of space to discuss what he has
to say on any subject. Poor Plat, Of Virginia,
justifes himself from the intensity Of his re-
morse over his blunder but Lawrence, OF
Ohio, is the only one of the five who has been
able to sum up the whole argument in behalf
of the salary grabbers in single sentence.
The constituents of the last named Congress-
man asked him to resign, but he indicated
that he and they would be in hotter place
than the House of Representatives in August
before he would do So After all, though it
covers more space in the newspapers and re-
quired longer time in its rehearsal, the
argument Of General Butler is precisely similar
to that of the now famous representative from
Ohio.
The review Of the whole question of Con-
gressional pay which we print this morning is
an exhaustive answer to all that can be urged
in justification of the grab. 1t iSnot so much
an argument as a history, the foundation OF
all argument on the question. Covering the
whole period from the foundation of the Re-
public to the Treasury raid of the present
year, it shows the measure to be more nefa-
rious than any of the previous transactions of
the kind. The old idea of moderate, not lib
era, stipends to members of Congress is, with
out question, the true principle; and the peo-
pie have always believed with Patrick Henry,
that if their representatives were good men
their own delicacy would lead them to be
satisfied with moderate salaries These no.
tons were rudely overturned once or twice be-
fore, but never with such extreme disregard Of
delicacy and goodness as by the Credit Mo-
bilier Congress- And, Notwithstanding General
Butler dwells upon the past so complacently
and justifes the last raid on the Treasury by
the example of previous raids, our sketch of
salary grabbing legislation shows that these
measures were always exceedingly unpopular
and never went unpublished. There can be
no justification for increased pay to Congress-
men except necessity, and for back pay it is
impossible to find any excuse, either in exam
pie or in logic.
The cost of living in Washington is the
principal excuse for the back-pay action of the
Forty-second Congress. Any one acquainted
with the facts knows that the cost of living in
Washington is not greatly in excess Of the cost
of living in other cities. Indeed, an establish
ment at the capital is not nearly so expensive
as an establishment. in New York. The Con-
gressmen who occupy houses of their own
while in Washington are generally men who,
according to the popular Phrase, can afford it,