Middletown transcript., 1873-04-05
The Back Pay.

usving. With show Of economy and
assicnsl reform. voted 10 sbolish the
frsnting Privilege, the next act in this
rvsrsHcAmens farce Of the grca, moral pest
hosss 1t Washington was TO vote to in
crease the salaries Of the President. other
uGeisls and Of the members Of both Hou-
~ oe Congress. Not satisfied with hav-
ing thus turned what was Of least some
sdvsntsge to the public into a source Of
rssssus for themselves. aud . means Of
lining their own pockets. they ne1.. under
the leadership Of man notorious for the
sssdiuess with which be appropriated. dur
ing his residence a, New Orleans and 9th
" places ir the South. all that came with
In bic reach TO his own use. voted 10 cx-
scnd the tinc for which they were to re-
ceivc additional pay, beyond the date Of
the abolition Of the Frankins Privilege.
for the los. Of which this increase in the
salary Of the NJ. C.s was TO, nominaily,
compensate. spl over a period when they
we're entitled to aud enjoyed the privilege
of free use OF the mails.
The alleged reason for the abolition Of
the Frsnking Privilege was that it was
greatly abused, and i, was argued that its
.boliiion would be q means Of immense
savias to the nation; bu, no sooner is the
lsw passed By which this great saving was
To he accomplished. than We see the same
men Who'll would save the governmen. the
expense Of Tree postage. voting to take
E. om the National treasury almost two
millions Of money to divide among them
selves. and this. too. without shadow Of
right or the lsas. claim to justice, and for
services fos which they had already been
amply compensated.
This is one instance Of wholesale rebbe-
~ Of the government which cannot be
charged upon the Republican party alone,
for the &C, by which j, was accomplished
was voted for by Democrats and Republi-
cans slike.
No excuse en- be offered for the con-
duct of these men. \ strict sense Of hon
csty should have dictated TO them to vote
against the rsssas. Of such bill. But
instead of guarding the interests Of the
public entrusted a. their care, they have
manifested disposition 10 make the posi-
iions they hold merely source Of money
making TO themselves.
While the government continues in the
hands Of such men As these the n,nrai con
diticu Of the country will never be i'm.
proved. We do no, regard tho Credi,
Mobilier villainy as one whit worse iu
princip;e than this back pay grab. That
the people uay know in the future who
were the guilty ones in this affair. We give
below the vote in the Senate BY yeas and
nays. We have not room 10 insert the
full vote 10 the House. but VIC are glad 10
cay thss Hon d. T. Bisgs did not vote
for the back pay.
.YgAs -Messr,. Alcorn. Amcs. Bayard,
Blur. Brow nlow. Caldwell. Cameron. Car.
penter. Clayton. Cooper, Davis. Flanagan,
Gilbert, Golj,hwai,c. Hamilton. (Texas)
Hall. hitchcock. Lewis. Logan, .uuehin
Morrill, (Me.) Norwood. Nye. Osborne
Pool. Ransom. Rice. Robertson. Sawyer,
Spencer. Stewart. !>,ockfon, Upton. Trxn.
buH. liciers. and Wcsi--3G.
Messers. Anthony. Boreman
Buckiugham, LasseTy. Chandler, Conk.
linu. Csrbsli. Cragiu. Edmuds, Ferry,
(Mich ) Frclingbuysen. Haniiioa {. Nd.
jIsmlin, Howe, Kelley. Morrill,. (Vt.)
Patterson, Pratt, Ramsey. Samsbury,
SchusI. Scott, Sherman. Sprague. Thur.
s,as. Wiudom aud Wright-27.