New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-10
THE PRESIDENT md THE BACK Pr.
From HdTper's Hseliy

From Hdrr>1s W,eliy.
In his letter of last Spring upon the back
paw Mr.. Garfield very properly asked why its kepuD
lean opponents not logical enough TO censuro the
President. whose salary was doubled Dy inc o. and
law But many Of them do so frankly. Many 81 the
hest friends President regret sincerely that be
Igued the bill Yet the circumstances must not be for
yotten nor the excavations that may BE- offered The
salary was believed 10 be wholly inadequ
Usbed statement by which 1t appears that the special
annronriaons for the White House amount for the year
14 10 S71 o o. and he says that the Presidents family
49, aIarv We DO not know what changes IN this re-
spect there may have been since the earlier days. but
certainly salary Of $4,000 was not e1trayaGant Tor
the President years twice that sum cannot be an
inmoderate salary him II, however, an appro
prlaOn the amount and for the purposes mentioned
m NJ Willard h ~ be continued sos 900 Is certainly an
adequate ompensatiun. II the object be To furnish
competence Tor the President let that purpose
ha frankly stated and discussed Congress The only
reason for furnishing it indirectly Is that the country
would approve it, Aud II that DO true, IL IS a con
elusive reason against IL.
But beside the fact that the Presidential salary
no larger than had been at the close O Ihe last cen
Jury, when doar was 30 niaen NOR ~, a p st ~
the black graz" that II Is retroactive for Congress
Therefore i'm signing IL he did award himself com.
pensaon services already rendered ana fceelpleu
RRr as the members did although OF course, he did
ard il to them Moreover. II tho bill were vetoed,
the necessary appropriations would lall, ana an
extra session OF Congress would become iniispen-
sahie. which would Involve a serious draft upon
the Treasury. THIS j. true, aud TINS apparently
dnpern,ined Gen Garneld's vote But although this
Is true the ense of extra session would have been
no more than the backward increase OF the sal
aries 81 the members; and II 10 had been ten Times a.
nrcb the hill should have been vetoed. The President
shnuld have said distinctly that the amendment, tho
hack grab" was Olfense that he could not sanction;
that he would not be cOerced to authorize "A plain
wrong by the alleged necessity OF passing the apprO-
nratuns: and the responsibility or an extra se--
ION must fall npon those who made IL necessary HiI
me .ident in his usual plain manner. 10
would not only have been rght, but IL would nave
been The most popular act OF his Administration.
n would have SHOWN the country that he was
NOT confused By plausible sophlstrles, aud mat
me not only clearly what should DC done, Dut tnat
n mad the courage firmly to do 1t. The fact that bis
cto would have made increase OF his salary m
,.,ssla during his second term would have cOnmeddet
INN ONLY the warmly to public respect and adnira
ton Such an would have stayed the tendency
70 reckless and doubtful financial legislation IL would
have recalled the SIMPLE SOBER standards OF expense
and of public honesty which not only often forgot
the faithful Republicans and friends or the Presl
deut however they may regret that should DO said.
viii not deny that IT 10 the TRUTH.
III orr view would have been better both
for the Massachusetts and New-YOrk Conventions 70
have rebuked unequvOcaiy the whoo measure. leaving
censure 20 fall where II Justly DeOugs But even Ia try
inc 10 discriminate they fail. Our NewIOrk resolution
that public belongs Ia those OF what
ever politics whose votes enacted such provision" But
IL not the signature that made the provision effective
responsibe AS the votes that enacted 1T The resolution
crnsures the Presdent N 1t censures Congress. The
action OF the Conventions would have been
cons impossible for Congress 10 increase
it, own compensation And tho better course for indl-
yidual Republicans 10 TO regret not to defend the action
NJ fhe President