The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-03-13
COLUMBIA. s. G..
Thursday7 Aorping, March Is. 1878.
a Good Word for Congress.

u The Forty second Congress has gone
out covered by cloud OF disgrace. Its
Investigations have been inaincere and
fareioal. Some have been suppressed
and others turned into mockery. It had
noeyes to see guilt and wrong, no ears
to hear proof Of crime, no moral sense
to rebuke and punish the gross and de-
monstrated immortality Of its members.
So foul was it's scpnditions that it was in.
capable Of cleansing itself, and it goes
into history with its filth sticking to it,
andiadveftising lts own moral imbeoility.
1t haa obndonsd' tie Credit Mobiiier
frauds, and let the outgoing Vice -Presi-
dent escape, 70 reproduce his, miserable
fallaoies and evident felsehoode at South
Bend, ana over his prevarioating sue
oessor has thrown the mantle of oblivion.
The Senate slnrred over the report Of its
committee. charging viee-President
Wilson with tamperipg with the truth.
40 may b said 70 be; the right man in
tho right place in now presiding overits
deliberations. In the House, Buffers
dishonesty and proaigaoy seem to have
overborne everything. He struok the,
key note Of the defence Of the parties In.
Mobilier frauds. It:was his genius that
opportunely raised the question Of
jurisdiction. It was his pathos, pleading
forthe "good old man," Oakes Ames,
and offsetting his bribery by its valuable
Consequences, that brought him and his
accomplices safely through the trial:
'''He saw , method" says Boston;
newspaper echo Of Buffers special,
pleading, ''of achieving the great work;
he embraced it." Suoh people are With
out shame. With them, the end sanoti.
fies the means. however dishonest and
disgraceful they may have been.
Two things steadily grow in Congress.
Its greed is as rank, it's lust OF money
as consuming, as it's morality Is
weak and despioable. And its par
+isanship daily increases at the ex-
pense of its patriotism. Everything
tends to narrowness, to bitterness and
selfishness. Congress, with the Executive
and heads of. departments, formed q
syndicate in the last hours Of its exist
ence for increase OF salaries, and. aided
by Butler's skillful and unscrupulous en-
gineering, the measure was passed.
Possibly some increase was proper in
the pay of the Judges of the Supreme
Court and in some other cases. But
$25,000, with all the perquisites Of
Office. and expenses nearly all paid, is
enough for President. It has suff1ced
for men as good, to say the least. as
Grant. and President Lincoln laid up
$4,000 ont OF his four years. pay.
But the most shameless part of it was
that the increase Of salary voted them
selves by the outgoing members, is
made to take effect from the beginning
of the last Congress-. The increase is
from $4,000 to $7.500 year, and it is
made applicable to the term which had
just expired. Each member thus re-
ceived $4,000 more than the salary pro-
vided by law under which their services
were rendered. Resolutions censuring
this Outrage on the rights of the people,
this abuse of trust and violation of de.
cency and integrity, have been intro
duced into the Senate of New York,
and into the lower House Of the Ohio
Legislature. And the public voice every.
where, where unfettered. condemns it as
proceeding without parallel even in
the annals of Congress for dishonesty
and cheek. The Sins of this Congress
far outweigh the few good measures
which it adopted. It's spirit has been
low and groveling. Its precious care OF
itself and disregard of the public inte-
rests, its cruel treatment of Louisiana,
and its blinking its own frauds and
iniquities, will be topics OF discussion
for years to come. and will rise in judR.
ment at the next Presidential election,
to condemn and overthrow the Admins.
tration with which it was hail fellow well
met.
COMPLIMENT TO Mr.. STEPHENS FROM