, 1873-08-08
THE SALARY STEAL.
Con. Butler Makes Another Elaborate
and Aggressive Defense Of
tlo Grab.
He Did ALI He Could to In
crease Salaries, and Is
Proud Of It.
|ico-President Wilson, Minister Wash
burno, Senator Morton, and Rop-
resentative uoar Rough
ly Handled.
COWardiCe tho Motive Of Those
Who uayo Returned Their
Baclk-Pay.
It the Country Wants Honest Servants
Like Butler, It Must Pay
Them Adequately.

@bNV NNslVIy - HAoA lt
Them Adequately.
Special Dispatch to This Chicago Tribune.
New YonK. Aug. 7.-Gen. Dutlor has written
IN elaborate dofenso Of tho bacl-paY measure
which no has forwarded to tito Tribune to be-
published there exclusively. It is remarkably
aggressive document, filling nearly pago Of tho
Tribune 1t published in full, but only three COL
umns are given. He eays, among othor less
striking arguments and illustrations that tho in
croaso ought not to havo boen attacked. "It hns
mover boon discussed by It's opponenta-only
abused, and Congress denounced. SO far aB it
Eolatos to Congressman, tho bill has been on-
tiroly misropreBonted, II not misunderstood. It
does not 80 much increase tho salaries Of mcm-
bors aB 1t oqualizoa thom. Ever since tho ConEtl-
tuition WaB adopted, the compensation of NOM
bera Of Congrosa has beon in part in the form Of
was n1od at 80 cents por milo, aud
subsequently, reduced, but nfways causing
worry great inequality In compensation. As tho
population Of the country extended itsolf,
mileage added largely to tho emoluments Of dis
tant Senators and Representatives., while tho
facilities OF transportation by steamboats, and
railroads, especially as mombers woro compli-
mentod with FREQ passes, did not change tho
inequality, 30 TINT thore were mambers last Con-
greBs who were receiving nearly or quito 81, 600
only y few dollars over $4,000. The
present bill nboliBhes all mileage, and thus
reducea the .pny OF aomo members quite 30 per
cont, while 1t raises that Of othora 1lko amount
mombora Of Congress- in tho shape Of nowspa-
pors, stationery, frankiug privileges, and other
matters which in the past hayo been over
drawn, md wero abusol BY tho selfish and grasp
3nR on an Of o,%ia Which ,,,n were cut of by this
in getting to and from tho Capital. Thoro las
neo4 ~ such addition to pay. aa haa been pro
tended n public Journals, it being usually stated
90, 600 additional pay, whereas, tho deduction Of
has not boen roally on an average moro thnn
;Sd,ooo ;'a,o ,,, year Added II so much but
lettor appaars in tho
to come from III, Washburno, our Minister to
France, upon tho question Of euf1cioncy of
salary to n1ombors Of Congress, in one portion
Of which agroo with him 20 far as understand
don't send thor representatives to Washington
to live like Princes, "buck tho tigor," and koop
half-a-dozon miHtresHos, therefore I voted a
salary sufficient to support tho membor's family
at Washington to guard him from temptation to
member should havo Ifs family with him.
What exactly tho Minister to Fringe may moan
by tho uudolinod phrase, Buck the tiger l am
anything in Washington that went BY that namo
edsgs doseesss ny Il Sc znsse zSsts IS s'f'ss a III
with it, 1t may account for tho ability which ho
claims to have to live on small salary. Still,
the appropriation Of $50, 900 additional passed
in 1871 for tho purpose Of defraying expenses
in part Of tho Minister to Franco III 1870, al
though TINT appropriation was retroactive. With
ont sh1 aG1eas9 or hqeag hs Toud
support family in Paris at sl7,600 gold than
to do the ealno in Washington In $7,500 cur
rency., In view Of these facts you say, *Why,
then, do 80 many memboEs Of Congress- return
more orless apooyphiaily, that some 80 odd out
Of 240 membors Of tho House, and Is or IA Of
the "A members Of tho aenato, hare 10 dono
The country may we'll think God that no moro
Of its public men can be frightened out Of their
For, ! repeat again, in my Judgment, no mau
turned their pay did it for any other
motive than because hc foared it would not DO
take it. I wish I could belioYo thoao who havo
returned their pay wero aotuated by mono but
motives Of Coincidence, for they would hayo my
highest respect, however much might criticise
their acts. Dy 50 doing they have criticised my
must pardon me II remark upon thoirs.
"Lst us examine tho grounds, not too uin-
kindly, upon which some gentlemen must stand
who have sent q back their pay. SEQ 1t state! in
.S tu hs sna9s and Gn 5 S Of 5a 51B s ss
when tho propoaition was to increaseo tho
salary from $4,000 to $4,000, I find he
4sea tnia =; ;lannygnnago % reported IN tho
f1f E1HSy{ n1Ar1x h
stantialy Increased. want It increased in
such way as to amount to something. Tho iu-
crease here given is $1,000 for aalary in lieu Of
mileage, stationery: aud newspapora, would
20 em to poFeise ot to Of ahGqs $780,
such change az that makos. Everybody who
knows anything about tho cost Of living in
this city knows that thoro nro but very
few few. 1aon mombora Of Congress TINT eau
not boliovo there are twenty membora Of this
body who can save $50 month from thoir salary
during seHsion Of Congress, while many of
them spend tho whole Of 1t, and
two moeons snfes only sS oSeoo ss o o
words hope syo sl,ail inorosso s tho aatary Of
tic President anyhow. II that is not done III
t"o days, II cannot be done for four years undor
s2a ss e sss es' y Ss can a ct o in nss
congress.' NOT q word against tho SALARY
applying to the Congress- voting 1t. How
could hir. Morton return hta pay IN Wow OF such
newspapers, which 10 mfstook for public iudtg-
uation2
"Again, tho nowBpapors toll mo that Vice
Frossdont Wilson ilaa returned hisincreaHod pay,
and written lottor saylng ho cannot
to serve for 5000 yoar, sum tlxed by law at
80, and 7 do, not neo how lie can when