Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-07-03

ton, my clients paid me retaining
fee of 5000 before l had done any
thing, save to write a receipt for the
money. And it is from the mere
accident that | am lawyer and can
argue causes in the Supreme Court
that l am enabled to pay my bills
and remain in the Senate. The SER
vices which | render on committees,
especially the Judiciary Committee
and the Committee on Privileges and
Elections, are of the same kind as
those rendered by lawyer. They
involve the examination of legal
questions, the drafting of reports and
opinions in the matters involving
millions of dollars aud requiring
great study and labor; and Il must
be quite apparent to any fair-minded
man that lawyer who can receive
two or three thousand dollars for the
argument of single important case,
ought, by devoting the same energy
and labor TO The business of the peo-
pie for mouths, 10 be able to earn 81
500. Il
lfyou arc satisfied that your pros
ent delegation do not fill the bill of
public service, do not attend TO your
interests and acquit then selves re-.
putably, then you ought to dismiss
them, and send those who can and
will but the men who can and will,
can and will earn $500 a year.
But it may be said, if 1 have q
house in Milwaukee, why not leave
my family there? Why hire house
in Washington ? If you are to have
q healthy administration it must be
at the hands of men living in healthy
and moral condition. The laxity of
life is restrained by the supervision
of wife, and the heart is kept + live
to the better feelings of our nature,
by the sweet voices and the tender
touch of children. Members of Con.
gress will have families in Washing
ton. 1t is better that they should
have their O0n. But you may say,
why not board in Washington
tried that two years | boarded at
Wizards Hotel, and for three small
rooms and our meals | had to pay
$500 per month. This is more ex-
pensive than house keeping. True
economy would be to buy a house
there, which might increase in value,
so the rent would cost nothing. But
only the rich can be economical.
The cnlls made upon a member oil
Congress for charity are incessant
Calamaties resulting from the war
have thrown hundreds of poor peo-
pie upon Washington from all the
States. The day left Washington
an old Wisconsin woman, fifty years
of age and a widow, who has been
struggling for years to take care fC
four children, came and informed me
that her little girl twelve years ole
was dead. She had been sick three
weeks. The doctors bill and medi
cine had exhausted her scant store
and she had not dollar to bury hel
child. inquired what the funera
would cost she said she would get
along docently with $50. | thought
that reasonable enough, and gave
her the money-out of my back pagl
Calls upon your sympathy you can
not resist are almost daily made
and | have always regarded mysel
as one of the disbursing agents o
Providence; and the money | have
earned / have shed, as the rains o
heaven fall, upon the just and the IN
Just, the evil az and d III. the rg22da lg NIL
to pay my charities for the two
years | have to remain in the Sen
ate, and pay him $500 a year TO DE-
SO and | will venture the predict
ion, that at the end of the term ht
would need back pay to square hi
accounts.
But | pass from this point because
| do not understand that any seri
Gus objection is made to the sum
which is fixed by the late act o
Congress-. SO far as | have seen thu
criticisms of the press, it is admitted
that the sum fixed is reasonabl,
enough; but the objection made il
that tho 42i Congress voted tina
sum to themselves. In other words
the objection is not to the pay, bu
to the shack pay" as it is styled.
| 1t is said when man is elected il
Congress, his acceptance of the Office
amounts to a contract that he will
serve for the period for which he ii
elected at tho pay fixed by law, anC
hence that it is dishonest for Con
gresham to vote to increase hi.
compensation for that term. If tho
premises can be maintained, the con
clusion is Irresistible. Let US, there,
fore, see upon what ground this sup
posed contract rests. 1t certainly
finds no warrant in the constitution
and | shall show that it has no sup.
port by the precedents.
The constitution provides Chat
members shall receive a compensa-
ton for their service, to be ascertain
ed by law, to be paid out Of the treas.
ury of the United States. When the
first Congress assembled, one of the
absolute duties imposed upon them
was to fix their own compensation
The con stitution declares that mem.
bers should "receive compensation
1t also declared that such q common
sation should be "fxed by law
Congress could receive no compensa-
ton until abe law was passed, and
Congress alone could pass the law
and whether they pass such law on
the first or last day of their session,
could make no difference. They
might have fixed upon sum on the
first day of the session, estimated to
be sufficient compensation, and there.
after have increased or diminished it as
they thought proper, or they could
wait until near the close of their term
and then fix the compensation once
for all. When the second Congress
convened they were as competent to
Il