Litchfield enquirer., 1873-12-25
The me~ Salary Grab.

tke Hoass axrvved on the Salary question after prolonged debate, lends additional interest to matter in which the public has shown considerable interest already.
 1t the opening of the session the Re- p-rbIiezn members of the House voted to have cOuaraittee raised for the repeal of the salary law. That committee was ap- pointed. and. on the Sth inst, reported two bills. The majority bill reduced the pay of Congress to the old amount and covered salary undrawn back into the treasury. The minority bill went further anal favored the reduction of the presiden- tiAl salary as soon as it could cOnstitu- tiouzlly be done. The House debated the matter several days and finally refus- ed to Orler the previous question on the majority bill and recOmmitted the whole matter with instructions to bring in bill rspealing the whole salary act, except as regards the supreme court judges, and re- stnriRg salaries tO the amount received before the passage of that act.
 On Tuesday, of last week, the commit tee reported a bill as directed, fixing the amount tO be received by Representatives Et S5. .5OO and actual travelling expenses; the extra SS00 in lieu of the old mileage Perquisite and for stationery. Mir. Kas- son oR behalf of the minority offered an amendment proposing further to make the reduction date from the beginning of this congress. Butler tried to kill this amendment by proposing that the old members of the FOrty-SecOnd Congress should have their back pay deducted from their salaries in the Forty Third Congress. His proposition was only defeated by eight majority. Mir. KassOn's amend ment Was then adOpted bya vote of 172 to =, and the House adjourned. The next morning. however, they refused to stick to the the Kasson amendment, and by vote of 167 tO 94 allowed general dis cuSSion tO be opened Amendments were offered excepting the salaries of Presi- dent. Vice President. and Cabinet officers from the proposed reduction, but were defeated more than two to one. Mir. Po- land, of Vermont, then renewed the But Ter amendment of the day previous, re- quiriRg members of the present and of the last Congress to refund their back pay. Mr. Kasson Obiectei that such legisla- tion unconstitutional but the House vo- tel the amendment, I56 to 101. Butler then offered another amendment requir- ing members of previous Congresses to refund hack pay they had voted them selves which was adopted 113 to 70, giv- ing the oosp fc Srasc to the bill, already fatally injured by the Poland amendment. Mir. Hurabart. an Illinois Republican, then offered a substitute which left all other OeScial salaries as increased in March last. reducing that of Congressmen to $S.00o for the fnture, only. This sub- situate vss opposed by Mr. Dawes, who SSrnsl members that they were not un- doing the evil WOrk of the last congress. Mr- Garfield. as on former occasion, '~wezksaed." considering the. Hurlburt grab the least inc House would be satis- SN1 with- Butler made violent speech su~zSing the press of having raised all the o'atrEy SRsOzs the former grab, and of hay sas Ehsac2 Congress with ''forty jackass nad Power- The substitute passed its krzs stages hy large naiorities and on the tazs vuts was. adopted by majority of one -fSI Ye<s IS0 No
 Now what is the meaning of all this ae- tSsa sn3 e0unAer-aetion? Why does the House re-eouanit the bill reported by the 1alOElty of the committee. with instruc- tiOszs ta make 1t more effective, then adopt the kaSsoa amendment making moro ef- teetivc still. then make if ridiculous with tae BatleT amendments requiring mem herS of former Congresses to refund sseir back pay, and finally adopt a measure less effective than any of those they had declared by repeated votes not to he effective enonghs Simply to enable the Congressman ta get mp 'srecord. ]" He wants to be able to tell his eonstit- aeaks that hs has favored the most com- pAete restitution. but that his fellows ont voted him Ha tells Bntler and his car pe4-h@swerx in private. ssYou are right. We osght to have more pay. Go ahead an1 vote it. Your constituents will stand it~ bat ours wunt: 90 I must be right or <AR record Knough os us will help yor @R kke pinch to carry the bill. but all o as tksf eaa. must keep dark" And wher tAevssaeamez honestmen like the Hoars o MassaeAusests. and Stephens of Georgia who are n0t afrai1 ef any constituency however lateEligent. stand up frankly fol the higher rar they think thay deserve. TAe eaEpet-haggess. who have no intelli' gem& eamzaiEaeneses ts bo afraid of, sns. saia sAe2e hiHl@ as sAey do evsgy bill s.witl @@msy m A~ Ina average .sgzabbers @eAnwAils talhs virsnDazly all the lime. sAA vaess yiz4n0aaa1 most of tho time
 weaAaMing peEAaps rR an emergency wAea inaiseriminaka sirsne wenla rair th, gr@h so ths iaiquity saecesds: ss to s7