Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-12-20
The so-ealIed ,RsPeaIr RIII.
] the NJ Y, World, Of h,, morning.

From fraudulent and dsgraeeful bill which
passed the House on Wednesday evening
stamps an lndehble mark OF hypocrisy ON tie
professions which members have been 1aunt-
ing before the country since the beginning of
tue session. u would be a strong presum D.
ton against the honesty Of tho bill that the
course Of the discussion unmasked Butler as
lti real author, that Its advocacy was surren-
dered into his hands at the final pinch when
u was put on its passage, and that in tile ap-
plauded speech by which 1t was carried lie
Outdtd even himself in unrestraIned license
of abusive ribaldfy. Men do not gather
grapes of thOrns, nor figs of thisLles nor an
honest repeal OF the salary-grab from the most
unabashed and inipudent ot all its champions
A triumph of Butler on this subject Is a tr1-
umph of fraud, craft, and brazen effrontery,
as VIII sufficiently appear when we proceed to
analyZe the bill.
The demonstrations of the House against
the salaTy-grab resemble that famous cam
palgn ofSau against the Amelekttes which
cost him his crown and kingdom. He had
been commanded to smte without remOrse
70 utterly exterminate Agag with all his sub
JectS, 10 'slay both man and woman, 'infa mt
ana sucking, OK and sheep, camel and ass =
When he was returning with the spared king
in bis train,and laden with undestrOyed booty
ne was met by the Indignant prophet to whom
he b0asted that he had performed the com
mandment OF tue Lord. Aud Samuel said,
What meaneth then this bIeating az tile shean
which hear The incensed people will
meet Congress with 4 similar INQUIRE and
call it to swift reckoning for disobedisnce
to their mandate. The House tIas brought off
Agag in safety. and IS loaded with forbidden
spOs.
by the bill which has bsen, passed the sala-
ry OF msmOersis rtdHGed fTOal 800 to $1,000
year, to take effect when the bill shall he
come . law! As Itiuttst7 inst pass the Senate
and receive the signature Of the President, it
al ~ IN int Ef...k -
January, leaving but one month of the pre-.
sent congressional year to which the Teduc.
ton will apply. Fiom the 4th OF March. l813
to the 4th of March, 1874, the pay OF members
will be as follows
Eleven months at $685.
Ohe month az FbO0. ...........,.......... 800
Twelve months compensation. ........S S7375
The gain of the Treasury by this very
great measure Of reform which it has taken
the House three weeks to achieve, is SI25
Ior eaeh member, as the following figures
By the original grab bin. -. $1,000
by the repeal" bill bu.,......,................7 1875
amount dagorged.......,,o...................S12 .S125
The House has covered itself with public
derlslOn and disgust by this pitifCll SEQUEL 10
It's loud professions since the Beginning of the
session. The mountain after its prOtracted
contOrtions and violent pangs has brought
fOFth-thtsi The HOnse- has passed n bill
which reduces the nay for this year precisely
one and two thirds per cent. It's the same
In effect as il the House had passed a bin
leVylng an income tax of one and two-third
per cent. on the salary of members for this
year, and asked the cOnntry to accept that az
repeal OF the salary grab. During the war,
Wnen the cost OF living was much greater than
It Is ct present, the. members paid an income
tax OF per cent. on salary of $4,000 aud
now on salary Of twice and half as great
they are willing to contribute the magnificent
rate OF One and tWO-thlTd per cent, IL they
can be permitted to keen the exhorbtant sal
HaFy. What miracle OF honesty and public
spiritl The incidental expenses of the House
while It has been engaged in this great act
OF restitution must considerably exceed the
amount Of money they propose to relin-
quish, 50 that the Treasury Is made actu-
ally poorer by this sublime act Of repentant
virtue. ..d...
Now, what is the amount of time and ser
vice which the members render for the
1896 at which they offer to fix their salaries
for the present year? From the beginning
Of March to the beginning of December (nlne
months) nothing. From December to March
they are in session thTeo months, from which
it would be fair deduct the time they have
spent in this hypOcTitical, prOiitless WrauQle.
and also the holiday vacation, which would
reduce the period of actual service months.
But calling it three months, the rate OF com
to $50, 600 year. The sum Of S727j for one.
fourth of the year Is at.the rate OF 500 900 a
year. The great reform which they have
accomplished consists Of reducing their COM
pehsatiOn fran the rate of $50, 900 for this
year, which tho original gTRb-bill would have
given them, to 500, 500 year, the rate fixed
by the bill they have so OmaghRnimOusly pass.
ed.
The bill requires no member who has drawn
and pocketed the back pay to return it. A
large majority Of the member of both houses
are in this category. The sum total of the
plunder over and above the old salary of S.
900 realized by members like Butler mp TO the
4.h of March next will be az follows -
Two years increase at $500. $1,000
Ono year at ......... 2375
Total grab for three years .Ss3T5
The new bill leaves this baTef0eed sWindle
unrepressed, and adds $1,000 to the old salary
for the last year of the present term, which
this dishOneat Congress may increase at their
pleasure at their next session, after the Con-
gressiOnAl elections. ,fsf-. ~ 49,.
This fraudulent bin is gOtupl With all OF
Buffers characteristic craft and cunning. 1t
Is adroitly cOntriVed to deceive the peopie
while Il r0bs them I'm It's face II is meueIy
q moderate addition to the Old salary, and an
abatement OF $500 year for the neW one =
But the proper point Of View for Judging it Is
now how It will affect the snceeSsOs of this
Congress, butits members IT'S very EASY
for them to be'virtuOAs at the expense, of men
who will be elected to fill their plaCaS but
virtue at their own cost Is q different matter.
Up to tho 4th7 of March next, there is an
abatement OF precisely S125 from the lncreas-
ed compensation for three years or Sal 664
q year from the salary or - 500 during the 4
years that enormous salaPyls taken. 1nfc
sequence OF this great act OF penitence which
has passed the House the salary OF members
from the 4th of March, 1861, to MarchA 1Sgl,
win average Ohfy S7,45S 33ES Instead Of the
plump $1,000 given them by the grab bill. =.