Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-10-17
nov. e. ". WILLARD on THB
S.fL.aRTs STEAL.

Willard, of Montpelier, is making consid-
cradle talk in the newspapers just now. II
was called out by resolution of the Mass
achusetts Republican Convention, which
we give below also the article by Mr.. VIII
lard:
"ResolUed, That the Republicans of Mass
achusetts emphatically disapprove of and
condemn tho action of the members of the
| last Congress, Republicans and Democrats,
who availed themselves of the occasion of
an increase OF the salary OF the President
and of the Judges of the Supreme Court
| aud of the members of the Cabinet, sup
posed 10 be just and necessary for the flu
| ture, to secure 10 themselves dispropor-
tionate aud extravagant compensation for
past as well as future service
The expression of the convention re-
speeding the increase OF salaries by the last
Congress is hardly according to the truth
of history, and makes what will seem to
many persons an unjus. discrimination be-
tween the increase of the salary of tho
President and that of members of Con-
gress. 1t is not true that Congress or the
country supposed any increase of the Pres
idenCs salary to bo moro 'just and neces-
sary" than the additional salary of men,
bers of Congress. When the proposition
TO increase the Presidents salary fl rst came
before Congress, standing by itself, it met
with small favor either in Congress or the
country; and the scheme of increasing
Congressional salaries was an afterthought
and resortod to to help the bill through TO
increase the Presidential salary. The Pres
ident favored tho bill before it passed Ell
Their House, and personally expressed TO
members desire TO have his own salary
increased and the selfish interest of MEM
bers in increasing their own pay was only
one or the devices by which the Presidents
salary was raised; in other words, it pull
cd that Increase through, and the whole
measure had favor at the White House on
that recount.
How far there is any opinion that the in
crease of the Presidents salary is more
Just and necessary" than that of members
of Congress is not quite clear; but the con-
vention in Massachusetts is the first ono
yet held that has expressed such an opin-
ion. 1t is certain that most of the MEM
bcrs of Congress who opposed the one OPP
posed the other. The salary of the Pres-
dent was $4,000 year, previous TO the
passage OF the bill. About $40, 900 more
was annually appropriated for the White
House and grounds. The establishments
that is, the White House, grounds, etc.,
has always been kept at the public charge;
besides the annual salary, carpets, furni-
ture, gas, fuel, and many servants are paid
for by separate appropriations. In short,
the President only has the personal ex-
pcnscs of himself and family and the OK
pense of his table to pay for. Besides, his
public entertainments cost him nothing =
the few dinners he gives TO members of
Congress are the chief items of expense,
outside of the ordinary expenses of pri-
vale family. There is not a member of the
cabinet who keeps house in Washington
who does not have need to spend more
money than the President, even without
taking into account house rent, furniture,
servants, and care of grounds; yet the sal
airy of inembers of the Cabinet is only,
now, $40, year, while the Presidents
is $4,000, and $4,000 more-and this sum
is annually increasinS-for house, grounds,
etc. Those who think, that in view of
these facts the Presidents salary was prop
erly doubled have, OF course, right TO
their opinion, but it is not easy to see why
they should, al the same time, denouncc
members of Congress for making their sal
airy, in fact, about one-tenh that o. the
Presidents. TIC condemnation of men,
Ders OF Congress who favored this increase
has been in the main undoubtedly deserv-
ed, but even an American love of fairness
ought not TO make distinctions between
these voting for, and the one urging the
passage OF and approving with his sigma
ture, necessary to making the bill law, a
measure unfairly and unrcasonably in
creasing salaries Members of Congress
voted for the bill ing their own sal
aries, for which they have been properly
the President urged the passage
of this bill in advance, approved it after 1t
passed, and thereby made it IA law and
doubled his own salary, aud the Massachu-
sets Republicans practically approve his
course. Then why object to Gen. Buffers
az vocacy of the measure?
lSince the above was in type, an cxamin- |
alton of the appropriations for the last four
years shows that s2O, 900 is much too low an
estimate of the appropriations for the
White House and grounds. In 1870 there
was deficiency appropriation alone for
repairs, &c, Of S26 900, and the appropria-
lions for lS70-71. amounted in the aggre-
gate to more than $4,000, exclusive of clerk |
hire, and not including gas, which is put
into general appropriation for the public
grounds. or this amount over S27 900 was
Tor repairs and refurnishing the executive |
and over $4,000 was spent
in addition TO this amount which was pro-
rided for the next year by a deficiency bill.
The amount spent in that year upon the
White House and grounds was over $780,
)OO
The appropriations for lS7l-72 were less,
amounting, exclusive of clerk hire and
gas, to something over $4,000. For 1872
10 appropriations for the Same purposes
amounted TO over $4,000.
Below will be found, ia detail. the an
for the current year, 1894:
Furnace keeper $72O
Two policemen 2.GlO
One night Waterman 900
Osher 1000
Two doorkeepers 9. 400
steward 1000
Messenger 1 900
and clerks 10000
contingent expenses 5000
Annual repairs, White House $4,000
White House 10000
Fuel 5OOO
Green house 10000