Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-08-15
THE SALARY BILL.
General Butler Gives His Views Up.
"a on tho Subject.

/ -N s OA tAO OuDJecCs
The following is an abstract of Il
long letter published in the Charles
town (Mass.) Saturday Chranicle,
and written by General Butler to a
constituent:
1t opens with q defence of the in
crease of the pay of the President,
whose salary was raised from $685.
900 to $4,000 by the bill. He
shows that President Washington's
salary was more than five times
greater in its purchasing power
than President Grants; and that,
taking into account the difference
in wealth, population, and prices,
Grants salary would be 1875, 900 in
round numbers, if in proportion to
that of Washington. He next
shows that the salaries Of the Cabi-
net officers, Supreme Judges and
members of Congress would be
treble their present amount, and
that Congressman should have
higher rather than lower salaries
than the Judges, as their expenses
are necessarily greater. He then
proceeds to show that the salary bill
does not so much increase as equal
ize the salaries of members of Con-
gress. 1t abolishes mileage, thus
reducing the pay of some members
quite fifty per cent, while it raises
that of others to a like amount. 1t
also abolishes all allowances in the
shape Of stationery and newspapers,
as well as franking, SO that instead
of it being TRUE that every Con-
gresham voted himself $4,000 ad-
ditional pay, there has not been, in
reality, more than $1,000 year adj
ded, if so much. Considering that
the services Of an efficient agent of
a manufacturing establishment of
any considerable capital cannot be
had for less than $500 a year
while our railways pay $4,000 for
their presidents-the General can
not see how this increase can be
deemed too largo by any right-mind-
ed man.
AT this point he makes keen
thrust at Minister Washburn, who
has lately published a letter in
which he stated that the people did
not elect members of Congress to
go to Washington to support three
or four mistresses, or to "buck at
the tiger" After speaking sarcas-
tically of the Minister, he adds that
he has not observed any objection
on Washburn's part to the appropri.
alton of $50, 700, passed ir 1871, for
the purpose of defraying the ex-
pcnses Of the Minister to France in
1870, although that appropriation
was retroactive. He adds that he
thinks with this increase and
"bucking at the tiger" it is per
haps little easier to support fam
lily in Paris on $l7,5OO gold, than
to do the same in Washington for
$1,000 currency.
In other parts of his letter, he
shows that, almost without excep-
ton, every public man who has re-
turned his back salary, or who has
raised an cutlery about it, has him.
self, in years past, voted for and &C
cepted back pay. He especially in
dicates Senator Wilson, the Wash
burne family, Daniel Webster, Chas.
Sumner, N. p. Banks, A. II. Rice,
John F. Farnsworth, and Henry J.
Raymond, of the New York Times.
He shows that Rice and Banks both
voted, in 1866, for an increase OF
pay at the rate of sixty-seven per
cent, with mileage and other allow
ances, made retroactive for the
whole of that Congress; that is, they
voted for back pay for sixteen
months, SO that for that time the
salary for each member was doub'
led. lie also shows that at the
same time John B. Alley, Cakes
Ames, Baldwin of Worcester,
Dawes of the Ninth District, Hoop.
er Of the Fourth, and Governor
Washburn, did not vote at all but
lodged the question, and that ifany
one of those six Representatives
who thus sneaked had voted in the
negative the bill would have been
defeated. He says that from the
beginning Of the government to the
present hour every State Legisla.
lure and every Congress which has
increased the salary of its mem.
bers has made that increase date
back to the beginning of their SER
vices; that every executive officer.
every Judge OH the bench in Massa.
chusetts, when his salary was in
creased, has always taken back pay;
that the soldiers petitioned Con
grcss to give them increased pay
and bounty, and that Congress gave
it, although in so doing they voted
them back pay; that the mechanics
in the government employ, before
the eight-hour law was put in
operation by the Presidents procla'
nation, petitioned Congress to have
increased back pay; and therefore
if the members OF the present Con
gress are back pay grabbers
thieves, and robbers, so also have
been all the illustrious states
men of the past, from Wash
ington to Grant, who accepted in
creased pay, as well as the pures,
of the Judiciary, the bravest of sol
diers and the workingmon.
| After an elaborate examination o.
the contract theory, the Genera
shows that it is utterly groundless
that the action of the late Congress
was in strict accordance with thecon
stitution andwith precedent;and thai
the requirements of the newspapers
that no man shall ever vote to raise
his own pay, would simply have
rendered an increase of pay impos
sible from the beginning of the
government down to tho present
day. He then states that of his per
sonal knowledge, that among the
most jealous lobbyists for the back
pay bill were certain correspon
dents of leading newspapers who
have since denounced it; although
they themselves, as clerks Of com
mittces, received an increase of fit
teen per cent, going back to March