Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-05-17
urant'S Salary Grab.

The action Of ths late Legislature of Ohio, in
trying to resuscitats Mr.. Madisons constitutional
amendment Of 1889 is rather suggestive. It proves
the existence Of an earnest and resehtfuI feeling
1t is new and impressive phase of faT-reaching
dsep-seated excitement. This is its actual import
1t is interesting also historically, showing what
tho men OF better days feared and provided for
On the subject OF salaries pay the farmers Of the
Constitution were certainly not careless when they
omitted such precautions as are now needed. They
had faith in official integrity which seems simple
cTedulity in the light of tO-day's dOings. They pro-
Vded that the services of Legislators should not bo
as in England, gratuitous but they left to Congress
absolute control over the amount 1t Is all to be
regulated by statute There is nothing in the Con
stitutIon to prevent Congress giving to each OF its
members 100000 Of salary instead of $1,000 or
$4,000. The biennial electionsand direct resPon-
/ slbihty were thought checks enough. Mr.. Madi-
sons amendment was tentative effort TO impose
additional and express restriction, and it failed
| Ono limitation was imposed. Congress was de-
| ned the power to increase or diminish the PrOsi-
dents salary during his term of service An OBJ
sequOua majority cannot raise, "A factIOus can
not reduce 1t. We have seen the time, aId not
very long ago, when Cong ress would not have hes
Itated d moment to cut down an obnoxious Prcs-
dents salary to starvation point, 1t would have
been easier and more summary than Impeachment.
The criminal joint action of q corrupt President
and Congress cannot touch this one thing-EXe-
eutive compensation. And vet, with this large
legislative latitude and this distinct legislative inn
itAtiOn, We have seen the President and Congress
combining in successful effort to raise legislative
and executive salaries beyond all precedent, and,
so fur ~ Congress is concerned to make it retro
active. We speak advisedly when we say it was
combined effort, for We are clearly in accord With
! the complaint wrung from General Garfield that
it is gross injustice to lay the blame all on Con-
gress and none on the Executive. The President
il we to believe the testimony of his friends
WAS anything but passive. II the PennsylVania
Representative may be believed, the President said
in advance he would sign no billncFeasing his Owr
salary unless there was "raiss'' all round.
At first sight this sounds fairly enough, but
, scratch it and you soon find underneath the
: Tartar of q selfish politician. To raise the Ex
ecutlve salary was either right or wrong. Il
right, the President of the United States, hii
election just assured, should be too much Of (
man to veto 1t for fear OF transient Odium,
: wrong, then Is the evil indefinitely enhanced
: by connecting 1t with legislative plumber. Ye
!. this, according to Mr. HARMER's testimony, h
u exactly what the President did. The hint was
as We know, taken, the threat was needed ant
all Jared alike. Still even then, had the Pres
s ident been so disposed, a chance-the creates
9 ever presented to public man-waS atforde'
:, him to avert this grevlous wrong. Unless b.
= had completely in advance with the back-pa.
= : device he was at entire liberty to reeOnside
= any opinion he had expressed as to prOspee
!; tive increase, and it was his duty to do so. Blu
y = we are forced TO the conviction that the con
y triVerS of this scheme knew their man, for the
: at once lOg-rOlled the back pay with the pros
y peetiVo executive increase and took care t
:, send 1t to the President when less than tweI
y ty-four hours would have been fatal to an
y plan 10 increase his salary for the next fou
Is years. They well knew that Gen. GRAM
with such a danger before him, was saf
enough. Tha pretext that the appropriate
bills would have failed had not this measuE
N passed is no excuse fer the Executive. II
IN could have had an extra session of COngreS
r. men fresh from the people-and the incol
h venience would have been but temporary.
Id new Congress would have no ind1cement
Y take back pay but the President, his ne'
s term having begun, would have had to be col
H. tent with what he doubtless regards the pi
or tance of his uncomplainlng predecessors
or Hence 1t is clear that the living President an
u the dead Congress must share equally u
ey Odium Of the salary grab.-M 7. World