The Grange advance., 1873-12-24
The Repeal OF the Salary Grab.

its defects.
The Repeal OF the Salary Grab.
As several Republican State Conventions
have demanded that the Salary Grab -
cans control Congress, the repeal will
probably be proposed. 1t is objected that
repeal would not remove the chief ofense,
which is the back-payment Of members
who are not reelected. The money is in
their pockets and repeal will not take it
out it will only prevent the fnture draw
ing Of the increased salary by the new
members. Moreover, it is not generally
alleged that the increased sum is larger
thun should properly be paid to members
of Congress. In other words, it is said
that it was not the increase so much as its
method which was Objectionable in itself,
and extremely hurtful to the Republican
party. But the reason for the repeal is
not pecuniary. 1t is moral. The bill was a
bargain. 1t was intended to influence
members to vote for the increase Of the
Presidents salary by providing for the in
crease Of their own, and to buy the sup
port Of those who were just leaving Con-
gress by Offering them the increased rate
for their expired term. However defensi-
BILE the end, the means made it one Of the
most disgraceful acts ever done at Congress,
and the honor of that body imperatively
demands the repeal.
The consequences to the Republican par
ty Of failing to meet the question fairly
and promptly are certain, and they will be
disastrous. Some Republican chiefs have
superb scorn of what they call clamor and
attacks of the enemy. But they seem not
to know that each little party blunder-to
call it nothing harsher-is marked almost
unconsciously by the public until there is
a serious total The little scores on the
tavern door become terrible bill at last.
And meditative perusal Of the figures
and results of the autumn elections will
make them seem wofully like balancing
Of the books, in which such little scores
as the removal Of Mr.. Sumner from the
Craftsmanship of the Senate Foreign Com
mittee, and the Credit Mobilier, and the
"Salary Grab," and the disregard of civil
service reform, and the recklessness and
low moral tone of certain Republican lead
ers, are entered to the debit Of the Repub-
ican party. Not the least Of these entries
is the ''Salary Grab" and the repeal,
whether it restored dollar to the Treasury
or not, would restore to many Repubi-
can voter confidence in his party, while it
would be proper reparation to the Offend
ed public sense Of decency.
That the new members have been draw
ing the increased salary, and are not likely
to vote money ont Of their pockets to satis-
fy any high-fown ideas Of honor or pro-
priety, may be true, but it does not touch
the point. The refusal to repeal would
not change the public judgment Of the
original, nor conciliate alienated Republi-
cans. That the repeal would be virtual
censure of the President is certainly no ar
gument, if it be required by reasons Of
public honor. That it would be extremely
inconvenient to many members, and that
Congressional services should not be mig
gardly paid, may be true; but it is an in
convenience to which, for this Congress,
they should, under the circumstances, be
willing to submit, while provision can
readily be made for future Congresses.
Moreover, Republican members will GER
tainly be brought to book by some member
of the opposition, and it would be at least
wise to make virtue of necessity. The
question of repeal will be raised, and we
shall all look with interest to see what Re-
f~OAAooA ASnUeT VOIcs oAoAAos ~ VI uOuScS.
-Harper's Weekly.
-Gather up the fragments that nothing
be lost.
Pitch your scale of living one degree
below your means.
Many a ruined man dates his downfall
from the day when he began borrowing
money. -.5
Success in most things depends on
knowing how long it takes to succeed
Montesquieu.
According to Beecher, " the cheapest
thing on earth is mean man. A faithful
dog dies and is missed, a good and stately
horse dies and he is missed, the emigration
Of the birds in autumn is source of sad
ness to us, but mean men die and few tears
fall" '--.1,-' as- ..
An English carpenter was observed
one day planning q magistrates bench,
which be was repairing with more than
usual carefulness; and when asked the rea-
son, replied, - Because I wish to make it
easy against the time when come to sit
upon it myself Singularly enough the
man actually lived to sit upon that very
same bench as . magistrate.