The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1873-05-08


probably not convince your readers
that you either know or care much
about the subject further than to graf
ify your own private feelings.
Men Of brains seldom misrepresent
questions at issue, while the weak and
feeble often do, in order to cover their
imbecili.y. When the people find
time to examine the salary question |
have no doubt their verdict will be
against the increase. But at the same
time they will find that the present
salaries Of members Of Congress with
out mileage or stationery allowances
does not amount in the aggregate to o
sum largely in advance Of the former
rates anil they will further find that
the pretext for increasing the salaries
Of the President, Vice President,
Judges of the Supreme Court, Cabi-
net officers and their assistants, to-
gether with officers and clerks OF the
Senate and House, was even more,
flimSy than that urged for the increase
Of the salaries Of Senators and Repre-
sentatives, and that the increase all
told does not amount to more than
about three quarters Of one million
dollars per annum, which will not be
likely 70 cripple nation much whose
people have been able to pay into the
public Treasury annually for eight or
ten years past, an average Of more
than four hundred million dollars, and
still are the most prosperous people
upon the globe.
But, sir, the salary question, as /
have estimated, is not what troubles
you; one or two little matters Of a
personal and private nature to which
I shall allude, make up the fruitf il
source of all your spleen. You know
perfectly, that l uniformly voted
against the salary bill, but in your es-
timatiOn, that goes for nothing, simply
because obey ed tho law after il was
passed and took the lack pay. When
left Washington, I had not heard Of
a single man who had refused to re-
ceive his back pay, and ] did not sup>
pose my constituents desired me to be
more liberal in that regard than other
members. No one. so far as | know
has complained except yourself, and
and judging from the past have no
doub. little Of the 0akes Ames med
icine administered in time would have
set you all right. If you had said,
took what lawfully belonged to me
you would have told the truth; buI
you are not in the habit Of telling thu
truth, where party is concerned
against whom you have private pique
and for want Of brains to look W
facts and argue points, you descend to
the lowest and meanest ribal dry.
In recent paragraph you referred
to the seat Of my pants with an ali
and in language adapted only to th'
meanest and lowest haunts of vice
and yet you claim to be respectable
and expect decent men, and refined
ladies to read your paper. To reply
In merited terms would only tend t,
bring me on a level with loath
some creature, hence refrain. Yol
commenced series OF misrepresen
tations prior to my nomination II
1870, and after had been nominated
despite your opposition you wrote m
a letter saying "you honestly believed
the contest would be doubtful one
not only in your county, but also II
the district; that your paper had tn,
largest circulation it ever had an,
much influence; that you had neve
held but one small Office, and that if
would give you FIVE HUNDRED DOL
LARS, you would go into the fight il
good faith" You "did not want m,
to think you were trying to e1tor
money from me; you would just a
soon rest during the campaign a
not" After reading your letter GOV
ering three pages and involvin.
names which l do not care to brinJ
into this controversy, came to tn,
conclusion that you belonged to tn,
slimy tribe and have had no occasion
to change my mind since. Ofcours,
| modestly declined to accept you
proposal, and there TIE trouble com
menced. If l had submitted to thi
black mailing operation, all would
have been well and the goose ,ooulc
haze hunghiga" at least for a time, anC
would have been compelled to sub
nit to few fulsome. .pufs in your pa
per. But l refused to buy you evel
az the low price of $500. Oake
4 Ames would have mana ged the thin
better. He says the way to make
man attend to buslness, is to interes
him, and Oakes, you know is wise OF
this subject and understands just hoy
to reach the vulnerable points In sucl
men as you. Suppose you deny hav
ing ever wrote me such a letter ant
tell your readers the whole thing is
sheer fabrication. You must eithe
own up, deny, or be mum: whicl
course do you propose? Now for
display Of ingenuity or abuse. or botl