New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-08


dignatoni
VICE PRESIDENT WILSON'S INCONSISTENCY.
Again the newspapers tell me that yicePrcsident
Wilson has returned his increased pay and written
letter saying he cannot take it, because his election was
contract 10 serve for 200 year. the sum fixed by
law at the time do understand this to be and
do not see how he can. When he elected TO the
Senate at FIRST the pay was - day yet IN 1870 nc o9u
and retroactively to 5000 a year Did not his first
election make contract TO serve for little more than
electioni In 1866 again ne voted to raise his salary
from 5000 to 5000 although he han been reelected
for the less Again, he was elected Nice-Pres-
ident; his votes counted for him as yice-Presi-
seat Senate take while the salary of the office
stood by law at IS 900 year by the new bill. tneVice
can be any such thing as contract for salary fixed by
a mans election, how with Mr.. Wilson's view OF that
of VicePresidenti Yet, almost at the time when
he returned his increased salary as Senator, ON the
ground he had made contract that he should serve
900 year and he could take more, he gave his
receipt 20 the Treasury for his increased salary Vice
own showing there was contract when he was elected
aud accepted 70 serve for sS.OW-a contract WHICH
did break Vice President by taking his Increased sal
ary What must be the political stress OF weather tnat
makes back upon themselves ana Why thelI
conduct in the past TO justify themselves IN tne
MR. HoAR's DISPOSAL OF THE MONEY.
There is another class OF members OF Congress whose
action in this regard seems intended criticism upon
my course They will pardon IL / examine theirs.
Those gentlemen have taken their back pay and devoted
it TO chosen purpose, sometimes charitable and some
times other WISE Perhaps of the best illustrations
OF such disposition OF the money is the action OF my
colleague from the With District the Hon. George f.
HOar. He drew his increase salary and Win IL en-
district If he had right to take that money. he
tainly had right 20 Keep IT. III IL was nos
not money honest enough 70 take II It
not honest enough money for MN 10 spenai
his purposes. certainly the Ingenious youth OF
his district ought not TO be contaminated by being edu
Gated with dishonesty acquired money. DevOthg III
gotten gains to charity does not clean the money May
remind my colleague that his way OF spending oad
money is not even orlRnalf he is guy OF piaslaIls
~ G Sei % Poers ed for the charitable
purpose OF burying the dead but 1t is called the hed
0fSbloOd" even unto this day. One gets great glory,
however by founding public institutions. 1t Is favor
tie method OF eectoneering OF those POLITICIANS VINO
eectoneer through the use of money. Every man mas
a right however, to do with his own money as he
pleases and treating it as his own money nODody can
thousand and odd dollars OF "back pay" Every man
may do what he likes with his own money. deherauy,
he will buy that which he needs most Some men need
glory and therefore purchase some men neeJ ecu a
er's meat buy butchers meat with my otck pay;
back pay as his brother did when he took back pay
Supreme judge and as his predecessor Vi ne ie
il and put it where IT Will do the most good IeIhaps
my advice has been followed That Is preciseIy "h"'
my colleague thinks he has done!
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS ANXIOUS TO GET THE MONEY
To one who takes for granted all that is SAID upon
back pay" there very curious state OF puphc
morals While the one hand its acceptance by mem
beers of Congress declared the acme OF all that Ia dis
honest on the other and doubt not my colleagues
have received numbers OF applications from religious
To carrying their pOus and benevolent enterprises
generally accompanied with an intimation that the
money is hardly honest enough for us 10 Keep ~ tno
applicants verify believed that the money was hishon-
esty obtained they must perceive 1t is not III TO Dnid
churches carry on religious or benevolent enterprises
with. The utter obliviousness Of such applicants,
who must be good Christian men, with correct morai
perceptions TO the rite old maxim The receiver Is as
bad as the thief" coupled with the appropriation OF
their increased salary by several members OF congress-
the OF schools, the Washington monument 10 Tue
use of their constituents and other like purposes con-
vnces me that there is sincerity in the cry that
Passing the salary bin Else the entire moral percep-
lions the religious and charitably disposed III the
community obscured by their desire OF gam as well
those Of Congressman by their desire TO win popular
applause.
The PRESS AoGR1EvED BY THE loss OF THEIR PRANK
ING PRIVILEGE.
How them is the apparent unanimy of the press and
of political assemblies, in their anilnadversions upon
the salary measure, explainablel Nothing be
easier. The denuncations OF the bill began with the
Democratic papers in hopes to inure the President and
his Administration, by the usual party slang, holding
him pOnsibe for it, he could have prevented the
passage Of the bill by his veo and TO npute corruption
him. his salary thereby raised. But tho press,
OF ali parties and denominations, excited
against Congress because when the franking
privilege, which made their exchanges and their
county circulation Tree, was dDOlsneU congress
refused to make any exception in favor OF the
newspapers and required them to pay postage as other
people pay theirs there e cane up
where there were newspapers unanimously beseechlng
Congress- while they might abolish the frankDg priv-
ege for everybody else to save the newspapers It's
operation. But the press had been bowling for Its
n for s-for GonFPessmen as well as the newspSpers~
making il fall like the dews OF heaven, upon the Just
and unjust" Therefore the whole press chimed with
The opposition press in combining to punish Congress
for taking away their perqusites
MEMBERS UNABLE TO LIVE UPON THEIR SALARIES.
1 felt quite at the time that whatever course
took in regard Of pay, would be the sub
ect Of newspaper deflement Had refused to present
the b and voted against it, then 1t would have been
said "bavng sufficient income OF his own and means
OF earning more by his profession the salary was moth
TO him he knew that ne could aoTo 70 I'VE IN Congress
by voting against sufficient compensation 80 that no
poor man could 90 TO Congress-" confess. however,
OF calumny which knew would be poured upon me,
whatever course took, woud contain accusation
that regarded 1t as question OF money TO myself for
the hard labor OF long business life has given the
means Of living without it, public employment
winch nave not used In nlRgardy manner TO
color 70 such detracOn felt that If lost what have
dsS SGeG l earn more ana my 0 did not
there were those who have been and would he willing to
give me seven times much in my profession.
saw in Congress many faithful efficient representa-
uyes, honest temperate, economical men, unable TO !
duty induced them 50 to DO they lived IN the third story
OF some second third rate boarding house. in single
rOOm cOmDluinS ONCE pdrlOr, htting-r0Om and bed
in one that the rest Of their means could he
used In educating their children, keeping 10 the
homestead that they might return IL at the end Of their
term Of service. knew that Of the men OF whom
have spoken were obliged to borrow money and pledge
their fanes. saw them exposed, day by day to the
pressing temptations Of whoever should offer them
oil getting money 10 supply their wants. and
/ knew that OF them had yielded and disgraced
themselves, their colleagues and their country by SO
doing pted the needs and the struggle for the means
of living which had Induced them to It, and nv
soul that ought not TO be the condition of repre-
at,fo fva of npOUle
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BILL ACCEPTED.
can easily conceive what must be the force OF tempt
alton TO maa with wife and children dependent upon
him his business broken up. and his profession gone