The sun., 1873-10-13
The salary StcaIcrs and The Sun.

Thosememhcrs of the last Congress who
voted for the plundcr bill, or lodged, or
pocketed the back pay, have resorted to
every manner Of deception 10 excuse OF to
pallate their base trcachery and corrupt
conduct. This Is especially true Of such
Of them rs have been reelected, OF arc can
didates for future favor
They have all been greatly troubled 10y
the revival Of the Congressional record in
THE SUS, and the exposure Of the votes
from the beginning to the end OF this dis
graceful business. These stern facts could
not be confronted with ease or satlsfac-
tiou, because they furnished the proofs of
guilt and yenality.
Mr.. BRIGHT OF Tennessee, in n circular
letter to his constituents covering twelve
mortal columns Of the Sholbgpiue Com
mercidl seeks to escape his share of the
responsibility, and to fastcu the charge OF
injustice upon THE SCN for its classltlca-
tion OF the votes in which his name either
appears or is not recorded.
He cites from The SUN Of August =,
1873. and comments as follows:
"on me Gsci i,s ro'e in the House on the lst Of
March last the following members then ~ since chose
u ne rl}.ulrd congress recorded remeiycs tles
aud uuNuE thr Democrats placed und' te head
o. IeiJ1t ~ c " sfa,,r .nn,,
vote Gd Note for The salary Oil wAich tecae the
Whether he intended 10 quibble or not
Mr. BKIGHT has quibbled most unwor-
thily on two points OF our paragraph
We classified number OF Democrats as
absent or dodgng upon the "Gnal test
vote" Of the lst Of March, and Mr.. BRIGHT
] tp hnan Rf IA har a
charge is either true or false and can only
bc determined by the official record. Let
us see how that stands.
On the 2slh Of February and near mid
night, the Legislative, Executive, and Ju-
dcial Appropriation bin was reported
| from the committee of the whole to the
| House. A special vote was called on the
| BUTLER amendment to increase the
salaries, which he had succeeded in getting
incorporated on the Path OF February.
| Many of the friends of the job happened
! TO be absent that night, and Others, alarmed
| by the opposition II met, could not be held
lIn. SO il was defeated badly. In this
extremity BUTLER entered a motion TO re-
consider the vote 10y which his amend
meut had been rejected, and upon the toy
of that moved 10 adjourn.
The object ~ this flank movement was
plain 10 the dullest understanding. IIc
wanted time TO rally and 10 bring in his
Republican reserves from the faro banks
ana other Congressional resorts. To com
plcte the triumph which hai just beer
achieved 10y tie anu-gHbbeTs, IL only re-
mnucd 10 lay the motion 10 reconsider on
the table. But as the motion To adjourn
lad parliamentary priority, that had 10 be
put fret and thus became the real test
vote of the night Strange 10 tell, the ad
iournment was carried by the great ma
jurily of Afty-thrce in n thin Ilouse-thorC
being slXty-sevon absentecs-by the aid o
many Of tho very members who hac
previously voted against the increase o.
salary. And among the number for ad
journing, and thus far aiding BUTLERi
bill, was this very JOHN N. BRIeHr b
Tennessee, who had just before announce,
that he was paired,
The next day was the first OF March, /,
which Mr.. BRIGuT specifically refers il
commenting upon the extract from Tn
SUN. The first question in order was BuT
LEhs motion TO reconsider his rejocte,