The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-06-05
(To be Continued.)
[From the Columbus Journal.l
Voice of the People.

! voice OF the Eeop1e.
This article is better written, and per.
! haps little more vitriolic than great
many of which it may serve as sample ]
| To the Editor Of the Journal:
| Fraud seems to be the order of the day
and those who are not engaged in it are
blamed with lack of business sense. The
| high standing and skill of the men occu-
pied often imparts to it not only repecta-
! bility but protection. The point upon
which depends the immunity of the thief
is his standing and the amount stolen. If
a poor devil takes an overcoat or horse
from an individual he is followed through
the county and State with curses and
bowling, and, if arrested, sent to the
Penitentiary. But if he is a big thief, and
steals thousands of dollars, and puts up
the bars behind him, he is regarded as an
expert gentleman. We have known hun
CRY mortals driven to desperation by mis-
cry, and starving for food, break window
and steal bread to keep life within them,
who have been seized by officers and
whirled to Columbus, as burglars, to ex-
plate their crimes, and the law was vindi-
Gated, and the people rejoiced And we
have seen men in power who have dellb-
erately cheated their fellows and the
Government out of thousands of dollars,
when there was no necessity to compel
such action, and they have been allowed
to go "scott free "glorying in their
shame"
A more open exhibition of the latter
named rascality has never been exhibited
to the American public than was mani
tested by the late Congressional thieving,
in what is called 'back pay" 1t was q
gross outrage and an unmitigated swim
die, and for it there is no excuse. 1t was
a disregard of duty and honesty, and the
violation of a contract, by which Con-
gressmen were hampered to a personal
disadvantage There may be few men,
| like Ben. Butler, whose impudence and
blackguardism may carry them through
the torrent of indignation which the peo-
pie feel, but the mass of the Congressman
who voted for the iniquity pronounced
their political death warrants in their
vote, and "the places which now know
them shall soon know them no more for
ever" Their requiem is sung-their
dirge is in the ears of their families. The
people are now groaning under taxation.
| No man comes to the Treasurer without a
disturbed face; no land owner comes
! that does not feel as if he were paying
heavy rent for the soil he tills; no me-
| chanic or laborer or business man of any
sort that does not look sad over his ne
| cessities. With this grievous burden
bearing upon them-the rich distressed,
and the poor scarcely knowing where to
| get bread, and the universal public look
| ing to the wise legislators for relief these
scamps and scallawags in Congress pro-
| iect and carry out swindle to increase
our burdens over million of dollars per
annum If this expenditure were for
| the public good it might be acquiesced in
and tolerated, but it is simply for their
individual benefit and not for any gen
| arol VIIpUoSo
When members of the last Congress
were elected it was with the understand
ing and agreement, on their part, that
| they were to receive five thousand dol
lars year for their services. The labor
of the best among them was worth no
more, and the general average would be
| much oYerpaid, even at that price. 1t
must be remembered that these mem
bers of Congress serve but about six
months during the long session and
three months during the short-they
serve only nine months in one session of
two years. For the nine months
service we, the people, were already
paying them TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS !
Our contract was to pay them that and
not a cent more. Was it not enough ?
| We ask you, lawyers and field hands,
doctors and blacksmiths, preachers and
carpenters, mechanics and laborers-was
not ten thousand dollars sufficient for
nine months work? But it did not sat
isfy these greedy cormorants, and they
corruptly and shamelessly voted them
selves two thousand five hundred dollars
a year in addition-makingf five thousand
dollars more for one term of Congress, or
fifteen thousand dollars for nine months
on the part of some of them, for loaferage
and trickery in Washington City. The
short session is three months duration
onefourth of a yeGr-no more. For it the
Congressman voted himself, or took,
seven thousand five hundred dollars from
depleted Treasury and nation in debt.
This would amount to thirty thousand
dollars year for his distinguished SER
yices-more than we gave the President
of the United States before this law was
passed, and three times as much as we
now give to the Chief Justice of the SUI
preme Court. But, it may be said that
the rest of the year after Congress ad-
journs he does nothing. That is not so.
A professional man, mechanic, merchant
or farmer obtains position by being q
Congressman that gives him influences
and opportunities for employment, spec
ulation and investment, which private
citizen has not and you can further put
it down as q matter for consideration,
that any man who voted for this steal, or
took the benefits of the fraud after it was
voted him by others, is, more than likely
engaged in some heavy peculations on
Governments, which his vote can carry
through and which will make for him
bed on which his weary frame can here
after repose. He who will take the profit.
of a wrong will do a wrong.
, Iu regard to this shameful act of Con