The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-12-20
THE BACK PAY QUESTION.


In the House OF Representatives,
ON the 9th, the bill to repeal the act
Of March 3, 1873, increasing salaries,
being under consideration, Mr.. Viii
son, of Indiana, said:
The subject now under considera-
tion is Que which has attracted much
public attention. TIE action Of the
Forty Second Congress in passing the
act by which the salaries of Senator'S
and Representatives were increased,
and especially that feature Of it
whereby the increased pay was made
to date from the beginning of Con-
gress, has met with the fierccst de-
nunciatiOn. Not only those who
voted for it, but those who voted
against it, yet received its benefits,
have been stigmatized as thieves and
robbers. 1t matters not how many
years Of. faithful service had been de-
voted to the country, nor how exalted
a character Tor integrity had been
builded up, this one act has been
deemed an objectionable sin, and
treated as an unmitigated criminality.
| do not doubt that this unstinted
abuse has been INDUCED in by many
honest, conscientious men, who in my
judgment came to hasty conclusions,
and certainly by many who thought
they could see in it their opportunity
for preferment, hoping for official
honors upon some dement's Of others
rather than upon any merits of their
own. l may be mistaken, but | have
thought that l could see in what has
transpired here since this question
came before the House disposition
upon the part of some gentlemen to
seek to gain popularity for themselves
by trying to cast reproach upon their
fellow members
1t IS not my purpose to argue against
the repeal Of that act, nor that it did
not fix the salaries too high, but to
show that there is nothing in it i'm
moral or dishonest; that man might
vote for it or receive it's benefits, and
still be the peer in integrity and con-
science Of the very best of all the
multitude of his detractors.
As the Constitution now is, the
power is granted to each Congress t.
fix its own compensation. This power
was granted because it was not deemed
wise to allow one Congress to fix the
compensation of its successor. Itwa,
| acknowledged as delicate duty fol
members to fix their own salaries
! but, after weighing all the arguments
| it was deemed best that it should b,
SO. A great many newspaper article
have been published and speeche
made, in which it has been assumet
| that when Senator or member O
| Congress is elected, it is contract t
serve during the period for which h
has been elected for the compensation
I provided for at the time of his cleo
ton. Nothing is palmer than tina
the assumption is without foundation
| Not only is this the plain letter of tn
! Constitution, but there is histor
I which shows that so the people them
: selves desired it to be.
On the 9th Of June, 1888, whe,
the State Of Virginia ratified tn
Constitution, the convention of tina
State proposed numerous amendment
( to be submitted to Congress for it
action, among which was one proyid
ing that laws fixing the compensate
of Senators and Representative
should go into operation only afte
the next succeeding election for Rer
resentative. On the 9Th of Jun,
/ 1889, Mr.. Madison offered, in til
( House of Representatives, an amend
/ ment to the same effect. After tn
and other amendments had passe
! through the hands of committee,
| came before the House in the follow
J ing words: art. I. sec. 6. betwee
! the words United States and 'sha
/! in all cases. strike out they and ii
I sert but no law varying the con,pel
II sation shall take effect until an ele
ton of Representatives shall ha'
interviewed.
In the debate which ensued. M
.Sedgwick, Of Massachusetts,, declar,
much inconvenience and but lit
good would result from it. Design,
men might use this provision to a
vance their own ends, reducing Il
compensation to gain popularity
9 economists, while reducing the pay
: such point as would keep men of t;
q ent, with but limited means, out
Congress, on account of insuficie
salary. Mr.. Vining thought the
was disagreeable sensation caus
q in the breast of any man called to s
value upon his own work, and
: ought to be avoided in future. n
}, Gerry would have favored the clau
: if they could find means to secure a
Z cquate representation. Mr.. Maids
: would consent to the measure, as
0 seemed to be desired by great nul
r Der of the American people, but
was not convinced that it was nee,
sary. Mr.. Sedgwick again remark
J that the question had two aspe
: which made it disagreeabIe to hi
. One rendered man popular with
J. constituents, the other rendered I
place ineligible to his competitor.
This is the substance of the deb
on this proposed amendment. I
House passed it, as did the Sena
,, and it was sent to the States for IA
Il fication. The people rejected it, v
J. tually saying, We will leave to ca
IF Congress the right to fix its own sala
). Since the refusal of the people
ratify this proposed amendment,
l. Congresses have increased their sa
st ries, and each dated the increase bs
r. to the beginning of the Consress;
10 in other words, have embodied in
y law this feature, which the gentlen
g from Ohio Mr.. Lawrence so e
N nestly objected to as back pay"
the Fourteenth Congress, such u
:. as John M'Lean, of Ohio, Dar
~ Webster, John c. Calhoun, Jc
70 Randolph, and other men Of /
NJ character, voted for such bill,
e all members of that Congress t,
i the benefit, among them such lner
70 Lowndes, Forsyth, Philip Barbo
a Henry st. George Tucker, Nathan
,s Macon, Rufus King. President CIR
" has been denounced for signing
bill of March last. James Mon,