Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-06-19
The President and the Salary
r. Grab.

lue IEeSlIcnL anu TIC Sd1dEy
4s - : Grab.
The Democratic leaders and press
knowing the record of the Democratic
members of Congress upon the late
back salary steal, are anxious now to
cover up their own infamy by shifting
the responsibility of the final success OF
the measure upon the President. In
their exceeding great virtue they sf-
feet to consider that he is more guilty
than the Congress that passed the act
1t is true that the President signed the
bill afteFit had been passed by Con-
gress, but it does not necessarily follow
that the President is as bad as the men
in Congress, who voted this iniquity.
1t will be remembered that the pro-
vision which carried with it the back
pay, was not bill by itself, but was
engrafted into the Diplomatic and Civil
Appropriation; bill, (which contained
all the various appropriations necessary
-to,carry on the government. 1t was
well known by the adroit tricksters,
who were guilty of fixing up this
wholesale robbing job, that the Presi-
lent would not sanction the measure
Oy itself, and hence they were careful
not to put it before him upon its merits
alone, but to saddle it upon general
bill, without which the government
could not get along. No choice was
left the President: he could not veto
the Objectionable feature of the bill, and
approve the rest, but must either ap
prove it asitcame from the hands O
Congress or veto the entire bill. II
The President had not the power o
acting upon that section separately
while Congress had the privilege o
talking and voting upon it separated.
and upon its own merits; Congress
could hayey rejected that section with
out impairing or injuring the balanc'
OF the bill, while the President coult
Dol. 9.if io ss.Esi i.j- 81 -.iifi-.r.5..
The action of Congress and the Presi
dent, therefore does not stand on tn,
same ground and hence they cannot b.
judged by. the same rule. The Presi
dent had no precedent for vetoing
general appropriation bill, for we be
lieve in no single instance in the histor.
of the Government, has the veto powe
been exercised upon such a bill; and th
+" President could not be expected to ex
% ercise it upon this bill, passed jus
when Congress was on the point ofad
jourhing, and when there was 10 tim
to frame a BiIlto take its place, simpl,
q because it tcontained an obnoxious set
ton. Zrsiss H. gTiza.di ~ .lfG1:..e
5l; Under the bill the President receive
& nc, back pay. 1t increased his pay fo
the future; bdtsthe increase was to tax
effect only upon his entering his secon
term. In approving that part of tn
bill, then, he was approving an il
crease of pay for his successor and th
fact that he was.his ownsuccessor, ,coul
in no wise affect the question of th
propriety Of the increase.
Besides this, there has been grow
ing public sentiment in favor of in
creasing the salary of the President S
as to make it compare with the dignit
and Importance of his station.
'4 The necessity of the increase wa
conceded by all parties and by Demo
cratic and Republican newspapers eve
rywhere. There was no division {
sentiment on that part of the bill.
In view ofthe action of every singl
Democratic Convention. refusing I
condemn the action of the Democrat
members of; Congress who voted fd
j the grab, the attempt of the Democra
= ie press now to make capital out of tn
Presidents approval of the act whic
secured him increased pay during b
second term is both ridiculous an
contemplate. r.
3 ln1'l. 81 : ~ 'a7si r tHF,f f,ascfy b II