Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-12-18
THE INCREASED SALARY QUESTION.


18th, Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, made speech
on the salary question. The report says that
he got on his feet with some difficulty, and
not without assistance, supporting himself
with crutch under his left arm while he
spoke His speech was delivered in clear,
ringing voice, which was distinctly audible
in every portion of the chamber, except when
he dropped his tones, as he did very frequent
ly, at the close of sentences. His manner was
nervous and rapid, and his remarks very di-
gressive; many of his sentences being left in
completed. He was listened to with the
closest interest and attention by members,
officers and audience.
He commenced by saying he would examine
the question before the House, first in its moral
and then in its political aspect He spoke Of
the comments Of the public press on the sub
iect. He would say nothing in derogation of
the power or usefulness of the press. The po-
sition of journalists in this country was one
of the hg ghest The fourth estate did, in this
age, control public sentiment; but he would,
in all earnestness, say to the press and its con-
ductors, that nothing was more important
than that, in treating Of subjects with the
masses of the people, they should look we'll to
the truth, and correctness, and principle Of
what they addressed to the people. The press
had denounced as thieves and robbers the
members of the last Congress, and he had one
paper which represented the raid on the
Treasury very much like the charge of the
six hundred at Balaklava. He had thought
the wit of that representation more appropriate
than the wisdom. The gentleman from New
York, (Tremain,) had spoken yesterday of
demagogueism. He (Stephens) maintained
there could be no craftsmanship without it.
There never had been statesman who was
not a demagogue. The word originally meant
a leader of the people. Pericles was dema.
gogue. There were two kinds of demagogues-
the sham and the genuine. The genuine dem
agogue was the man who led the people-who
guided the people. The sham demagogue
pandered to the errors and prejudices of the
people, The real statesman was the physician
of humanity. The sham demagogue simply
courted favors in order to get office and the
spoils of office. He considered Lord Chatham
as the true, the genuine demagogue, and rela-
ted an anecdote to the effect, that when Chat
ham was proposing to the English Cabinet
new measure of taxation, including the taxing
of windows, he missed one member OF the
Cabinet, and asked for him by name. The
answer was, that it made no difference wheth-
er that member was present or not, because
he was fool. That is the very reason, said
Chatham, that I want him here; because the
way he thinks about this thing is the way that
the majority of the people of England may
think about it, and want to know the senti-
ment of the public. He wanted to know it,
not to pander to it, but that he might 60 be-
fore the people and raise them to sentiment
of the necessity and propriety of the measure.
Recurring to the consideration ofthe increased
salary bill, Mr.. Stephens said that he was very
glad to say that was measure tor which
neither political party was responsible Ills
opinion was that the Democracy and the pro-
portion of its votes in Congress was quite as
Responsible rs Tie Republican party. The
gentleman from New York (Tremain) had
admitted yesterday that, under the Constitu-
tion, every Congress had a right to fix its own
compensation. 1t had done so from the be-
ginning of the Government. Ithad frequent
ly increased that compensation, and the in
crease was always and necessarily retroactive.
Worthy men had done this in the last century
and in the early part of the present century.
The brightest ornaments in American history
hid subjected themselves to be denounced as
sal@y-grabbers and thieves. The first great
thingto be learned in this life, that which
had ben taught in the schools of ancient
Greece, >as to discriminate between that which
the multitude thought was right and that
which was fght in ITSELF If there was any
thing wrong. aything immoral, anything dis
honest. anything which would reflect disgrace
on mans men1yy for taking that legal ap-
preparation, he waited to know where it was.
Ifit was wrong forSembers to take what the
law allowed, where Are men to find out the
rule of right and wrog? His remarks on
this subject did not appA to himself, but he
was citizen fthe country and he felt deep
interest in the dignity and Naracter of Con-
gress. He claimed that whehCongress passed
the retroactive law of last scion. it had
constitutional right to do so. We was not
saying whether it was expedient \ not, but
no blush should rest on the cheek INV man.
whether he voted for the bill or not, NO took
the money. If he had been here, he\bould
have taken it, whether he had voted foIt or
not, and should have felt that he was as jtlv |
entitled to it as he was to receive dollaNa
day. 1t was constitutional Act, constle\
tionally passed, and those who were entitled
to pay under it were as much entitled to the