Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-23

under the law, which may be doubted. AS
Stunning, however, that they do lapse, then
they may be drawn at any time before the
30sh of June, 1876. II any member should
die tefore the expiration of the time, his
personal representative might draw IL with
In the remaining time. So that If the mem
Der would give it back to the government
or make any other disposition of it, he
must first draw ii, or so through the form
Of drawing il. Under the circumstances /
could see no improperly in receiving the
back pay due to myself, amounting to
S3,799, after dednctiDg mileage and other
charges, as 1t was sent to me By the Ser
geant at Arms Of the House as the balance
due me as member of the 42t Congress,
without sending statement of my ac-
count. But the most embarrassing cues
ton with which have had to deal is
WHAT WILL DO WITH TT?
Various friends whom I have consulted
by no means agree as to what should be
done with it. Some thought that it ought
to be given back to the Governments 9TH
ers that 1t ought to be turned over to the
State of Tennessee-others that it ought 10
be given to the Common School Fund of
Tennessee-others to the endowment fund
of some College or Uniyersity-others that ]
it ought to be divided AMONGST the counties
of my Congressional dstrict-othsrs that
Ishould keep it, SIS 1t was mine W the law
of the land and nothing but fair compen-
sation-others that they would rather that /
should have it than any ether person, and
that it would be unjust and unequal to take
It from me when nearly all the other mem
bers kept theirs-and from abroad it was
solicited as contribution to the Washing
ton Monument fund. So it will be seen
that the public mind hes been at sea as well
as my own.
II 1 should give it back to the Govern
ment, certain class would cry out with
the New York Tribune, as it said Of the
back-payers, that they shave been led by
conscience, or driven by shame, or induced
by considerations of policy to return it."
If l should propose to give it to the endow-
ment fund of q University, the clsmor
comes from another quarter that want to
cake it sounding board OF mock liber-
atty, which is only s'cbarity in the rind, but
selfishness ia the core" II l had left it in
the Treasury, the charge would have been
msde that it was only left there with the
dishonest motive of stealing 1t out after the
storm had blown over. If prop 'se to give
it to the counties of my Congressional dis
trict, they are to be persuaded that the re-
ceipt of it would be concentrating. Ii l
propose to keep it, others raise the cry that
| am guilty, upon the principle that the
"receiver is as guilty as the thief" II l
refuse to speak out, am considered dumb
with conscious guilt. If | attempt an ex-
PLANTATION, it is considered only hollow
pretense, and, like the dog Tray, l must be
beaten anyhow. So that am held at bay
on every side.
To give the money back it would be only
as the dust In the balances to the govern
ment whose annual expenses verge on $780,
100000. To give 1t to the State or to the
common echool fund of the State, would
not be just and equal to my own Congress
sional district, as the other Congressional
districts are receiving the benefit in some
form of the quotas of their respective Rep
resentatives. But, fellow citizens, not TO
weary you with further details-without
your fault or mine, and over my opposition,
we were involved in the consequences of
the lsw-you by having your part of the in
creased salary to pay, l by being subjected
to its burdens.
This last remark requires explanation.
The larger the salary, the greater the exac-
tons will be upon it. Washington city
takes the gauge of the Congressional salary,
and the price Of rents, furniture, boarding,
and provisions are raised in proportion to
its increase. Furnished houses after the
adjournment could be rented for half the
price exacted from the members during the
session of Congress. The increased pay
will only multiply the number and stimu-
| late the importantly of demands upon it.
| Congress is canvassed nearly every day for
donations to charity indulgence, and for con-
| tributiOns to religious, educational, literary
and scientific enterprises. Besides, 1t is un-
! derstood thai a Congressman's salary is
partly to be expended for the benefit of the
public. He has to pay for all the printed
copies of his own and other members
speeches which he distributes amongst his
constituents. He has now to pay postage
| on all the public documents which he dis
tributes, as we'll as letter postage to his con-
stituents. He has to respond TO the calls of
bis party to pay for the printing and distri-
| button of canvass documents. He is ex-
pected to furnish relief to any of his constit-
uents or citizens of bis State who may hap
pen to be caught in Washington City in
! destitute condition. In short, be is tapped
at every pore for IN ney plethora, is expect
| ed to be as liberal as prince, and if he
| WithholdS he is berated as a niggard. All
of which l do no. complaint only state
facts. Withsl, he is expected, and it is his
duty, to be an example OF economy. and
while he may be generous with bis own, he
must be saving of the public treasury.
l believe that the true theory of compen-
pensation to members Of Congress was not
designed to be in the extremes either Of
penury or prodigality; but, as said by one of
the fathers of the Republic, it should be
fixed sin the middle ground where dignity
blends with economy" In fact it makes
but little difference to the member of Con-
gress whether his compensation be $1,000
and mileage, stationary, and free postage,
or $500 without them. With either SAL
ary the general average of the members
will not more than mske their ends meet.
! Mr.. Clsy's experience was that he could
save no more out of the Speakers salary,
which was double that Of other members,
t. an he did out of his salary as a member
on the floor. However, it is matter Of
difference TO the people who have the in
creased compensation to pay. Perhaps it is
the duty of members of Congress to wage a
war of economy upon the exactions incident
to Congressional lie.
After this explanatory DEPRESSION on the
supervening burdens of the salary, recur
to the train of thought on which was COM
mencing-that you and myself were involv-
ed in the cons quences of the law without
the fault of either. You have your quota
to pay. 1t is beyond the power of Con-
gress to compel restitution, at least to TIE
outgoing members, and it could reaGh the
present members only by dedncting the
back pay from their future CONDENSATION.
From the foregoing review to throw light
On my own action, l conclude that by the
sanction of the Constitution of the United
States-by the sanction of the official ante
cedents of Presidents and representative
statesmen of the purest days Of the repub-
lie, the back pay is mine. did not expect
it, did not ask it, did not vote for it. The
government has parted with it, has no claim
ION it, does not ask its return. Being mine
l may do with it as please. My consti'u-
ents, having had to pay, are the only per-
sons on e5rth who can raise the question Of
q primary equity. The imperious logic Ct
facts drives me to this conclusion.
Being mine had intended, and privately