Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-05-08
THE SALARY QUESTION
An Old Constitutional
Amendment Revised.
Resolution by ScnatOr Knox for
its Ratification.

Iu the Ohio Senate on the 18th inst,
Mr.. Knox, of Harrison, offered the fol.
lowing joint resolution lOr the ratl6ca.
ton of Il proposed amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, SUBJ
mitted by the first Congress, in 1888:
WHEREAS, BY the fifth article of the
Constitution of the United States of
America, it is provided that the Con-
gresS, whenever tw0-thirds of both
Houses shall deem it necessary, shall
propose amendments to the said Con-
stitution, which shall be valid to all
iDtents and purposes as part of said
Constitution, when ratified by the
Legislatures of three-fourths of the
several States, or by Conventions in
three-fourths thereof, as the one or the
other mode ratification. may be pro-
posed by Congress; and whereas, in the
session of the Congress of the United
States of America, begun and held at
the city of New York, on the fourth of
March, one thousand seven hundred
and eighty-nine, it was resolved by the
Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States, in Congress as
sembled, twO-thirds of both Houses
concurring, that that tire following ar
ticle (being the second article of
twelve) be proposed to the Legislatures
of the several States, as an amendment
to the Constitution of the United
States; which article, when ratified by
three-fourths of said Legislatures, to be
valid to all intents and purposes as a
part of said Constitution, viz.
"a rticte the Second-NO law varying
the compensation for the services of
the Senators and Representatives shall
take effect until an election of Repre-
sentativeS shall have intervened."
And whereas, the said Article the
Second not having received the assent
of the Legislatures of .hree-fourths of
the several States, is still pending for
therefore,
ResolUed by the General assembly of
the State of Ohio, That we hereby rat
ify, on behalf of the State of Ohio, the
above recited proposed amendment to
the Constitution of the United States.
ResOtred, That certified copies of the
preamble and resolutions be
by the Governor of Ohio tc
the President of the United States, to
the presiding officer of the United
States Senate, the Speaker of the Uni
ted States House of Representatives
and the Secretary of State of the Uni
ted States.
On submitting the above resolutions
Mr.. Knox addressed the Senate as fol-
lows: 4.i
Mr.. President, [ do not at this late
day, when we are on the eve of ad-
purpose to take up but a
few moments in the discussion of this
Its importance, and
md probably its necessity are
apparent and obvious to. all. BY the
reading of the resolution you find that
t purposes the ratification by this
of an article proposed as an
to the Constitution of the
United States. by the Congress assem-
,led in New York in the year 1889, to-
,ether with eleven Others, twelve in |
Ill. Ten of these proposed articles |
we're duly ratified by the Legislatures
If fthree-fOurths of the States; the first
md the second not having as yet re-
eived the assent of the required num-
,er of the States, are still pending and
waiting their ratification. 1t may be
bjected that the time is long past
vhen the States would be justified i'm
aking action in regard to the proposed
but upon investigation
'ou will find that there is nothing in
he Constitution of the United States
Uniting the time, nothing to prevent
fro ho; 4 r.
yard as still valid, and counted in
lvor of this amendment; nothing to
revent this or any other State from
eviving it and giving it that vitality
which will enable it to grow into 4
wing reality as part of our Constitu-
ion.
Recent events in the enactments of
he late Congress in regard to what is
allied the ''back salary pay" which I
7ill not now stop to discuss, but to say
hat it is alleged that by it the mem.
ers of that Congress are entitled to
raw in the aggregate over one mil.
ion of dollars, as pay..fOr their services,
q excess of what they were entitled to
" the law when they became men,
'ers, and that their conduct has excit-
d the almost unanimous Indignation
f the people and,press OF the entire
ountry, and that, too, without regard
O party, and that the system of Iegis-
alton by which this kind of thing can
e done, has recently been characteriz-
d by this General assembly as s'vic-
events, repeat, demand
hat something be done to throw ad-
litionaI checks and guards around the
evenues of the nation, that they be
aithful kept and carefully disbursed
q pursuance of law. In the early DAYS
f the Republic, when the mercenary
pirit was not so rampant as In later
lines, when men prided themselves on
heir republican simplicity, and ac-
their responsibility to the
ust expectations of the people, this
fas not fully realized.
Mr.. Madison himself. in proposing
his amendment, did not seem to un-
Ierstand its importance. / repeat the
amendment:
ARTICLE The Seco1ad.-NO law vary
ng the compensation for the services
f the Senators and Representatives
hall take effect until the election of
shall have interven-
d." How wise provision. How
necessary, as demonstrated by recent
vents. If ratified when proposed, it
would have done much to prevent the
endency to decentralization in our
government. 1t would have prevent
n in all probability clouds of suspicion
rom darkening the future of wise and
BILE statesmen, who in all else have
Justified the expectations and conf
encs of their constituents, and have
aved to the councils of the nation men
vho have done the State "some ser.
'ice."
Mr.. Madison, probably from a sense
f delicacy, spoke of this amendment
s one of the "minor cases" enumerat- ;
d in his proposition. And though
ot giving it that prominence, nor that I
Importance which later day has s
bown it merited, l cannot do better s
han to quote his argument in its ia
or. He said (Annals of Congress,
age 45i, volume 1.): There are
oDQ minor cases in which Ii