The Lincoln County herald., 1873-05-07
Congressional salary Questien.


by those papers which have denounced /.
in such strong terms. 1t thinks matter
Of economy is involved, and that the
action Of Congress. instead Of deserving
so much condemnation, is really q move
in the right direction. 1n this we can
not altogether agree with the Times. II
Eve thousand dollars a year vas not
enough TO meet the expenses Of our
national legislators, and leave them sur
plus, expenses at Washington City must
mount up rapidly, or our solous must be
the most extrsvsgant Of men, altogether
incompatible 9th the heavy burden i'm
posed upon the people BY the immeusity
Of the national debt. Patriots, and such
should be the men who control the 6nan
cial aud political machinery Of the coun-
try, should labor to relieve their constit
uents of the ponderous weight Of taxes
as far as possible in these close money
times. The salary act, in conjunction
with one other of which we will pres
emily speak, does not appear to us to be
q move in this direction. We are not
of those who consider that the laborer is
not worthy Of his hire, but We hear Of
very few of our congressman who have
grown poor on FIVE thousand . year; on
the contrary, there are few exceptions
where . man who has once held the posi-
tions, does not desire TO be returned
We know that some of these barter their
votes and make money. but such geuer.
ally come out with large fortunes, and
live in palaces the balance of their days.
The foregoing remark, however, does not
refer to them, for they are unworthy the
position but 20 men who have acted
honestly in the capacity assigned them,
who have found the old salary sufficient
to meet their wants. Few Of them would
make FIVE thoussn1 at home following
their legitimate callings. But if the sum
they have been receiving is not sufficient
to meet reasonable demands, we do not
particularly object to proportioLate in.
crease, nor is that the co;r plaint made by
the newspapers referred to BY the Times.
The back salary "steal" is the hair that
broke the camel's back, and brought
down the indignation of an outraged
people upon the members of the last
Congress. When they were elected, they
knew what they we're to receive, and
honest men would have held to the con
tract, even had the living in Washington
eaten up the larger half Of their receipts
Ii in these hard times our ycomanry, who
bear the burden of government, to meet
their daily wants are reduced to the neces.
sty of living on Eve hundred aud thou
sand dollars year, certainly their repre-.
sentatives should be content with FIVE
thousand. But in voting themselves, in
the name Of the people, between two and
three thousand dollars = year for past
services, knowing that they we're the
only parties to the contract, they com
mi,ted breach Of trust and set a prece.
dent that cannot be too loudly condemu ned.
The papers and the people have called i,
a "steal !" and when we look at it in the
light OF true morality, what Is breach
of trust but theft, except that We have 20
law TO reach the former?
The plea Of its economy is thus Sc,
forth by correspondent Of the Times
That the same Congress which PASSED the
increase salary bill also passed an ac,
repeating abe fraukiug privilege, which
be estimates as an annual saving to the
government of larger amount than the
increase Of salaries amounts to, and give,
figures to show the correctness Of hi
conclusions. In this he may be right
but upon whom does ,he burden of thi
last ac: fall? Upon the same people tha
the salary increase does. IL is estimate,
that the amount of free matter under th,
franking privilege that passed .h,ougl
the mails annually, would, if charged fo
at the usual rates of postage, aggregat,
s2,543,32172; and Of shis amount i
is estimated shat congsessmen maile'
sl,27l ,663 worth Of matter, one half o
the whole a@ouGt. The nsture OF tn
matter thus scot th,oush the mails ma,
also be considered. Ou, congressmel
used che fraukiug act for the purpose 0
sending QUA electioueesing document.
uselss patent Office and othev reports t,
people sho did not want them and eeve
read them, and the printing Of so larg
number Of which was downright tom