Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-12-17
WASHINGTON.
ALEX, II. STEPHENS on THE SALARY
BILL.
lie Defends the Moral Right Of Con-
greSSmen TO Fix Their
Own Salaries,
lie FayOrS High Salaries and viii OPP
pose any Reduction.
Stephens on the Salary Bill.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 10, is,

|
The salary bill was again resumed, but
without any definite action.
Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, was the next
speaker. He got on his feet with Difficult
ty and not without assistance. He sup
ported himself with crutch under his left
| arm. He spoke with clear ringing voice.
which was distinctly heard in every por-
ton of the chamber, except when he
dropped his tones, which he did very FREE
quently at the close ,of sentences. His
manner was nervous and rapid and his
remarks very aggressive, many of his
sentences being left incomplete. He was
listened to with the closest interest and
attention by the members, officers and
audience.
Its Moral and Political Aspect.
He commenced by saying he would ex-
anime 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 subject. He would not speak
in derogation of the power or usefulness of
the press. The position of journalist in
this country was one of the highest. The
fourth estate did in this age control public
| sentiment, but he would in all earnestness
| say to the press and its conductors that
nothing was more important than that, in
treating of subjects with the masses of the
people, they should look well to the truth
and correctness in principle of what they
addressed to the people.
DemagOgueism Explained.
The press had denounced as thieves and
robbers the members of the last Congress,
and he had seen one paper which repre-
scented the raid on the Treasury very much
like the charge of the six hundred at Bal
aklava. He had thought the wit of that
representation more appropriate than the
wisdom. The gentleman from New York,
Mr.. Tremaine, had spoken yesterday of
demagogueism. He, Stephens, maintained
that there could be no craftsmanship with
out it, There never had been q statesman
who was not demagogue. The word or
ignally meant leader of the people. Per-
icles was demagogue. There were two
I kinds OF demagogues, the sham and the
genuine. The genuine demagogue 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
coIrted iavors in order to get office or the
spoils of Office.
a Case in Point.
He considered Lord Chatham as the
true and genuine demagogue, and related
an anecdOte to the effect that, when Chat
ham was proposing to the English Cab
met new measure of taxation, includ-
ing 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 whether that member
n was present or not, because he was fool
" That is the very reason" said Chat
n ham, that 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 l want
n to know the sentiment of the public
He wanted to know it, not to pander t
it, but that he might go before the peo
pie and raise them to a sentiment of the
necessity and propriety of the measure
Neither Party Responsible.
Recurring to the increased salary bill
Mr.. Stephens said that he was very glad
to say that that was measure for which
= neither party was responsible. His opin-
=. ion was that the Democracy, in the proper
I. ton of its votes in Congress was, quite a.
q responsible as the Republican party TIL,
gentleman from New York Tremaine
had admitted yesterday that under tn.
Constitution every Congress had a right L
fix its own compensation. 1t had done 81
from the beginning of the Government
= II had frequently increased that compen
% satiOn, and the increase was always an(
IL necessarily retroactive. Worthy men haC
,e done this in the last century and in TIT
2. early part of the present century. TIT
70 brightest ornaments in American history
had subjected themselves to be denounced
p as salary grabbers and thieves.
% The Moral Aspect
y The first great thing to be learned in thi
II life, that which has been taught in tn
IL schools of ancient Greece, was to discrim
II mate between that which the multitude
"a thought was right and that which wa
10 right in itself. If there was anything
e. wrong, anything immoral, anything dis
4, honest, anything which would reflect dis
70 grace, or mans memory for taking tina
u legal appropriation he wanted to know
e. where ii was. If it was wrong for member
re to take what the law allowed, where Wer
" men to find a rule of right and wrong
re His remarks on this subject did not appl
~ to himself, but he was citizen of the coun
le try and be felta deep interest in the dig
u nifty and character of Congress. Z
or Endorses the Measure.
ed He claimed that when Congress passe
C. the retroactive law of last session it had
ne constitutional right to do so. He was nc
he saying whether it was eXpedient or no
e. but no blush should rest on the cheek
ut any man. whether he voted for the bill {
ch not, who took the money. If he had bee
IT. here, he should have taken it, whether h
voted fors it orsnot, and should have fe