Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-25
THE sAIAR1Es OUTAGE.


ment in regard TO the salary swag grabbed
by the President and members OF Congress
in the last hours of the last session: "Ihe
last Congressional steal was not unlike
MANY private theft-done in haste ana
trepidation, scattering plumber that was not
carried away. Thus, the bill makes the
Presidents $4,000 additional to the S25,-
900 already provided by law; but OF this
discovery, it is said, the President will not
tase advantage. The intent was also to
Increase salaries of Congressional employees
(of the Capitol,I 10 per cent; but the law as
il stands; reads CapitGl-thus, by decision
of the Comptroller, embracing all the
Departments. It is little comfort to know
that the Comptroller does not, as yet, ind
in the bill any money to pay these en-
ployes, because we fear he will find 1t, as
be did the money to pay Congressman,
upon closer examination ,"
1.-THE act gives Grant fifty thousand dol
lars additional to the salary under which he
contracted with the people Of the United
States to serve another four years, heis not
the man TO refuse to take the half of it. lie
must do SO before the people will believe it
of him. He is not the man to refuse mon
ey. The Republican journals that have
bitterly denounced Congressman for voting
themselves additional pay, have had moth
ing to say about Grant approving bill to
increase his own salary in the morning Of
the day be was inaugurAted for second
term. Here is the view Mr.. Farnsworth, q
Republican member Of Congress from Hill
nois, took of the matter, in speech he
made in the House o! Representatives:
II strikes me that the spectacle of Con-
press voting on an increase of salaries, com
menciny with the President Of the mite
States and ending with themselves, such as
is proposed in this bill, is more shameless
| spectacle to the country than has ever been
| exhibited before. Our fathers, MIR. Chair
man, who made the Constitution, and who,
it seems to me, were wiser thin We are,
provided that
| sssThe President shall at stated times, receive
| for his services compensation, Whch sndn
| neither-b be increased or dimhlshed during the
neriod for which he shall have been elected, and
Ia shall not receive within that period any othef
| emolument from the United States, or any oil
Them
81 know that it is proposed to evade this
technically by making an increase OF saiar-
les on the 4th of March next. But does
| not the same President sign the bill? Is
not the same President in Office to-day as
win be In Office en- the 4th OF March Is
he not able TO exercise the same command
inc influence on members OF Congress 70
induce them to vote this increase OF salary
TO-DAY as he will be on the 4th day oil
March /? Why did the fathers put that re
striction in the constitution? u was That
no President could exercise the influence
of his official position to increase his own
salary, II has come 10 be too much the
custom that the moment a man gets into
Office, into an assistant cabinet ot1eer,
or q chief clerkship, or asay spch
office, he comes TO Congress and asks
an increase of salary. The purpose OF the
fathers was that when a man takes ar
| Office, knowing what The salary shall be, he
shall be content with that salary until be
gets Though his term of office. GU are
violating as much the spirit of the Constitu'
ton by making this increase OF compensa'
ton to the President to-day as the nexi
Congress would violate it if they made it Oh
the 9Th of March. 1t is the same President
who would be signing bill to increase bis
| own salary; and President that Will sign
bill to increase his own salary, in violation
of The spirit Of the Constitution, ought Il
be impe .ched. l know that this argu
ment is made. Gentlemen frequently
say, son! if a gentleman does no
want the salaries increased he neet
not take the increase" This is not al
argument. The question is, have we The
right TO vote ourselves this money? Have
we a right, Just as we are leaving Congress
to vote ourselves from the treasury OF tn
United States, $1,000 apiece F? Why, sir
the Credit Mobilier pales its inefiectual tre'
before such proposition as this. There
has not been so shameless a spectacle pre-
scented even by this Congress; and when
say that, l say good deal, as this maxim!
of ring and putting the President OF TN
United States at the head Of it, and putunl
in the cabinet officers and he judges OF tn
Supreme Court. and then putting in GU
} own selves, sandwiched in between these
high functionaries. And we are TO do thI
Just when we are shaking the dust off GU
feet in leaving this hall.