The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1873-09-20

From the n Y Suu1


ceeding two-thirds in each House, and
President in full political accord with
Congress. Now, as during the last II
years, they hold absolute control of all
the avenues of legislation, of the COM
mlttees that frame and report bills, of
q Speaker of the House of Representa-
tlyes to direct the operations, and of
other agencies hardly less important.
In this condition of things, and in view
of the resolutions passed by the Con-
ventions of Ohio, Maine, Iowa, Mime
sofa, and Wisconsin, it would seem to
superficial observer that the repeal of
the odions statute would be one of the
tirst acts of Congress next December.
Yet there is no probability of any such
event. And the reasons are obvious.
In the first place the Republicans
would never have passed the law if they
had any intention of repeating it, One
half of the members of the House that
voted this plunder were already re-
elected, and consequently had all the
responsibility before them. Every
member of the new House, and every
member of the Senate too, without re-
gard to party or to votes ON this ques-
tI0n, has received the increased pay
since the 4th of March, and thus given
the law an unqualified support, made
more emphatic by the fact that as it
stands it leaves the option to choose the
old or new pay, both having been speci-
tically appropriated in the same act.
When Congress shall convene on the
first Monday of next December, every
man with IA certificate will have drawn
$5,625 before being sworn in as mem
Der. To vote for repeal is to confess
that this money was wrongfully taken,
and therefore to make restitution ne
cessity. When that fact is considered
with all it's material weight, the pros
pect of revoking a law with such con-
sequence becomes dim and distant.
But if it should be deemed expedient
as mere sham to propose repeal in the
House of Representatives, and so
through the motions of voting for par
.tisan effect, everybody knows that the
Senate stands ready to squelch it, and
that no movement will ever be made
without full understanding to that
effect. And this is made more certain
because the Presidents pay is involved
in the same category by the peculiar
terms of the law. The Constitution
provides that:
s'The President shall, at stated times, re-
ceive for his services a compensation which
shall neither be increased nor diminished dur
ing the period for which he shall have been
elected"
Now. the act of March last appropri-
ates two different salaries for this Office
one the old rate at S25, 900 per an
mum, and the other the new rate at
$50, ,00O. Neither is repealed or coupled
with any condition implying repeal.
Tho President may have the present
option to elect between the two, and if
he takes the larger salary, as he has
done, then he is even more responsible
for the iniquity than any member of
Congress. But it is clear that, having
voted the old compensation, it is no
violation of the Constitution to repeal
this part of the bungling and ineongru-
ous statute, just like any other.
If the President appreciated his great
office and desired to set an example of
integrity, he would never have touched
this tainted money, but reserved him
self ftorecommendi its repeal in response
to the public sentiment. But he is not
capable of rising to that elevation, even
il he had not persistently labored and
even lebbied for the passage of a bill
by which he was to be personally en-
riclled to the extent of SiO0, 600.
Another reason why nothing is to be
expected from the new Congress is be-
cause the Republican party is corrupt,
rotten, and incompetent to any reform.
1t is controlled by Rings. great corpo-.
rations, and yenal combinations, who
have squandered and stolen all the val
uable public lands, made jobbery a
part Of legislation. dealt in Credit Mo-
bilier frauds, and plundered the Treas
urY III every conceivable way by mono
poles. special grants and privileges.
The resolutions of the Republican
Conventions seem to have been made
By the same machine, which was first
used in Ohio. Identical in language,
they all have the same intention to de-
ceive tile public By empty professions.
Every Convention for ten years past
made proclamation of economy and
other good purposes, to be redeemed
by greater extravaganee and excess,
until hundreds OF millions have been
misapplied and members of Congress
have grown rich upon the spoiis of bro
ken pledges. In the face of this re-
peated experience, the exposure made
of nearly all the leaders I'M the last Con-
gress, their votes on the salary steal,
their bsck-pay grab, and their receiV-
ing the fore pay, they have tile effron-
terry to ask q vote of confidence now,
when in order to carry the elections
they pretend to be Jealous for the re-
peal Of their own acts.
1t unfortunately happens that the
general election for members of the
House of Representatives was held last
fall, so that the people will not be able
directly to reach the guilty offenders.
But there are State Legislatures to
elect, and these Legislatures will have
to cheese Senators for six years. The
great impediment to reform is in that
body, because it is beyond the inamedi-
ate grasp Of the constituency. E is
practicable To make this question enter
into every legislative district, and thus
carry the war into the camp where it
may be most effective.
To any event, the cry Of repeal must
"a on until every vestige of this outrage
is expunged from the statute book. II
the Forty third Congress fails 10 answer
the popular demand, as we believe II
will, then let the Forty fourth be re-
turned on this Issue. Agitate it every
ghere; and when the people are fully
reused Ehey will not only make finish