Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-10-17
4 Sensible Speech.

! GOV. wASHBURN OF WISCONSIN on BACK PAY
CEsARIsN, AND CIVIL REFORM.
Gov. c. c. Wash5uru Of Wisconsin, made
a speech at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, or
Friday evening. touching upon various i'm
por,ant pablic topics. lie gave considerable
time to the discussion of the railway agi-
tation, saying that he had no doubt but that
all railways were legislative creations, ard
subject to legislative control. He took the
general ground of favor TO the present de-
mands OF the farmers for lower freights and
pro rata freight enactment. Ofthe in
crease Of Congressional salaries, he said
"While I did not vote for the bill ofIsG6,
and am confident that | should not had
been in Congress, there was, perhaps, a
little justification for it. But for tho act of
1873 there was, in my judgment, no iustif-
cation whatever. The salary of s., 900 was
ample. IL was far more than the value Of
the services Of the average Congressman
outside of Congress.
Ofthe bill of 1856 he says.
II did vote Tor the change of the law by
which the pay of members was changed
from per diem to fixed salary of s., 600.
The reasons for the change were, to my
mind, very strong. The action was fully
sustained by the country as wise and judci-
Gus. This action differed from that of the
last Congress in this, that no member
voting for it had been reelected 10 the next
Congress, bat all had to 20 at once before
their constituents and give an account of
themselves before they could be reelected.
| represented then over one-halt of the
territory Of the State. the counties of Rock
and Dane and all west being within my
district. | was reelected that fall by about
IL, 1000 majority, or more than double what
received two years before. This shows
what my constituents thought of my acton
then, when all the facts and reasons were
fresh before them. In this last case the in
crease Of salary was not proposed until
gentlemen had been reelected for two
years, and all such as voted for the bill voted
not only two years back pay, but two years
Of forward pay at s., 800"
He takes no stock whatever in Casarisin,
and thus scouts the idea
You have heard good deal of late about
CTsarlsm. | suppose you know what that
Is, though | don't exactly. | reckon it
means thst somebody intends to proclaim
AtAiA'IAi 1T ~t-AAN AuAuAb udf Allt dD9DAAlt
master of the people. Ii there be any such
nan he Will do well to remember that
cesar had his Brutus. That the thought
If a third term has ever entered the mind of |
he President | do not believe. lie has too |
much good sense not to know that such a |
hing Is simply impossible. Ii is true that /
ONE toadies and papsuckers have made the /
digestion, and | am glad they have done |
o, a. ! think it will tend 10 help along an
mendment to the constitution, increasing
he term of the President to six years and
making him ineligible thereafter
lie speaks good word for the temper
nee law of the State, and gives the liquor
callers plainly to understand that they will
ecciye no iavors from him.
81 am told that the liquor interests of
be State are all against me, and are bent
n my defeat. ! cannot help that. 1t is
OF important to me to be elected Governor,
ut it l. important to me to be right, far
Iorc Important than to receive the votes of
-ery liquor dealer in Wisconsin, or be
scted 10 the highest Office in the power Of
an - he>tow'
Ofthc civil -er' ice reform lie says
THAT reforms in the government are
seded, no one doubts. The system of ap- 4
)inting men TO Office Is bad, and so long as !
continues more or less bad men will be
pointed. Some hope is entertained of i'm !
'ovement under the system of what is
He'd civil service reform, but not much. a
: a general thing the President is not to c
anne for bad appointments. lie cannot I
low the many applicants, and has to de-
md upon Senators and Representatives to f
wise him, and they too often sign papers I
get rid of Importantly. If the President t
)uld allow me to make a suggestion, it I
)uld be to require member of Congress r
Senator, when recommending persons for
ice, to certify on honor that the party
was personally known to !,
N that he believed him to be thor y
ghly competent man, man of ability. Of
)riety, integrity and honor. and that if
pointed he desired that his certificate
)uld be made public in the community p
ere the appointee resided. With such a :,
Iurement am certain you would i'm u
we your civil service, as Senator'S or
mbers who had any honor themselves, or ell
Iracter worth preserving, would be eau dl
US in their recommended