, 1873-10-23

Tho Prchidcstt and tho Sn1nry-farnb.
7rans'ated frens the 1se,o FORK Staats- Ztttun0.
Tint tho President, at tho rasshgo OF tile most
unpopular Of all tho lews Of tho Forty-seeond1
Is long since 10 secret. Tho Opposition rapors
llavo repeatedly made montion Of thin, md tho
Administration prcBa llaB mover tried to mako a
thorough contradiction: lei 4 few upmportan't
laTgor than their aonso Of truth, have certainly
aeoo seoaasons 'D0 yot te bettorintormsd sh sned
rapera have obaorvod '1ooP} silence ovor ths
nre we'll conscious tint tho President was tho
real originator Of tho lnw yet, out Of loyalty to
him, and from fear to lose h!e patronage, thoy
had rather Bnfror patiently tho attacka Of tho
thnn to botray thoir lord anl nlaetor.
It WAS reserved for tho Republican Oonyen-
tton Of MasaachiBetts to make difference be.
tween the anlary Of the President aud that Of
tho tho forlnor aa necessary and just whio Il con- n
domnod tho onlarRing Of tho Inter % IN
extravaganza. It waa passionate against
tho impudonce of tho poor, gnats, and
tion Of tho guilty oongross'non may have boen
oyor 90 much In itB place, 1t waa for all Tint an
| Injustice In this ono-sided opinion OF tho mat
tor, go long as tho Convention did not speak
e1poso Tho Chief Of tho, , band viii viii them. Thls
". Willard, a Republican Representative from
Vermont: Ho pitied the poor devils who woro
tho deh, and, IN his moral indignation o!or tho
alteration Of tho Republican Convention OF
MassaohuBotta, ho came out with the whole his
tory Of tho origin Of tho sn1nry lazy.
Tho increasing tlo salnrlca Of tho Congress-.
mon was, till nov, always put In tho foreground,
whilo tho etnultaueouB increaao of tho PrcBi-
dents salary WIS looked OIL nH consequence, or
4 not-to-be avoided appondi1, Of tho former.
However,, since tho explanation Of tho lion.
n1r. Willard, tho caso is reversed. To inoroaae
tho Ha!ary Of tho PrcBidont was tho first, anu
originally tho only, proposition. It appeared,
however, that neither Congress nor tho people
ca1no to moot tho warm desire Of tho President
with tho necessary enthusiasm, and some
thing must bo thought Of to mako the proportion
susceptible Of m excuse. This something WI
tho offer Of simultaneous increase of tho sala
RIGS Of tho Congrossmon. That tho majority q
tho latter made uao Of tho favorable opportunit,
to show their subordiunton towards tho proBi
dont and at.tho Hnmo time to Batisfy their owl
inordinato dosiro for money, has bocomo, a1as
IN undoniable fact. Thus was tho much lalkod
1ir. Willard explicitly, "fayorod tic bill before;
passed either OF the two Houses. Ho exurcsscs
tho dosiro towards individual members Of Con
gross to soc his own salary Increased. Tho sell
intoreBtodueBs Of tho mcmbors Of Congress il
, tho increase Of their salaries was ut lilo sam
time n medium through which tho Bnlary Of th
President could bo increased. In this way til
whole law could be passed, and this ID tho onl
, toaaon why it was 40 much favored in tho Whit
Houao."
Of the truth of this explanation thore can b
! little doubt, as tho covotousneBB Of tho Proa
dent il we'll known. For the Judgment Of thi
! hated affair this explanation Ia OF tho greater
, aigniacance, though it, far from satisfying tn
people, rather calls forth afresh their indignf
ton. Tho gronteHt Fart Of the respo,blbilit
. in this nnutterablo disgrace bears evidontl
3 upon tho President. That does not, thougl
. oxcuso Congress. Did tho highest civil oflet
Of tho Nation devise tho plan to dofrau
! the people, 80 were the dsroputablo Represon
:. atlves only too ready to execute It. The Pres
dent took the lions aharo, and the others divide
unto themselves tho rost Of tho spoil. Th
8 robbery system is not lcas complete than ttat
any band which inhabits THO Abr1,zao O1our
:. tains.
= Tho sacrifices which tho American pcopl
must mako to tho low inclnatonB of the prcBe,
4 President, aro immense. Not only must II
: salary be doubled, but hundreds Of THOUSAND
Of dollars must bo paid to tho hungry catcl
| polls who nayo made tho doubling possible.