American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-07-26
Hypocrisy.

Ohio, Maine, and Iowa have affected
much Indignation at the Credit-Mobilier
corruption and the back-pay iniquity;
but while putting on these airs of con-
venient virtue, they took special pains not
to give them any practical value or per-
sonal direction. Garfield and Bingham,
both leaders in Ohio, were conspicuously
concerned in these outrages, and yet
neither is named in the resolutions The
whole official and personal influence of
Speaker Blaine was openly and offensive
ly exerted in the House to prevent any
punishment of the Credit Mobilier job
hers, and he himself was forced to admit
holding large interest in the Sioux City
speculation, an offshoot of the other, owned
and directed by Anes, Alley, and the same
gang of public plunderers. He was APP
plauded in Maine and his action COM
mendcd. Senator Allison and MIR. j. F.
Wilson, Government director of the
Union Pacific Railroad, were bencficiar-
les of the Credit Mobilier; but the Iowa
Convention was silent about their com
plicity. "
These canting resolutions have no more
sincerity than the moral teachings OF
those Christian statesmen who employed
that means to make venality prosperous
and turn away suspicion from their guilt.
They are fabricated to deceive, and put
forth as "good enough Morgans" until
AFTER the election. Having succeeded by
this sort of chicanery heretofore, it is sup
posed public credulity will TRANQUILITY
bear further submission, upon the theory
that
"The pleasure is as great
of being cheated as to cheat
Not content with professed censure of
these acts, the conventions, with the zeal
of new converts, go further and demand
that the law increasing the Congressional
pay mot word about the Presidents
doubled salary or that Of a multitude OF
other high officials) shall be repealed.
That sham deserves to be exposed, and it
is worth the trouble, too, because the n.y.
pocrisy of this whole movement will be
thus made clear to every mind
When the late Republican Congress un-
dertook to raise their pay, and to vote
themselves on the very eve of final disper-
sion two years increase, they guarded
against the foreseen danger of reaction by
. cunning change in the old law, which is
quite worthy of Ben Butler, who was
charged with the management of that
plundering scheme in the House of Repre-
sentatives. Under the practice which al
ways prevailed up to the 4th of March
last, member of Congress could not draw
his pay until sworn in and regularly certi
fed by the Speaker, for the simple reason
that his rights had not been determined
by the only competent tribunal. COnse
quently when Congress convened in De
cember, if there had been no preceding
session, the pay had accumulated from the
18th Of March, when the former Congress
expired. After that the salary, being an
nual, was drawn to suit the necessities OF
members through the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Now the system is radically different,
and it was altered to protect this villainy
Two sections from the Appropriation bill
will expose the change and its object:
''Senators. representatives, and delegates in Con
gress, including Senators. REPRESENTATIVES and del
ONCE At the passage Of this act. and whose claim
to . seat has not been adversely decided, shall re
ceive seven thousand five hundred dollars per an
.'And hereafter representatives and delegate.
sieef to Congress whose credentials in due form Of
House Of Representative. in accordance with the
provisions Of the act Of Congress approved March
Mag Of 1teir term nnfiI the 1egianing Of ne .Grs
form now in use, to Be signed by he daerk Of n,
Hossse which certificate shaI have the like fore.
and effect il given to the certificate Of the Speak
er under existing laws
1pus, in order to grab the pay from the
first breath of the existence of "a new Con
gress, the certificate of the Clerk to d
"member or delegate elect" as he is de
scribcd, is substituted for the certificate OF
the Speaker, which was only issued wher
the member or delegate had been duly
qualified. A subordinate was clothed
with this unprecedented power for the cX
press purpose of forestalling any attemp
at repeal of the increased pay. Let us il
lustrate this idea practically.
All the members of both houses have
already received their monthly salary o.
$625 under this law. And they will con
tinue to do so until the first Monday in
December, when the Forty-third Congress:
will assemble for the first time. At tina
Delegate will have drawn $685. withou
having rendered for this large sum par
t'cle of service in any manner, shape, OIL
form. What will be the situation mex
winter, when the next Congress come,
together with Republican majority great
ly increased over the last, and with
large proportion of the very member.
who passed this act?
Docs anybody believe that the men VIII,
hold the reins Of legislation in their hand
will pass q bill to repeal and restore thu
$685. they have pocketed during the min,
months in which no duty was performed
or to refund the two years back pa,
which the members of the late Congress
received: Repeal without such condi
tions would be u farce. 1t will be resist
ed by the old members, because such al
dCl WOulu Dc n tOultSslOn Ol gullt, ant
by the new on the ground that they ar,
not responsible for the past, and onl,
took the pay allowed by law
But if there was no other reason to for
bid any expectation of repeal, the mer'
fact that the Republican party will con
troll the next Congress is sufficient in il
self to exclude all hope of that or an
other reform. They will not certainly
condemn their own act, or stultify them
selves by record which approves am
censures the same measure. Above al
things they will not part with their i'll
gotten gains. Dawes, Garfield and Kel
ley will be in the next House, and in spit
of their disgraceful connection will
Credit Mobilier, they will be assigned b,
the Speaker to the influential position
they have heretofore occupied, with ever
opportunity to repeat a mercenary ant
profitable experience
With Mr.. Dawes at the head of tn,
Ways and Means, and Mr.. Garfield
as Chairman of Appropriations, tn,
reign of corruption will be ex
tended, for their power under sucl
a condition of things, instead o
being diminished would be i'm
mensely increased The prediction may