Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-04-24

"a OEFICE.-On tn0 C0fnef Mark0t and 6eC
0dBtreetss 0vertho Post Once. NJ M \ BE-
Hen. =. -. walaenss DonAsion.
Al We publish below communicable,
received late last evening from, WIN
H. Caldwell, Co. Auditor, with II
accompanying copy OF letter from
the Hon. M. NJ. Walden. late membel
Of Congress from this district
Although the letter does not so say
We deem 1t fair to presume, that thi
donation comes from a proportionins
among the counties Of this Congress
/, sional district Of what Mr.. Waldel
considers his increase back-pay fol
services as Congressman in the 42d
Congress, So considering the source
! from whence this donation comes, We
take it, that while Mr.. Walden voted
against the bill, he drew the Increase
pay, and after returning home, on the
l4th Of April, made distribution oi
1t among his late constituents. How,
when. or whore, after he had drawn
i
the money, he came TO the conclusion
TO 20 dispose Of 1t, no absolute facts
within our reach positively disclose
and hence we leave this question TO
the Judgment Of our readers. ,
Asto this method of disposing Of this
fund, which itches and burns alternate.
ly the fingers Of SO many Congress
men, we have already spoken very
/. pointodly.
We can see no reason now to change
our opinion and az it Il well known
that we spoke In severe terms of the
manner Of Mr.. Walden's nomination
for Congress, and therefore else we
might 30 charged with prejudice in his
case, We give our. remarks upon the
subject of disposing Of the increase
bsck-pay to Congressman, III our Daily
issue Of the Sd inst, long before we
knew anything about the situation Of
the case Of Mr.. Walden; whether he
had drawn his pay, whether he inten-
ded to do 80, or what he Intended ID
do with It II drawn. AS the article ID
brief we give It entire, as follows:
We hear that some members of Con-
gress havs drawn their increased back
pay and given it o. charitable dona-
tion, and In ono instance paid il in to
reduce the taxes Of tho people of the
district from which the member halls.
3ii1s wont do. II the money does not
fairly aud honestly belong to q mem.
her, 1t d6es6o belong to him to give
away. The only proper dispoaitiOn OF
tits TO let II remain insthe 70. B. Treas
ury, for there II belongs. II ie moth.
Ing else but seeking for cheap capital
to donate Il anywhere, and most Of All
40 Il an eiectioneering dodge to give II
TO ones constituents. II not convert.
ed by the members themselves, they
acknowledge by refusing to do o,that
1t does not belong to them, and there
fore so recognizing II, they ought to let
the money severely alone In the Treas-
ury.
We may be permitted to add that
every member OF Congress had shin-
ing example in the action Of the Speak
or of the House, the Hon. James g.
Blaine, ~ to this question, when he
caused BY his pcrsistence, clause to
be inserted in the bill that this increase
ofpsy should not apply to him. This
act of the Speaker. distinguished and
able statesman, should hayc impress-
ed the subject Of increase pay viyidlyI
upon the mind Of every member, ca.
pecially those who thought it wrong
to make the net retroactive, and swell
the amount OF compensaion.for service
es already performed. 1t may, there
fore, be considered inexplicable, at
least I'VE SO regard it, that any member
should draw bis pay, and after the.
journals Of the country and the people
inlconventions and in private for forty
days have rung the changes upon the
unjustifableness OF the act, then dis
atribnte it among his late constitu ents.
Here follows the communication re-
ferrcd to-.
OTTuMwA, April II, 1873.
EDS. COURIER The following let
ter, which ] received yesterday cyen-
ing, 18th inst, win explain itself. In
accordance with his wish, will in-
elude the amount Of his remittance in
my next apportionment.
WM. III. CALDWELL, Aud.
CEsTERviLLE, Ia, April Ia, 1879.
WIZ. II. CALDWELL, Auditor WapelIo
County, Ottumwa, Iowa:
Dear Sir.--Herewilh / send you
draft on New York for three hundred
and thirty-nine dollars and fifty cents,
which wish you 10 add TO the school
Fnnd of Wapello county, to be appor.
toned among the several school dis
tricts therein, according to the number
of'persons in such districts between
the ages Of five and twenty -one years.