New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-06-29

| larity. refuses the compensation fixed by
law, violates the constitution by dong
so. 1t the rici, do not receiv" such
compensation. then j. will be q marx OF
poverty for any man 10 dc SO. lhlS "oai"
! establish caste. a high order. az once:
I rich ring, combination q; nabobs. Inc
| constitution prevents this, by declaring
| that the President. wnath": rick Or pno!.
the jude whet.lc: rich OF poor. and every
| Senator and member {" Congress shai &c
celva the cOnpnn ..,tlHn tor us seI. -
! which shall be fixed by law. The ccn';i'I-
| ton SAYS the P:esli. - sna.! receive chll'
| Densation for MS services. ihat ne sHa.t
take care that the laws be faithfully exc
! cuteG. Ii he NAV receive compensation OK
| not. ae NAV by the SANE reasoning Sc" ti!e
, laws executed: o. LOT: or: duty IS as M
! perat,ve as the other.
1t is a total mistake :" suppose that she
| CONDENSATION feature Of the constitution IS
merely the privilege OF the officer II Is the
I Door mans guarantee TO the right to par
ticipate IL the making and administration
| OF the laws: it is the great republican eIe-
| ment. the very cornerstone OF democratic
! government.
stand here tonight advocating the
| rights of the poor against the ambition OF
the rich: l am he:e tonight to maintain
! that the son of poor farmer or mechanic,
| if he have the necessary Qualifications has
as much right TO sit liz the Senate OF the
| United States as the son or grandson OF
| John Jacob Astor. This rig at Is secured to
| the SOUS OF the poor by the compensation
| clause of the constitution. And am here
tonight in the interest OF the poor, and N
| my own interest as poor man, to denoGnce
; any attelnp: 10 overthrow. or any cowardice
| which undermines. the republican dogma OF
our government. that every public servant
| shall receive the compensation for his ser
vices which is fixed by the law Of the land.
There ia another consideration worthy of
mention in this connection. A spirited
| man Will not permit another to Go him any
| great service without compensation. 1on
| farmers would not permit man to work
for you all summer without compensation.
for two reasons: it would be injustice to the
| la0OreT: and second, YOU do not desire to
| be under obligations you can not discharge
to an; man. You would say. l want yOur
services but l will paw for them or Will
not have them. So the people o. the United
| States do not desire 10 be under obligations
which they cannot discharge to their public
servants. Therefore the constitution SAYS
and says as empha:icaliv as it says any
thing, the President. the judges and the
| mem 5ers OF Congress shall receive the c0u.-
pensation which is fixed by law: they shall
not serve wltEOu. compensation: We villa
not be under obligations to them.
| am aware that the Senator's who give
back their pay seem 70 be doing good
thing: seem 20 be doing Q Ia vor 20 the peo-
| pie; that the press of the country Is now
| chanting their praises. 1 am aware that
this monopoly OF popularity only the rich
| can afford to en- oy. and therefore the poor
| members of Congress who cannot afford TO
give up their pay are suffering rebuke and
| censure. To Just that extent the rich are
exalted above the poor, anu the people are
| jured tar more by this than they are ben
| Gifted BIZ the few dollars which 90 into :te
| treasury. The path of history is strewn
| with the wreck OF free institutions. the ban
| ners and emble!ns OF mans liberties LOST.
Rarely have the liberties of people been
| oyerthrOwn BIZ open violence. One despot-
| ism may succeed another by force Of arms.
but republics are overthrow by insidious
| and sugar-coated Innovations; the constitu-
| ton, violated in what Is supposed to be the
interests of the people, loses its sanctity,
| and may be more easily violated again by
| demagogue who wishes to be tyrant.
Augustus established despotism in Rome
| by proceeding in tue name OF the republic.
| which julius Caesar had failed to esta c.ish
by force. When this matter comes 70 be
understood. as i. vii! some time. nave no
fear of the result. Tie people will not CO..
| sent that few miiliOIaires shall undermine
| their right to participate IN the government
| by deposting $1,000 a piece in the treasury
| OF the United States.
| IL my opinion there is hic one question
! in all this business. and that is whether
| $500 be more than just compensation for
| the services OF Senator or Representative
| in Congress. l shall, therefore. first con
| slider this question. It is said that s 800 is
| large sum OF money, and that there are a
| great many laboriny men who do not see
One-half that sum III the whole course q. 6.
| year. All this is true. hut is not quite con-
| elusive Of the subject before u. When
= I
| you are involved IL litigation which touches
your fortune OK you, liberty. you TO ret
advertise for the physician or !awye: who
| viii! serve you az the lowest compensation.
| You select the physician or tie lawyer
| whose services YOU prefer. and eHpec: 20
| pay him what his services are worth. So
| in selecting a Senator or member o.. Con
gress. you fix upon the man you desire
| to Till that place. and you expect to pay him
a reasonable compensation for his seq
vices. Ii you desire to pay only such COM
| pensaton as will secure the services o. q
man without: regard to his qualifications
| for the place. 5000, even $1,000. is thrown
away on a Congressman. Three months
advertising along the line of a railroad vii!
secure men enough to occupy the seats il
! both houses OF Congress at So per day. Such
| an offer made to the lahcrers on a railroad
| would induce them to ''cut dirt tor Wash
| ington faster than they ever cut dirt GU. OF
| railroad bank. When you employ law
| yer, or a doctor, bank cashier. TIE pres..
dent of an insurance company. or any other
| person tor particular purpose. you do not
/ inquire what Is the smallest sum Tor which
| you can employ a man. but what is a rea-
! sOnable compensation for the services of
| such a man as yOu want III the particular
| place. And this is to be determined! by as
| pertaining what the same man could earn If
| employed by others i'll the same branch OF
| business.
In 1888 Con gress fixed the salary Of the
| President at $4,000 pc. aUnun: probably
| there was no man in the United States. at
that time. who had an income exceeding
| that sum. Things have greatly changed
| since then, and men can now be found il
| almost every county whose income exceeds
| that sum. The most able and sagacious o,
| our business men-the men who conduct
| the commerce of the country and its largest
| business OperatiOns-wOUiu regard IL az
very poor year which did not yield more
! than $4,000 profit. The expenses of living.
| too, have more than doubled since that
| time. l am aware that it is always replied
to this statement. that members Of Coz
| gress ought to H:e very economically. that
! they ought to initiate the Puritan simplicity
OF our fathers and live as chcaply as they
did. But how many OF you practice this
wisdom How many of you live as your
fathers lived. Before l was fifteen years
| of age | never saw carpet. D sofa
or a piano. Now how few OF the well.
| to-.O farmers houses in this county
| lack these luxyries. This generation spend
| more for chldren's toys than our fathers
, spent .in educating us. And a MAJ. who
! should 90 TO Washington and live as some
| editors demand he ought 20 live. would SIM
! ply be the laughing stock OF the nation. i!
| you desire YOU. representatives to equal the
r-ot 3 of, tyY
| and power u. Washington, then they must
live with resDect TO the habits and customs