The Portland daily press., 1873-03-20
Historical Examples for Butlerian Con-
greSsmen.

The Concord Monitor says
- tha DISCLOSURE caused by Con-
0reas 40 not merely increasing their pay,
s 20, dn;no at the heel of term of service
when they were presumptively serving for
81. 900 year, yet an occurrence many years
ago, small in comparison with this, made hot
work for Henry Clay, with all his popularity.
and other public men concerned in the act
This was carrying through Congress what
was known as the Compensation Bill" by
when, instead OF So day when in session.
members were to receive 1880 a year, ire
spectlVe OF the length of the session. This
was some time in the year 1915, and raised so
great an outcry that the act was repealed
now long after we cannot say-and the per
diem pay restored. Henry Clay, then mem
her OF the House, voted for the odious com
pensation bill, and never was candidate
compelled to labor harder for re election.
Hon. Thomas W. Thompson, then Sena,
tor in Congress from New Hampshire, voieu
| for the bill, which really was an equ,1a .pe
| one, for it did not unreasonaDiy increase 1no
| pay of members, and give 1t the appeaiauSI ar.
| of salary rather than day wages. MI.
| Thomson resided in Concord; but we are
informed bv one of our Oldest inhabitants
| tnat after hi, term closed in Congress lolU
his Marty friends here were afraid to bring
| him forward as candidate for the State Leg
| isJature (of the populous branch OF which he
was Speaker in 1879 lest he be defeated !;
and so nominated and elected Hon. VIM. A.
Kent.
The compensation act of 1915 was inno-
cence itself compared with Buffers swindle.
1t was prospective in its operation, and
awarded no more compensation than was
just for those times, compared with present
values, $1,000 then, all things considered.
being quite as good as $500 now.
AS further matter for the reflection of
the Congressman who voted for Mr.. Buffers
proposition, we add the example made in
1915 OF the member of Congress from the
Cumberland District. The Federalists at
that time were in the ascendency in Massa-
chusetts, of which Commonwealth Maine
was then part. Hon. George Bradbury, a
Lawyer Of some distinction, who owned and
resided on the property that recently consti-
tuted the John M. Wood estate, on Middle
street, was the member of Congress from this
District. He voted for the compensation
BILL" So unpopular was the measure that at
the Federal Convention held to nominate
candidate for the next Congress his name
was not brought before the Convention, not
withstanding in everything else he had acted
in accordance with the views of the Federal
party. He was dropped, because they knew
if nominated he would be beaten by the
Democratic candidate. Hon. Ezekiel Whit
man was brought forward, for the first time,
nominated, and elected. A resolution COM
plimentary to the talents Of Mr.. Bradbury
was passed by the Convention.
Mr.. Bradbury subsequently recovered pop
ularty enough to be elected Senator 10 the
Legislature of Maine from Cumberland coun
ty. In 1922, when Mr.. Whitman resigned
FIR the purpose of taking judgeship, Mr..
Bradbury was nominated to fill the vacancy,
but was defeated by the late Hon. Mark Har-
ris, the Democratic candidate. In the follow
ing year Hon. Stephen Longfellow was NOM
mated as the Federal candidate for Congress
and was elected.