Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-07-17

Senator Matt H. Carpenter is entitled
to consideration for boldness and evident
earnestness in publicly defending those
members of Congress who voted for and
accepted back pay. That the honorable
Senator should argue 10 his own defense,
we are quite willing and that his great
talent is deserving an increase Of pay,
we shall not now undertake to DENY; but
when he undertakes to saddle the odius
act upon the Republican party; we must
positively Object Referring to Mr.. Car
pentcr speech on the subject. staunch
Republican exchange says:
This distinguished gentleman has re.
Gently made a speech 10 his friends in
Wisconsin-to convince them that the
action OF Congress, at the last session, in
voting back pay and increased salary to
its members, WAS not only constitutional,
lawful, and supported by distinguish ed
precedents through the entire history of
the Government, but that it was a thing
In itself entirely just, proper, and hon
orablc.
Notwithstanding oil this, Mr. Carpen>
ter will find that the popular decision is
a.ains. him, and that he might as well
attempt to brush back the falling volume
of Niagara with feather as to suppos",
Tor single instant, that the people can
be satisfied, by any amount OF argument,
with the action OF the last Congress
There are some subjects which are
settled only bv instinct and intuition, by
shat which, in human beings, we call
common sense, and not by established
forms Of logic not by the sophistry, the
plau.ibility, the ,fneness Of oratorical
display. And this happens to be one Of
them.
The very things which are argued in
justification Of the deed have excited the
popular suspicion and disgust, and the
point which is made by the people
against their representatives in Congress,
on this question, is not that they acted
under the sanction Of the Constitution
and of former presidents, but that they
took advantage of these pretexts to betray
tiduciary character, which Ia even
more sacred than forms of law. The ac
eusation of the people in this case is
shat being clothed with power to do it
under the forms of law, and emboldened
hy prior examples, they prCtited 'hem~
selves at the expense OF the public Treas
nry, without so much as asking the cons
sent OF the people.
And the same reasoning which would
Justify the act IN question would, upon
The same principle, Justify the next Con~
gress in voting themselves any amount
eli the peoples money The argument
of these gentlemen, therefore, proves too
much the people cannot stand it, and
they will not They will not allow their
agents to vote themselves salaries OF any
rndcfinable amount on the plea that they
can earn more in other occupations that
their living necessities require 1t; that
ether mea have done it before them, or
that the national charter gives them the
power to do it,
The people viii say to such men, by
sheir votes at the next election, True,
you have done this because you had the
power or the right, but we will see to 1t
that YOU shall never have the power or
the right to do it again; and We will
snake such an example Of you that it
aha!l prove a warning to all future poll
ticians not to triile with the treasure OF
rho people simply because they are
clothed Tor the time being with legal
er constitutional authority which shields
them in it.
'Hhis is a case where, under the exist
ing system, tire people have no remedy
against the encroachments of their rep
rcsentatives in Congress but the ballet.
1t is IL remedy very imperfect and un>
salts factory, but such as it is they vii!
be sure to use 1t
There ought to be another amendment
TO the Constitution, which would supply
an eifectual remedy against the repeti-
sion of the salary legislation last winter.
We are sorry Senator Carpenter has
opened this question atresh. We like
him t"r m|tnv reasons. We admire his
genial spirit, his great talents and hons
est purposes, but he has made mistake
in this matter, which will be brought
home to him and to the Republican party.