The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-03-20
5ag 1as @G9fN 8 & isf7I z - sF54H
/, The Congressional Steal.

+ o The following from the Washing
ton special to the New Y ork Tribune
will serve TO explain how the shame
full theft was, managed by which the
members of the Forty Sscond Con.
gres were enabled to put $1,000 eact
into. their own pockets from the peo.
pies treasury. The part played by
the pious and patriotic members from
this district viii hardly eempIapd the
I'approvai of even his political friends,
notwithstanding the amount of ink
and effort 'thatis being expended in
his behalf by some of his admirers:
@ This shameful Job was skillfully en-.
gineerea. as The house twice voted
against any increase of pay last week.
On Mapday an amendment was put
tGpbi ffle IegfsiatiFe Appropriation
Pbill increasing the pay af inem bers to
$4,000 YEAR, 70 include nlileaIe and
ill allowances, : W F'i' 80 - ~
The Bill then went to 4 Conference
/ COMMITTEE, and the Speaker, depart,
ing from the custom that governs the
appointment' of conference commit
tees, put men upon it who had advo-
Gated the ,tYipe- beaten proposition to
Il ( the salary AZ $9,5QQq., These men
We're Messrs, BItIer and Randall; the
third member was Mr.. Garfield. The
Senate ennferees We're Messrs, Nor
lftL of Maine, Carpenter and Rayard.
When the Conference. Committee re-
ported to the House, 1t was found
that they had done just what they
were appointed TO do, increased the
salary .at members to $500, with the
addition Of actual travelling e4penses,
and provided that the Increased rate
should date back to two years, so as
to = apply to the whole term of the
present Congress. -. ~. - -
fefsss. XII. carried p prefes.es s e to sY BE-
opposed to the, job, and made
some excuse about the. stubbernness
of the Senate cg9ferees, who would
not heal. of anything Tess than tie sum
nramed, He hoped the House would
adopt the report, however, because it
it did not the bill would be lost. Mr..
Sargent, loo, tried TO make members
believe that they must, adopt the re-
port or else lose the entire bill, and
thus luake an ,eEEra sessipp necessa-
ry. This was an ipexcusable attempt
to deceive iRexperieuoed memb befs.
Mr.. Garfield, Mr.. Sargent, aud every
old member, knew that it has often
happened. that two or three confer
epee reports on an appropriation bill
baVe besn rejected HIP 70 the lest night
of the session., and the bill finally
saved by satisfactory report.
Neither or them,, nor any of the
half-dozen other members who advo-
Gated The report, dared to say word
in defense of the outrageous provis-
Ion TO make the increased salaries of
membepS date back two years ago.
They talked about the necessity for
larger salaries in the future very elo,
quently. They wanted members to
get pay enough to live comfortably,
to have their families with them so
that tIisy you'd not fall into. bad hab-
its, to educate their children at good
schools, aud to Keep themselves opt
of reach OF the temptations OF the
lobby.
They had not word to say in re-
ply toithe denuncIatiOns of Mr.. Farms
Worth, Who characterized the bill as
q dreadfrii sehems of plumber. He
said he hated to see the Republican
party wreck itself, and cover itself
with dishonor' by supporting job
that shamed the Credit Mobilier,
aud every other corruption that he
had heard of siHGs he had been in
Congress- The vote on the adoption
of the report was: Yeas, l03; Nays,
95. Among the Nays were 25 mem
bers who are not elected to the next
Cangress, = y e. 'atHl ~