Liberal Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1872-1???, 1873-11-15
Ole IibesaI RfpubIiran.
DALLAS. SATURDAY MOVIE.
THE SALARY-GRAB AND THE
NEXT CONGRESS.

We understand that some forty or
fifty members Of the next Congress
will go to Washington this winter with
ms many different bills in their pockets
iarra repeal of that portion of the sala>
ry bill OF last session which increased the
Congressional pay and provided for
the back pay. La other words, the re
appears to be a scramble among a
large portion of the politicians for prl-
ority in appeasiug the wrath of an
outsaged people without removing the
chief scandal and original design of
the salary>grah, which was to double
the salary of. the President. Back
pay was merely thrown to the retiring
menbers, as Congressman Willard
shows, to secure their cooperation.
They can be damaged any furtAsr.
The purpose of the for,y or fifty
Gougressmen who carry in their pock>
cts the. forty or fifty plans for modifying
the. salary teal is not very exalted at
the best ; but even such as it is, it is to
be hoped. that they will not get into
such hopeless confusion in their rush
for the first honors that they will upset
each other, and prevent the repea
altogether. There is shortly to be
caucus of the Republican side of Cor
gress. 1t is reported that Gen. Butler
will take ground in favor OF excluding
all the Credit Mobilier Congressman
from prominent places in the organiza>
ton of the House and its committees,
Iu that case, it is more than likely that
some Credit Mo5ilier Congressman
will retort with the proposal to exclude
all the salary-grabbers. As these tw o
classes compose large majority of the
Republican caucus, 1t will probably get
into an inter niuable wfang!a of
ordinations and recrimlnations. IL
this case, it is Rto be feared that the
forty or fifty bills now in the pockets
of the forty or fifty ambitious reformers
will be forgotten.
There is only one way in which The /
next Congress can dispose of the sala-
~ question to the satisfaction of their
constituents, and this is to repeal the
whole law, including the, increase of
the Presidents salary. 1.-THE objection
be made that it is unconstitutional to
diminish the Presidents salary "dur- /
fug the period for which he was elect,
ed" we answer that it was unlawful to
increase the Presidents salary "durlng
the period for which he was elected"
The Forty-second Congress increased |
the salary unlawfully, as we maint4in,
bnt there is now no one to test the
question. If the Forty>third Con.
gress shall repeal the act the Presi>
dent will apply to the Courts 10
ascertain whether such repeal is lawful
or not. If the Courts decide that il
was constitutional to double the
Presidents pay during period for
which ne had been elected General
Grant having been elected for both bis
first and second terms before the
increase,O but unconstitutional to
reduce it, during the same period to
what it was before the increase, then
and not till then, will he be entitled in !
the estimation of the people to draw |
his 100000 thousand dollars addition /
compensation. 1t is probable that Mr.
Roderick r. Butler, of Tennessee, will |
make pathetic appeal to leave th
Presidents salary where it is, ON the
ground that ne. will be reduced to
beggary if he has only $4,000 year
We have notion, however, that this
appeal to the sentiment of humanity
will not be so potent in deterring the
ambitious Congressional reformers
from reducing his pay as the danger Of
seeing their friends removed from
Office. Gen. Grant holds the whip, and
has cen knowa, to use it freely iu ca.
ses of this kind., Hence the disincli-
nation to meddle with the Presidential
pay except in the way of rise.
We give warning that no halfway
tinkering of the salary-steal will satisfy
the people. Any gentlemen who ex.
pect to make personal capital out of
propositions fer compromise will NEE
with disastrous failure. The action IN