Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-09-26


into the power of another, it would be an en-
gine OF wrong and injustice. For this reason
our fathers refused to putinto the constitution
3 ; clapse SI;I ~ thst would prevent back pay. Now
been deliberately rejected from the eonstitu-
ton is virtually there. and it will not do to
say that 1t is just to call it theft and robbery
for Congress 70 40 what it has plainly the
constitutional right 10 do. i use the word
right in its legal sense. il 5g4g L -
Now take snuther step. hold in my hand
have bean made since this government was
founded. and IN every case-l am not arguing
now that It Is right st all. am Onls giving
you q history 81 le!ln every single instance
IL to take effect from the first day of the session
OF the Congress. Six times CONGRESS has in
creased Its own pay, and every time is made
guing chat this was right and proper, / am
only arguing that 1t was lawtuI and constitu-
tional to do it. In 1856 the pay was raised, and
months. and the member Of CONGRESS- from this
district threw the casting vote that made it
law. Thst act rsised the pay by q larger per
sc sent; than sne act OF last Yongress;, Joshua R.
voted aye. Ninety nine VOGed no! Joshua r.
9iddipgs vote the other way would have
turned the score against it. That vote gave
back pay for q year and four months That
vote gave Congress nine months back pay for
= tins when members would not have been en-
titled to anything Rhatever. bscause underline
What old this, district do2 Did It cali him a
thief and Fobber2 A. few weeks after
that vote this district elected him
e. e. lG9nsrsss h for the tenth time;
SINCE so? Would I be q thisf and robber in
1913; If ! had done what my predecessor did in
1907 IL 1906 the pay was raised; that time it
portsnt appropriation bil1 a bill giving boun-
ties to soldiers 1t passed through the Senate
and came to the House; thsre was diiagree;
charge Of the bill in the Senate. and voted
aga INST the Increase of pay eVeJy time when it
came up on ITS own merits, but. he was out
voted Finally 1T went TO committee of con-
Isrenee, and he was made chairman of the
coIliniittes Of contsrsnce.- The conference re-
port between the Two houses vas made in favor
ot the Dill Mr., sherman brought IN the re-
Port, saying when he brought 1t in. that he had
been ypposed to the inrease of pay but the cen
ate had overruled him He voted tor the con-
ference report. voted for the final passage of
for year and i've months. Was John Sher-
man denounced as shief and roDber for thaf2
y as BENJAMIN r. Wade called q thief aad
At that time Twas not chairman Of the COM
mittee, and had no other Responsibility than
that ct an individual representative il voted
against the increaee0 OF salary tuSn, at AL
stages L voted against the conference report,
but passed through the House ON inafTOle
by just eAe majority. Il dgn's remember that
ever any body ever praised ne, aparriociarly
for voting against that rsyoEr, and I never
heard anybody blaming John Sherman fer
voting Tor it. I '5aIsa1 l1af
Now, in 1873, theconditions were exactly the
reverse. i was chairman Of the committee
Laat had charge ofthe great appra apriation bill.
There was put upon that bill against my earn
take IL there Is no one here who win deny
that1 worked as earnestly es could to pre-
TeDt the putting that increase upon the bill.
bs 0E Ss Ss e pat L SS 0ScaSss Hs4s
upoecOmips and in the hignest degrees M
y11s ana ,bss inIGSici0F Hsrs4ss th
been increased in 1856, and in prop6rtion %
other salaries, Oonsressmen were paid enough
a paid more in Proportion than most other Of
gongress had been that il was bringing down
the expenditures Of the Soyernm eIt, from the
highest level Of war to the elowesttsYefo Of peace;
raiae had been made before, it Would 5s ths
keynote on which the whole tune Of extraya-
ganee would be sung, j believed, too, that IL
sS ySid S ssSSSsy sSNt jg5 sAs
it. did &n in my power to prevent that pro
vision being added 70 the bill. 4 voted against
i eighteen times, spoke against il. but By s,
vote in the senate. the salary cfauEe WaS pnf
upon ths bili. Twas captain Of theBhip, and
this obiectaonsbls freight had been put upon
What should ! DO? Burn tie shipf
Sink her? or having washed my 6ands
Of the responsibility tor that part Of her cargo
! had tried 70 keep on, nsvlsate her into port,
and let hose VINO had put this freight on BE-
respon sibie tor iti Using that figure that was
the course Thought il my uuty 70 Adopt. Now
on that matter might have made All error Of
ludgmsnt- believed then and nov that II i
bad peen. in my power 20 kill this bill, and
bad thus brought on an extra session, belieYe
To-day, say, had been able to do that
h9uld have oeen the worst blamed man IN ne
y nited States. Why? During he long mgnthsp
pt the extra session which would have toLloT
ed. with the evils which The country Wguld
have felt By hAYing its business elsturpea ~
CongfeBs, and the uncertainties 4I the Fesults
men would have said ali thh mas come
about because we did not have man
Al the head of the Committee on
Appropriations, with neTye !, enough, and
foTce enough, to carry his bill through by the
And of the Session. The next time We have
C6nSrass yge had better see II We cannot get
nan who will get his bills through. Suppcse
"A answorsd there. was that SALARY incfuAss
-ssihat wont DO. You had shown your hand
on the salary question you bad tea
sEainst Il, and you had doneyouf duty. Then
they would have said, theirs were sin or
seven sections in that bill empowering the
United States 10 bring the railroads before the
courts, and make them account for theif ex-
trsyagance., They. would have said We have
lDst al thatb the loss Of this bill and would