The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-02-10
Judge Poland and he Rack Pay.

Hon. l.. P. Poland seizes on opportune
moment to place himself right on the back
pay grab OF which we are right glad. and
explains his position iu his letter to the
United States Treasurer as follows:
STA: herewith hand you draft for
he amount received BY me for increased
'alary as a member OF the forty second
Congress. under the Act Of March 3,
1878, to bc paid iuto the treasury Of the
United States, I take this occasion to
state shortly my reasons for so doing
The constitution provides that Senators
sne Representatives shall receive a com.
pensation for their services to be ascer.
tanned by law"
Compensation includes reasonable sup
port while performing the service, and
reasonable reward for the service per.
formed. The compensation heretofore
provided by law has always protested to
be uniform. (ihough the large mileage
allowed made it in fact very un.
equally In considering what is proper
a difficulty at once arises
from the different condition and different
habits Of the various members, and first
add mainly, as to the support or living
while performing the service. In Con.
gress there are always some men of large
wealth, who are able to live, and do live,
in a style altogether beyond any salary
yet ixed,or even proposed. On the other
hand there is much larger number who
have no other support for themselves and
families but the compensation they receive
as salary. But many of this class caruot
be content to live within small means
but are foolish enough to feel that they
must copy the expensive style OF their
more wealthy colleagues, or fail Of equal
social position.
But aside from this, there is great
diversitv 10 the actual and necessary OK
pepsee different members. Some have
large xpensivc families to support !;
others none, or less numerous aud
expeus res. Some have been sccus
toned e luxurious and expensive
habits nahle life; others have
been re .Iis Of frugal economy.
and bave dpart from them.
Compensation 81, orvcc is perhap-
still more difficult to ,l,.e 'qa'l There
arc always men in Congress -.so abil
ity and attainment who could command
in business or in the profession, very
much larger income than they receive il
Congress. On the other hand Congress
always contains some men whose services
in any department of life would not be
thought very valuable. Many members
devote themselves assiduou1'y aud labori.
ously to their duties sumo do very lit,l,
except TO look after the local and person
al matters fruui their own immediate dis.
trict or State.
1t is apparent therefore, that in fixing
compensation Tor members there would
naturally be very great diversity of opin-
ion us to the proper amount. But this
amount must be fixed by Congress itself,
for the power il vested nowhere else. Iu
deciding what was proper each man would
naturally be governed much by his owl
individual case, and tho aggregate judg
meut Of the whole body must be the cri.
terion
When the proposition for an increase
of the salary Of members was first brought
into the last Congress the House mega
lived it by quite a decisive majority, bu
just at the end Of the session, it having
been placed upon an important appropria
ton bill, enough members were toupt
who felt, or affected to feel, that dsa
greement TO the salary cause as passed
by the Senate would involve the loss O.
the appropriation bill and make a specia
session Of Congress necessary to pass thu
bill by bare majority. When last be
fore the House the subject had very LITTLE
condition of the bill prevented any any fhaiI
debate.
voted uniformly against the increase
l was actuated somewhat by my owl
personal condition and ideas. The ole
salary was sufficient for me. But | bav'
no doubt that many Of those who voted tt
increase it, felt that it was actually nee
essary for them. l thought that II there
was real necessity for an increase, i
was an inopportune time to make it
Certain investigations and development
had created a great excitement in tn,
public MUD on the subject OF corruption
in public officials, and for a time Their,
was great distrust of every body 10 ofiica
position. But the bill became the law
That portion of it making the increas,
apply to the Forty.Second Congress wa
at once Anounced in very severe term
by the 7, lie press Little or no ohjcc
tion was de to the prospective increase
[ could g., sec the force Of the indi,
criuuar lrS7,500 was prope
salary to, '.- terty Third Congress,
could no, It. was not for III,
Forty Second vice was the same
the expense OF liviu, certainly as great
Congress had the same lrga wight Gro fais'
the pay at tho end OF the session as "a
the beginning, and the propriety of III,
act depended wholly upon the amour
fixed. whether it was or Was not an un
reasonable sum. Such too had been tn,
invariablc practice OF Congress and of al
state legislatures, that an Increase Of sal
AIRY always applied to the body making
it. II was objected to On the grouu'
that it was ia the nature OF a contract be
tween the representative and his constitu
IT,, that he would serve the term 70
the salary as it stood VIII, he was elect
ed. | regarded this view as wholly un
sound. If there is any scmblAnce o
contract in it, the contract il that tn
member will serve for such compensate
as Congress shall determine. II Congre
should make it less he could not complain
if they increase it, he is entitled to tn
benefit of the increase. The appareu
opposition at first, seemed wholly agains
the increase of the salary of the Forty
Second Congress-thc back pay,as it Wa
called. | could see no force in the rea
sons urged against il that did not EQUAL