Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-25

And the ST. Adams Advertiser replies:
Now the Farmer is too intelligent paper
not TO know that the so-called J." salary
grab, and the "press-gag law are not
"corruptions" to those who have ever cared
to read and understand the history OF these
two measures OF legislation. A measure
that In its retroactive feature secured IN the
past the votes and voices OF such man as
Collamer, Fessenden, Foote and Seward Is
not one whose legality and purity Is TO be
lightly questioned: and so far as the So
called "press-gag law Is concerned, the
cutlery about that measure never had any
respectable foundation, being confined en-
tirely to the sensational. not to the inde-
pendent press Of the country. The Former
ought to initiate the candor of Senator
Morrill,, who, while resisting the salary
bill on the ground of its untimeliness
and inexpediency. disdained utterly any
imputatiOn on the motives or integrity oil
those who differed from him on the sub
jeet Mr.. Willard can tell the Farmer
tnat he had no more able or active coaoJn-
tor IN his resistance TO jobbery In Congress,
than Senator Edmunds.
Both Farmer and Advertiser strangely
seem to think that Mr. Edmunds' connection
with the salary grab, was that of q sup
porter Of the increase of salaries, or &C
cepter Of back pay. The fact Is that
the salary-grab bill had no more
earnest opponent than George F Eimunds
The fight against the bill in the Senate was
in fact headed BIZ Mr. Edmunds, and took
place on his motion to strike the increase
of salaries out Of the bill and his ruling
when in the chair of the Senate that the con-
ference committee on the part Of the Senate
could be instructed 10 consent TO no increase.
We trust there are very few Vermonters
that need to be reminded Of these facts. But
as here l. an opponent and friend OF Mr.
Edmunds apparently alike in the dark on
the subject, it may be well enough to go
back to the record on the subject. We take
it from the little book entitled The SALARY
GRAB-A history of the passage Of The act IN
creaaag the salaries Of members Of Congress,
ruth lists Of the yeas and nays, sketch Of the
debate, ETC.. BIZ W 5 Robinson CIV airing =
TONI. Lee Shepard, publishers, 1873.
From this we copy few sentences
The bill. as it reached the Senate, on the
LIST Of March, was IN the form indicated By
our narrative that Is TO say, the grab
had been attached 10 one Of the Senate :
amendments. and the retroactive clause
was in the bill Nj Edmunds. of Vermont,
moved 10 strike ont all Of 1t except the tlrst
clause to wit, the one providing Tor a
salary for the President.
Mr. C1nkling thought It not worth while
to do this. for the bill would have TO 90 to
a committee Of conference. and such COM
mittee would have power 10 settle the
whole question. y es said Mr.. Edmunds,
"but passing my motion will guide the rep
resentatives Of the Senate IL a conference
as 10 what the judgment II the Senate Is
But this guidance was Just what the grab
bers did not want. After debate,
which Is briefly sketcheG Eimund's mo-
ton Wa then rejected by the following vote
The list Of votes shows that twenty Sen
ators, among whom were both the Vermont
Senators. voted for Mr. Eimunds' motion
and thlrty-eight against.
The debate was continued. ID. Mr.. Nor
/ ton of Indiana moved TO strike out that psri
/ relating to members Of Congress, but after
ward Withdrew this proposition after con
/ sultatI0n with a number Of Senators. and
2 went AUE q EDl GUAl
/ Mr. Morrill,. OF Vermont. reminded Sen
I stors that when they abolished the frank
/ ing privilege. "a trGs tuGiiy under
/ stood and pr0rideG, that nc should not m
| crease our pay IN consequence Of thaf Gct ~
! He protested against the whole scheme a:
wrong and Inopportune.
Nh E3munds, who, tnrougho III
seems 10 have opposed tins matter more
honesty thaa any body else, except Merrill
/ Of Vermont and Wright. renewed Mr.
Morton motion; but it was rejected.
The list Of yeas and nays again shows
the votes OF Mr.. Eimunds and Mr.. Morrill,
OF Vermont. with twenty-five Others, II
favor of striking cut the increase Of pay
These votes showed clearly enough g
strong majority against any proposition Il
reject n f0to the grab And now, Mr.. Ed
munds began T. test the Senate on m're
delicate point VIZ whether they would
be satisfied with the grab of slxty-tive hun
dred dollars put IN bs the House a. a cheat
with the expectation that II would lead Il
a con terence. s. he moved to concur wiki
the House IN the whole amendment IakeT
/ by surprise the honorable Senators began
t. talk about the salaries Of certain judges
( anu then having taken breath. COnkllrg
/ opposed tho proposition. The motion wa,
really lndeiensiole. a. Mr Edmunds finally
admitted and was rejected, only Messrs
Bayard and Stockton voting for II. IhI'
substantially ended the contest. and the
Senate having by TINS vote nonconcurrec
IL the entire amendment, the bill went Il
a conference committee
In conference committee fixed the salary
o. mem hers Of Congress at 81 500 and theii
report was agreed to by the House
When the report was presented to tins
/ Senate. Mr.. Morrill,, OF Vermont, raised th'
point of order that the committee had tran
scended their jurIsdictlon-there being N
/ difference between the two Houses except
that OF Sc 500 or nothing Tor Members 0
/ Congress
Carpenter replied that .he Senate voted
I TO nOn-cOneuT, on the ground that rh'
st. 500 WAS too small a sum
Morrill, iof Vermont said ne did not IN
derstand such ''jugglerY." Vice Prcsiden
Colia1 now took the chair, II having beer
occupied by an anti-grabber (Edmunds
when the point Of order was raised. Collar
ruled against the point
Mr. Edmunds, soon after this, took the
chair again. Mr.. Wright, Of Iowa, moveC
TO recommit the report with instructions L
strike out all except the Presidential saisry
= Mr.. Edmund original motion Mr.
Trumbull here made his appearance. raising
q point of order that a conference committed
could not be instructed. Mr. Edmund.
overruled Mr. Trumbull's point, citing tbs
l following from Barclay Digest a con
ference committee may be instructed Xix,
any other committee" Mr.. Trumbull ap
pealed The grabbers finally over
ruled the chair.
The fight now became more general anC
earnest and quite to the credit OF some d
the Senators Mr. Edmunds IN a vigorou.
speech called attention TO the retroactive
feature Of the bill
We have no space for extracts from the
debate. Against the earnest opposition Of
Mr Edmunds, Mr.. Frelinghuysen anC
other Senators. the report was coneurred in
and the bill finally passed with the votes o
Mr.. Eimunds and Mr. Morrill, of Vermont
recorded against it at every stage.
Next daY Mr. Edmunds LEFT for New Yorf
to take steamer for Europe, settling with
the United States treasurer before he left.
refusing utterly to take the increase or back
pay, and leaving it to be covered into the
treasury, as it was, without ever having
touched his fingers He did this, be it re-
mem bered, before the camor of the country
over the increase OF salaries arose, and
solely from his sense of right and honest
| Indignation at the measure. He led the op-
position to the grab" lie was the first
man in Congress to reject the back pay
/ No man in either House has Il cleaner
record, on that matter On these facts, we
submit that the Farmer, which we take it
desires to do no injustice to distinguished
son of Vermont. owes to itself and Its
readers a modification of its remarks affect
ing Mr.. Eimunds. And it seems to US that
| the St. Adams Advertiser owes Mr.. Edmunds
little apology for the character of its de-
| fence Of him.