Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-11-26
ai=lHHsaH |77'H
BACK PAY.
How They Voted Senators Howe. DOoiittie
aud Carpenter-C. q. Washbnrn and 'Hon-
est, Amasa-Thcir Record on Back Pay
Something You Ought 10 Know, You Know Z.


pAfeQ afblclo u6HOuuCluS OeualOrs
Howe and Carpenter for having re-
eeived back pay, and saying that
Coz. Washbmn had neuer gtUen a vote
nor done an act the party coutd not en-
dorse to-day. We have taken the
trouble TO examine the record in re
gard to the back pay bill of 1856
and give the precise facts, taken
from the statutes and The Congress
sionaI Globe.
The Thirty fourth Congress, elect
ed 10 November. 1854, was in office
from March A. 1855, to March 4
1857. The compensation fixed by
law when shat Congress was elected
was So per day of actual session.
Washburn and BilIinghurst W re our
Republican, representatives On the
10Th of August, 1856 Congress pass
ed an act lnci easing the pay TO $4,000
per year, the act reaching back, IN
it's operation, to March 1855. This
DILL was passed in the House by only
one majority. Mr.. Washbarn voted
tor the bill, Mr.. Bilinghnrst voted
againstit. Had Mr.. Washburn voted
against the bill it would have been
defeated.
On the 10th of August, 1856,
Washburn's pay under the I'D law
was
256 days s. per .;...:.s2 O4s.eo
BY the new law it was q year months II 90
days, $4,000 per year)........ s4, 3oOoo
In other words, Mr.. Washonrn'-
vote passed the bill which put $780,
in gold into his own pocket on the
10th day of August, and every cent
of it was back pdy. And he took the
money, thus Young for aud elVlng
back pay. If, as the N0rthWeS ern
contends, Wasbburn never gave
vote nor did an act which the Re-
publican party cannot endorse TO-
day. we would like to know what
becomes of it's criticism upon Howe
and Carpenter. We do not refer to
thls record TO condemn Gov Wash
burn, but simply to show that in this
respect he is no better than other
men.
The uproar raised by the press
about the back pay bill of 1873 has
created the impression among the
people that it was the first instance
in which o Congress had increased
it's own pay. The fact is, that the
pay has been changed eleven times.
sometimes increased, once, at least,
decreased but in every instance the
Congress which passed the new law,
whether increasing or decreasing the
amount of pay, has applied the new
law to itself. The pay has never
been changed in any Other way.
And the fact that after Gov. Wash
burn, by his single vote passed the
back pay bill of 1856, and received
the money, Was re elected by his con-
stituents without objection on this
ground, and by an overwhelming
majority, and was actually govern or
OF the state. when Howe and Carpen.
ter received the back pay in 1873
might we'll be considered by them as
an endorsement of the principle by
the people; for they could hardly an
ticipate that they would be condemn
ed for doing what had been done by
Others, repeatedly done, without OBJ
lection or complaint.
Again, in 1866, another back pay
bill was passed, on the 28Lh of July
of that year, which gave every mem
Der S2787 back pay, and $4,000 in
crease Of pay in all for that Congress.
This was recovered by every Sena-
tor and Nom Der save one. 1t is said
that one member Of the House who
had lost the confidence of his con-
stiLuents hoped to secure re-eIec-
ton by exceptional virtue in regard
to pay. He therefore declined TO re-
ceive his increase of pay, went home,
ran for reelection on that ground,
got beaten, and then returned to
Washington and tried to draw the
pay he had declined; but it was too
ate it had been covered into the
treasury, and he could not get it.
Among the Senators who received
this back pay in 1856 or 1866, and
some Of them in both years, are the
tOliOWlnP names
Maire-Hamin, Fessenden and Morrill,.
New HampshIre-J John Hale and J. Bell
Vermoni-Foot, Colamore and Edmunds.
Massact usefts-Sumner and Wilson.
New York -Hamiton Fish, VIM. H. Sew
ard. Harris and Morgan.
PENNSYLVANIA -Buckaew and Cowan.
Delaware-Bayard, Clayton, Riddle and
Salisbury
Mary land-Cresswell and Reverdy John
son.
Ohio Wade, Pugh and Sherman.
Kentucky-Thompson j. j. Crittenden and
Guthrie.
IIIinois-Douglas ard Trumbul
Michigan Stewart, Chandler and
Howard.
Wisconsin-Dodge, Durkee and Dooitte.
Among the members of the House
are the following
Israel Washburn, Jr., Roscoe Conklng,
justin s. Morrill,, Thadeus Stevens,
John Sherman, Robert c. Schenck
Joshua R. Giddings, Columbus Delano,
Elihu B. Washburne, John A. Bingham.
James G Blame, James A Garfield,
N. p Banks, Halbert E. Paine,
George 5. Boutwell,, I. c Sloan,
WIN. B. Washburn, Amasa Cobb.
Henry l.. Dawes, Phletus Sawyer.
Considering that such had been
the settled practice OF Congress- and
that the greatest names in our con-
gressional annals had given their
sanction to the practice, is it not
little remarkable that Senator Car
renter should be singled out for GEN.
sure and destruction simply because
he followed the precedent set so often,
sanctioned by such llastrious names,
and never objected to by the press
or the people? Especially consider
ing that as soon as be knew the peo-
pie disapproved of the bill be cheer
fully voted for its repeal,
And are the Republicans of Wis
consin quite ready to enter upon
slaughter of 80 many of the leading
men in their party as in common
decenoy they mus do if Carpenter
L a 4 ~