Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-01-16
Communications.



The question about ack-pay aud in.
crease uf pay which Congress has >pen, y,
much time over. is not ono Of mere dollar,
and cents; it Involves principle Of lho
greatest consequence to the interests Of lilo
people. The real question j. whether mo,
elected to Office shall be permitted 10 u.,
that Office for their own selfish purpo,c,. or
whether they shall be required 70 ri,s
some evidence Of sinile-eyed devotion ,o
the country. Taerc was a time when /,
was considered honorable to grow p. Or in
the public service; tut this healthy SEMI.
ment seems TO have become wholly reyer..
ed at the pre- sent day.
This question Of oil :ial self-seckin, IN,
been waiting and pressing for s3u,o,
ever since the beginning VI the war ortbo
rebellion. has at last been brou1b, f.,
an issue not 10y the votes " q concerned
and yisilant people, not by a yigprou. al.
minls;ration Of tie government. butJy uo
very excuses Of members Of C,p,rass
themselves, whose unchecked greed b,. o.,
length preci pitatcd them beyond The bound.
of deceucy. This seifseckinc has bao,,,,
so glaringly inconsistent with duty tore.
publican institutions that it cannot be over
locke or winkel at any longer. The nao.
pie must arouse,in reform movement and
put stop to the corruption; they must rid
themselve, OF such idols - Butler and otb-
or grabbers Of that class, or the end Of our
republic is only a question OF time, and
sbor; time at that,
There is another matter befIre the c1uu.
try Of very much more Importance than
this blck-p1y grab. II is the Credit No.
b.licr swinlle, which has been got M
among me nbers OF Congress, and by which
the country has been defrauded Of many
millions Of dollars. Not word is row said
about this swindle in Congress, though
that body is cancerous with it; member,
lie low on that subject, and are only too
willing 10 have the attention OF the people
diverted from il by q mere question Of pay,
and a threatened war for Cuba.
These frauds ought to have been an.'c.-
patel and met hy President Lincoln al.
ministration. Ii was not safe for the co1n-
try TO have them neglected there and then.
as they were neS'ccte1-Juerly neglected;
and still less so is to neglect them now. II
the people let of their erring member. Of
Congress on this issue, another issue NAV
be presented TO them in which the only
remedy will he the pulling down the pill
lars Of their government upon their own
heads.
Has Vermont nothing TO do IN this case
but to follow the routine and crank-iurn-
ing of secret rings as she has done for the
La, ten or twelve years? The New York
Tribune has "RoIl Of Honor" which in
ciules the names OF all members of Con.
sreSs who, like worthy patriots, refused
the back-pay grab; and how many names
from Vermont, 'The most republican stale
OF tho Union" are upon this roll?
out Of five members of both houses Of
Congress, Of which the Vermont dele.a-
ton consists, the name OF one alone APP
pears upon the Roll Of Honor" and that
is Of Mr.. Willard. Only one-finh Of the
delegation OF the state j. decided and
promp; in favor Of au honest and ecouom-
icAl administration of debl-burlened gov
crnment!- and this too, in the face of the
principle that the tendency OF a national
debt i, TO increase and not TO diminish
L. i aTeciin- to see people at home y
&c no Mica! is 10 deprive them. elves Of
some of the cJnveniences Of life, such a,
gas for their streets, while b 1t one OF their
delegation in Congress shows any DISPOSE
ton to Tighten the public debt. Suci, ir-
dul Sence is very admirable in some cases;
bul the question musi be met. neverthe-
less, whether such glazing self-seeking as
has prevailed in the public service during
The last decade is to be permitted any long
er or not. And this question involve. moth
ing less than the perpetuity OF the govern.
meut Itself. C5N.