The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-04-22

VAVAnb ootior an oPPVrsunAsJ
Dawes's Figures and s. 8. Cox finance
10 Convulse the House with Laughter
Dawes Takes the Back Track.
WASHINGTON. April l6.--Mr. Holman
Dem. Ind moved to reduce the item
of the Presidents salary from $4,000 to
s25. 600. He argued that the increase of
salaries last session, including the Presl.
dents salary, was unconstitutional and
he also criticised the items of the Presl-
dents household.
Mr.. Hale REP. Me. opposed the amend
ment, and said that so much OF the Presl-
dental mansion was occupied tor public
purposes that the family was huddled into
smaller apartments than were occupied by,
thousands of private families all over the
country. He declared that none Of the
items for the Presidential household were
personal pefquisites.
Mr.. Butler rep, Mass spoke to the
same question, because, he said. his atten-
ton had been called to the subject by his
colleague (Mr. Dawes some time ago, in a
manner that had struck the country.
That statement had been that the Presi-
dental Office yielded to its incumbent
100000 during the term. He went on to
analyze the appropriations for the Presi-
dental household, and to show that they
were in no wise perquisites, but, on the
contrary, added to the Presidents discom-
tort, There had been no increase, and,
substantially, no decrease in these expen-
ditures for great many years.
Mr. Maynard rep, Tenn asked Mr..
Butler whether he had ever taken the
trouble to make an estimate of the COM
parative cost of the Presidential office now
md in ,.sL~
taking into account the difference in the
value Of money.
A CHEAPER PRESIDENT THAN WASHINGTON.
Mr.. Butler said he had, and that the
cost in Washington time was nearly dou-
BILE that of the present tune, and that too
at u tune when fifty cents a day was the
wages of the skilled workman who now re-
ceives four or five dollars a day. He had
heard good deal of the simplicity of the
early times, but he had in his hand
newspaper paragraph from jenkins"
Of those days, giving a description of the
toilets of Thomas Jeffeson and John Han
cock at a ball in Philadelphia He read il,
with running comments, to the great
amusement of the House.
Mr.. Cox Dem, n. Y said he had
supposed the two gentlemen from Massa
chusetts (Nlessrs. Butler and Dawes) had
harmOnlzed their differences on account OF
some little local issue. Laughter. He
had been surprised therefore, co find this
little difference OF views between them.
He was surprised that his friend tMr.
Dawes had taken back so many wise and
good things which he had heretofore said
about economy. All that had been said
by MIR. Butler about the peculiarly of dress
and about the luxury of the days of Wash
ington and Jefferson and Hancock did not
affect the frugality, the honesty, the in
compatibility, of the men who served the
public on those small salaries He him.
self did not care how men dressed he did
not care about sumptuary laws; he did
not care it his friend from Massachusetts
(Mr. Butler) came in
IN SKY BLUE PANTALoONs
and addressed the House it would add 10
the attraction OF the General. Laughter. I !
IL had been said by a distinguished New
York editor who was in Washington re
cently,md who had given u lecture in New
urk ON his return, that it seemed as
though everybody in the States desired TO
come To Washington, and that Governors
OF States only became local magistrates in
order to become United States Senators.
Allthe architecture and all the grandeur OF
Washington tended TO lesson the old Demo |
cratic idea ola frugal, simple honest gov. |
ernment. He was most surprised that his |
honest simple hearted, frugal minded |
friend from Massachusetts Mr.. Dawes !
should be inclined 10 take back some things !
which he had said before on the subject |
lie quoted from newspaper paragraph !
statement In which somebody is represent |
ed as having inquired OF Mr.. Butler what
the effect of the circulation Of Mr.. Dawes |
speech-ie Connecticut was, in which N.r. |
Butler ~ represented as saying Bad for |
the Republican party, and adding, when !
an old brindle steer like Dawes gets in the !
habit OF breaking out of the pound wher /
1t Is dark and drzzllng, there is no corn |
held in the country safe" Uprorious \
laughter IN which MIR. Dawes Joined heart
lily, while Mr.. Butler sat looking solemn
and stOlId,as though he did not see the fun
of the thing.
Mr.. Cox went on quoting from the news.
paper paragraph in which MIR. Butler is
also represented as saying that Mr. Dawes
knew too much of the party secrets and
must have bell put round his neck.
But Who" said Mr.. Cox, lis the man TO
bell the gentleman from Massachusetts 2
Let him step forth and do it. Nobody but
himseR can do it and he has done it to-
day" lAlluding To some remarks of Mr..
Dawesin defence OF the items for the Pres
idential mansion
MR.. DAWES WITH THE BELL ON.
Mr.. Dawes replied to the remarks of
Mr.. Butler, who, he said, was never so dis
tinguished in debate as when he made and
belabOred his own issues. He denied that
he Mr.. Dawes had said anything as toi
the unreasonableness of u single appropri
alton tor the Presidents mansion. What
he had said in the speech referred to had
reference to appropriations for the Execu.
tive establishment. He admitted that he
might have been u little more explicit in
his words, and made the distinction clear
between the items personal to the Presi
dent and those that went to the carving
on OF the Executive establishment Re
plying to Mr., Cox, he denied that he had
taken back in New Hampshire the speech
which had made in the House few wears
ago, and said he had only added TO il
message from the President to the people
OF New Hampshire that whenever i'll
could be pointed out that a dollar could
be saved to the Treasury, that dollar would
be saved. But he had changed nothing,
and he changed nothing to-day of what he
mac said in the speech. which had been cir
culated in New England.
MIR. Butler quoted from DIR. Dawes's
speech IN the House sJme months ago to
strengthen the criticism which he (Mr.
Butlerl had made on it. --
Mr.. Dawes said he had made the correc-
ton himself.
Mr.. Butler-Pardon me, but il was cor