Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-01-01
salary Grahs--Iowa Mo -. hers

A dispatch from Washington to
the N. Y. Tribune, the dny after tho
passage of the House bill On the sal
ary question, says: mot lew
members who voted for the new sal
AIRY grab bill last night would to-day
gladly give up the extra $500 n yeas
they are to get by 1t II they could
change their votes" We trust the
Senate amendments to this bill r.
adopted will give some of those who
voted for 1t u chance to retrieve
mselves--enough vt least to So
cure the passage Of the Senate substi-
tute. But there is no excuse for tho
members who did not stand up stead
lily for n total repeal Of the Congress-
ionnl salary steal. They should have
voted squarely against the Hurlbu$
substitute for the Hale bill, and vo-
ted ii down, or any measure or dodge
which did not effectually comply
with the demands of the people.
They had three chances To kiil tho
Hurlbut substitute: when first offer
ed; at later hour, when it was
amended In voting down the pre-
vious question demand; and lastly,
when the bill came tosa final vote.
On this last vote, l3l members vo-
ted aye and 1870 nay, with "a not vo-
ting. As the Tribune says, every
member who vo,ed yea voted 10
keep the increased pay be has drawn
since the 4tli of MArcn, aud to in
crease the old salary by 500 II year,
after adding to it a full allowance for
the abolished mileage and stationery
and putting on top Of ri. that u COM
pensation for actual travelling expen-
ses. Besides, he voted to retain tho
increased salaries to all the officials,
and there were host Of them, who
were included In the till Of last SEES
sion. or the whole Iowa delegation,
not one but recorded his vote, and
that vote nay. We will not, In all
modesty IA an Iowa man, sny IN mn
Eastern contemporary recently did,
Hthat the fDwn drivgRtion In tie u.0st
respectable In Congress, bnt we do say
II Is very respectable in its b 'haviJr
un the little matter Of recognizing tho
demands of its constituents, and rs
u unit voting to sustain them. They
are Republican t0a man--nOt u Dem
ocratic black sheep among them
and If proper total repeal salary
grab bill substitute is returDed from
the Senate, we will vuueh for tho
vote of every Iowa membcr Of the
House being just precisely as hon
esty, sobriety and the twill OF thS
people" demand
The Tribune makes this suggestions
"The best thing the Senate can do
with the bill, in the opinion Of u
number Of leading members who OPP
posed 1t In the House, is to restore
the $500 salary of Mr.. Haie's bill,
and to add an allowance of 5000 In
official stamps to phy postage on pub
lie documents, and thus hrnd of the
movement for u restoration OF the
franking privilege"
We do not agree with this sugges-
tion. We believe the best thing the
Senate can do Is precisely the thing
reported by Senator Wright, Of
iowa, Chairman Of the Committee tn
whom the House bill WAS referred,
and his report. unanimously recom-
uDend-d by the Committee, and
which tha Senate will probably
ad0pt--a substitute bill utterly re-
pealing the act Of March 3, 1873. 80
far AZ 1t relates to the increased pay
Of Congress or its employees, and re-
curing the Secretary Of the Treas-
ury to cover into the Treasury all
undrawn or returned hack pay.
Then, il In view Of the abolishment
Of the frankiDg privilege, and more
especially II 1t will prevent this
privilege being restored in any part,
let the impoverished members VOTE
them selves few hundred dollars to
cover postage, SO that their consti tu-
rnts will not be entirely neglected In
the matter Of Pub. Docs" as they
unquestionably will be II the memi-
bers have to pay postage out 0f their
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