Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-07-09
Salary Grab

FOR taxing Jne legal ana unqueS-
toned pay of his position as United
States Senator, and in the manner in
which it has been received by every
member of Congress and Senator
elected or appointed to fill an unex-
PRED term, Democrat or Republican,
since the establishment of the yearly
salary, the Democratic press of this
State are now yelping at the heels of
Gov. Kirkwood with the old refrain
of "Salary Grabber," hoping to carry
the people away with the mad-dog
cry without examination of the facts.
For the benefit of our readers we
copy from the Dubuque Times the
following lucid explanation of the
circumstance upon which the Demo-
cratic papers found this frantic attack
upon Gov. Kirkwood's integrity:
On the 3oth day of May, 1873, the
Hon. James Brooks, of New York,
elected to Congress for the term COM
mencing March 4th, 1873, died. In
November of that year, Hon. S. S.
Cox, one Of the most prominent, able
and respected leaders of the Demo-
cratic party of the country, was elect
ed to fill Mr.. Brooks unexpired term,
and took his seat in December follow
ing. Seven months elapsed between
the death of Mr.. Brooks and the cleo
ton of Mr.. Cox. But according to
the invariable rule in such cases, Mr..
Cox drew the pay of the term back
to the time of the death of his prede-
cessor, and of course drew pay for
several months when he was not
member Of Congress. Since the es-
tablishment of an an..ual salary for
Senators and Member of Congress,
every member who has entered Con-
grcss to fill out an unexpired term,
has been given the salary, just as it
was given Mr.. Cox, back to the date
Of death or resignation of his prede-
cessor.
Hon. James Harlan resigned his
seat in the United States Senate on
the 18th day of May, 1865. Congress
did not meet until the December fol-
lowing. On the 18th day of January,
1866, Hon. Samuel J. Kirkwood was
elected to fill out MIR. Harlan's unex-
PRED term. AS in the case of Mr..
Cox, and as in every other similar
case in the history of Congress, Sen
ator Kirkwood drew the salary Of the
term back to the resi- gnation of his
predecessor.
The 39th Congress increased the
salary of Senators and Members to
five thousand dollars per annum.-
For this increase no Zoacd Senator
or Member voted. Every member
Of that Congress was paid at that
rate, and every Member OF Congress
since that time has received that
amount unquestioned. Gov. Kirk
wood received only this ordinary and
approved salary.
That is all there Is Of Coz. kirk
goods back pov, about which the
Democratic press Of Iowa have set
up a dishonest howl. For the at
tempt to hold Gov. Kirkwood up to
obloquy for accepting the pay given
to every other man who has entered
Congress under the same circum-
stances, and the same rate of pay
taken by every one OF his colleagues,
we can find no other term whercwith
to properly characterize it, than pure
unauthorized scoundrclism.
1t should be further said in explain
alton, that In the last Congress, dur
ing all the excitement relating to the
real salary-g measure, and the
anxiety of members to get right on
the record with regard to it, no mem
Der of any party offered or thought
of offering proposition to repeal or
modify the rule under which Gov
Kirkwood received his salary. 1t has
been the established rule of settlement
for years, accepted alike 10y all parties,
and it is safe to predict that no party
will seek to materially modify it. 1t
Is only raised by the desperate den,a'
gogues of the Democratic party in
this campaign for effect and to fur
nish an insane rallying cry. They
will find in the outcome, however,
that the effect will be tn opposite OF
that hoped for. The people Of Iowa
know Gov. Kirkwood for III honest,
able, practica, man of the people,
utterly devoid Of the attributes of a
selfish scheWer, who has we'll and
faithfully fulfilled every trust COM