Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-04-19
REPUBLICANS FfGHTING RE
TRENCHJfENT.


wns the first of tho measures OF rc-
trenchmont which passed the House
of Representatives, and therefore II is
the first before the Senate for consider.
alton. IL was called up last Friday,
and lcd to n long and sharp discussion
during the entire sitting. The Com
mittce on Appropriations reported
amendments restoring the reductions
made by the House, and the issue Is
now squarely presented Of economy on
the one hand and Of extravaganza on
tho other.
The debate, which thok wide range
ON the general subject Of reduction OF
the public expenditures, tnrncd upon
the salaries for the nine chief probes
sors at the Military Academy. II was
contcndcd, first, that they were officers
of tho army, aud therefore their pay
could not bo disturbed in such bill.
That plea had to be abanoned, when
il was found that with single excep-
ton they were civilians, and only held
a rank assimiatcd to that OF colonels
and licutcnant-colonels. When this
pretext was exposed, then the cham
pions Of extravaganza asserted that
tho salaries were inadequate 10 the SER
vice rendered, and to cut them down
would be an act OF gross injustice
That argument was answered by show
ing that under the bill Of the House
four of these professors would receive
$4,000 each and five Of them $4,000
each, in addition 10 which they are
provided with houses rent free, fuel,
light, medical attendance, and schools
for their children. Al Yale the. pro-
iessors receive $4,000 year Harvard
90, 500 year, and at Amherst s2,50s
n year, without any of those extras
which at West Point represent fully
81 800 n year in money value, and per-
haps more.
Ii is thus scea that no injustice Of
any kind is committed in the proposed
reduction. Bat this is not all. While
Republican Senator'S were assailing
the proposition TO economize as foreign
to the bill, and an irregular assault on
the established pay of the army, it
was found, by reference to the Revised
Statutes, that the pay of these very
professors had been increased on the
Military Academy appropriation act
of Feb. 2s, 1873, during the carnival Of
prodigality and plumber Allthe House
therefore, proposes to do is to go back
TO the pay previous to 1873. Here is
the clause from the Revised Statutes,
section 1886;
Each Of the professors Of the Military Acsds-
my, whose service at the Academy exceeds ten
years, shall have the pay and allowance Of col.
onel, and all other professors shall have the pay
and allowances Of lieutenant colonel
thereafter there shall be allowed aud paid 10
the said professors ten per cent Of their current
yearly pay for each and every term Of ave years
service In the army aud at the Academy"
The House has practically abolished
this latter clause and reduces the pay
TO that extent. That Is the whole Of
the proposition, and days session
was wasted in an endeavor to prevent
this just and proper rctrenchmcnt by
facts ot the law and Of the usage q,
the Senate. The pay of the professors
NV bilI and when nm efiort ia made n
reduce II In 1870 mon The Academy
I'm n Il dsnounced ~ an nnnreceden,ed
I wrong
The country will understand from
,b,s s,a,emon; wha, dacen,;ons arc n
bo exnec,ed in ,hwar,;pg cvcrv al
,emn, ,o br;no down ,he nnbl;c ex
nend;,nrcs Mr. Jo,.n M Freliny
buysep Mr. Dawes Mr. Allison Mr
WRIGHT and other Republican leaders
resnrted 40 unwor,hr exnsdien,s ~
deceiyo the nubl;c on ,bis sub;cc, :
Mr. Frelingbnvsen declared 81 nro,es,
tba, !, Il no, tbe bns;ncss ~ an annrn
ny;a,;on commi,,ee 10 do anv srcb
tbingn NJ Dawes was gerry much
sLnaIoa ., snoh Ieg,sl,,;oo ;.s. as -;.s
the back pay in his Poe,.et be cantcd
at the act by which 1t was passed.
As rule, general legislation upor
appropriation bills is to be condcmrsd
The Republicans are answerable fol
that practice in its most obnoxiou.
form. They engraftcd the Civil Right'
bill and other partisan measures upor
these bills, and denied the minority
any chance for discussing them under
the operation Of ironclad rules, designed
TO curtail the liberty OF speech. They
construed tho rules so that 1t would bs
In order to increase salaries, and Out
Of order to reduce them. Through
this scandalous system they doubled
the Presidents salary and perquisites
voted themselves back pay for two
years, increased the salaries of all the
employees Of Congress and the depart.
ments, and in six weeks gave Boss
Shepherds Ring three and half mil
lions of dollars. Now, when moder.
ate measures of reform are offered, and
the Democratic House has changed
the rules so that economy may be
parliamentary, the Republican Senate,
which heretofore originated the most
offensive legislation on the appropria.
tions, affects to bc astonished, and does
its best to obstruct the movement
The leaders find this "tho improper
place to commence rctrenchmcnt.p II
pinches the corns Of their sons, cousins,
and friends, and therefore it ought not
to pass e
Undcr ordinary circumstances, we
should prefer TO see every reform con-
sidercd on It's own merits, and passed
cans would not Legislate in that proper
way when they had majorities Of two
thirds in both branches of Congress.