Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-04-28
THE SALARY BILL.
Text of the Presidents Veto Mes
sage-A Plea for the Dignity OF
the Office-Grant's ignorance OF
the COnstitutiOn as Great as Eais
Disregard Of its

SdSe-A flod inc Oh
the Office-<irant's Ignorance of
the COnstitutiOn As Great as Ilis
Disregard of fts
WASHINGTON, April 19.-The follow
ing is the text of the Presidents mes
sage, transmitted to the Senate on
Tuesday, vetoing the salary bill:
To the Senate of the United States:
Herewith I return Senate bill No.
172, entitled ''An act fixing the salary
of the President of the United States"
without my app,o oval.
am constrained to this course from
sense of duty to my successors III
Office, 10 myself, and to what is due to
the dignity of the position of Chief
Magistrate of a nation of more than
forty millions of people.
~ hen the alarY Of the President OF
the United States was fix d by the
Constitution at $25, 200 per annum we
were nation Of but three millions of
people, poor from a long ana exhaus-
tive war, without commerce or manu
factories with but few wants and those
cheaply supplied. The salary must
then have been deemed small for the
responsibility aud dignity of the posi-
ton. but Iustiiably SO from the i'm
poverished condition of the Treasury
and the simplicity it was desired TO
cultivate in the republic.
The salary of congressman under the
Constitution was first fixed at six dol
lars per day for the time actually in
sesson-an average of about l20 days
to each sossiou-or S720 per year, or
less than one thirtieth of the salary of
| the President.
| Congressman have legislated upon
| their own salaries from time to tune
since, until finally it reached $1,000
per annum, or one-tifth that Of the
! President before the salary of the
| latter was incl eased.
No one having a knowledge of the
cost of living at the national capital
will contend that the present salary OF
congressman is too high, unless it is
the intention to make the office one
entirely of honor, WHEEL the salary
[puguant to our republican ideas and
lnstl buttons.
I do not believe the citizens of this
republic desire their public servants
to serve them without d fair compen-
sation for their services. Twenty-Five
thousand dollars does not defray the
year, or has not in my experience. 1t
when fixed by the Constitution il sup
plying demands and wants.
Having no personal interest in this
matter I have felt yself free to re,
turn this bill to the House in which il
originated, with my objections, be
iieving that in doing SO [ meet the
| xyiahna onH ind Of tho of
majority of those who indirectly pay
all the salaries and other expenses OF
government. Q. s. GRANT.
Executive Mansion, April Is, 1876.
SWAsHINGTON, April ~.
Yesterday when the veto message OF
the President IN the salary question
was read IL the Senate, one of the
fficial reporters of the Senate noticed
the gross and inexcusable errors the
Pre- ident had fallen into when he said
When the salary OF the President OF
the United States was fced 6Y the
Constitution at $50, QUO per annum"--
aad again, near the close, repetition
of the error, where he said: ut is not
now olC-tifth in value what it was
when fix by the Constitution in sup
plying wants and demands" But few
of the Senators heard the document
read. but the attention of the Groton
grocer, Senator Boutwell,, was called
to the, Presidents ignorance of the
Constitution. and this veto message
was quietly returned to the President
for revision. To-day it appeared in
the Record, duly corrected, the first
error being remedied as follows
when the salary of the President Of
the United States, pursuant to the
Constitution, was fixed ts5 525, O00;'
and the second error removed by AL
entire change o. the sentence: SIT is
not now one-fith in value what it was
at the time of the adoption of the Con-
'titution.' But the ignorance be,
trayed by the President Of the Consti-
tuition will not astonish those who are
familiar with his utter disregard of
law. The original message was sent
to the Senate on Tuesday, but Was not
real until yesterday. The official re-
por er had taken copy of it as it
came to the Senate, and another copy
was made for the Associated Press,
and telegraphed Immediately after it
was read. The criticism which the
original message is open to is exceed
ingly notifying to the Presidents
friends. aud they all deeply regret the
publication of the first message. Some
are charitable enough to attribute his
dullness to recent attack of neural gia,
disease with which he has of late
been much addicted to.