Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-29
Congress- and the Army.

to peg away NJ tne army. rHs' '"ot ~
duced the pay of the officers. and then
they voted The number of men TO be but
20 600. With Communists drilling In our
large cities, and Indians to fight and the
Mexican border to protect, this Is out
handful of men to be depended upon in
case Of emergency.
In regard to reducing the pay OF Off
GERS, the Philadelphia Times remarks that
it has been done in way which no
thoughtful man can regard otherwise than
as UNEQUAL and unjust. at has been said
repeatedly by army men, says the Times,
..that ii il be necessary t. reduce all the
expenses of the government they will
cheerfully bear the same percentage of
reduction that may be applied to all who
are paid from the national treasury; but
the reduction proposed in the House bill
is altogether disproportionatn, and its in
Justice is the more apparent when II is
considered that the army pty is already
much lower in proportion to the services
exacted in return than that of most of the
civil employees of the government.
must be remembered that an army Off
GERS contract is for life. He gives up
all other occupations and places himself.
his time and his talents absolutely at the
disposal of the nation. In time of peace
he may have little to do, but he is none
the less at the service of the nation and
liable at any moment to be sent upon
most arduous duties. If he is overpid
while in quarters or on leave OF absence.
he Is much more underpaid when leading
his command in action; his compensation
is but an average on his permanent con-
tract, and low one at that. He is not,
like a member OF Congress. on duty but
half the year and at liberty TO practice a
profession or engage in business outside
of his official duties. He has nothing but
his pay to depend upon or to look forward
to. and it Is essential to the efficiency OF
the service that his pay should be sufli-
Gent for his comfort .ble maintenance.
And yet the standard of compensation
proposed by the House is lower than that
which this same economic body think
proper for its own employees. The Clerk
of the House gets 81 500 and the Sergeant
at Arms $4,000; a colonel, who has
grown gray in the service, is to get but
o., 500. The Doorkeeper of the House
and nine assistant clerks get 81. 800 each,
which is but one hundred dollars less
than a majors pay. The clerk of the doc
ument room has 81 900 and the distrbut-
ing clerk 81, 800; a captain of cavalry is
to have 1900 and captain of infantry
1000 A messenger in the ii )use gets
LAO, the upholsterer 81 400 and the
locksmith as much, while first leuten-
ant. mounted, is to get but 81 800 and not
mounted 81. 400, and second lieutenant,
not mounted, $1,000. AS General Gar
field puts 1t: 1T is better to be a door
keeper in the House of representatives,
than a senior captain of infantry; better
to be locksmth in the House than
lieutenant of the line When we con-
slider what kind of men are most of the
colonies of the army-ltsrally war-worn
veterans--the injustice of this reduction
OF their pay to level with that of the
petty officials at the Capitol is sufficiently
obvious. The same inequality extends
through the higher grades, as was brought
out in striking way by little colloquy
which occurred during the debate in the
House on Saturday. General McCook of
Ohio had been protesting against the bill.
when his colleague, Mr.. Finley, thought
he would make good point by asking
McCook If be thought the services of the
general of the army worth twice as much
rs his own. Unqueslionably.' was the
prompt reply. 1t is evident from Finley's
feeble rejoiner that, in his opinion. Mr..
Finley is a much more valuable person
than General Sherman, and a similar
opinion in regard to himself is probably
entertained by each one of majority OF
the members But the country will rather
applaud the honest candor of McCook
and will insist that. if the pay of the army
is to be reduced, that Of members of Con-
gress and their numerous retainers shall
be reduced in at least equal proportion"
Democratic Congressional investiga-
tons, when conducted with so-called
"closed DOORS" have been 50 unfair. il il
not surprising that republicans should ia
vor public sessions of the Potter investi
eating committee. 1t has been proved to
the satisfaction of everybody that AN alb
solutely secret investigation by Con-
gressional committee is an impossibility.
The management of several inquests OF
this sort, particularly that OF Mr.. Whit.
thorne, during the 44th Congress. when
the Navy Department was under investi-
CATION, has been frightful perversion OF
justice. In several instances there was
handed out through the "closed DOORS a
bit of testimony designed to ruin the rep-
utation of some single individual: and
when the case was long afterwards con
cluded, the accusation was proved to h,