The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-12
Shameful TomrooIcry.

The Legislative. Executive, and Judicial
bill, as it passed the House OF Representa-
tives, appropriated one hundred and forty
four thousand four hundred dollars for
compensation of the officers. clerks, mes
sengers, and others receiving an annual
salary in the service of the Senate" As re-
ported back from the Senate Committee.
the bill nppropratcs for this same service
ono hundred and cighty-scvcn thousand
four hundred and twenty-five dollars or
iorty-three thousand aud twenty-five dol
lars mo-, - than the House.
Since the Forty-foul-h C.Igress. when thA
Democrats Of the House reduced The cxor-
bitant salaries Of their own officers, and
sought to cQualizc those Of the Senate for
corresponding service there has been a
steady conflict between the two wings of
the Capitol on this subject, in which the
Republican Senate always came out vic
torlous In asserting the right TO regulate
the compensation Of its officials.
The Democrats Of the Senate never heartily,
or even partially, co0perated with the House
In carrying out the reduction Of the public
expenditures to which they were pledged. On
the contrary, they were a stumbling block
In the path Of progress, and gave aid and
comfort to tho enemy. II H.ls hardly sup
posed, however that when they came into
power and with a decided majority. they
would be so impolitic, 10 use no stronger
expression, on the eve OF a Presidential
election. a. to follow in the footsteps Of their
Republican predecessors, and 10 vote away
the peoples money rccklcssly against the
recommendation and the action Of their own
political friends in the House.
OF late years there has been n growing
tendency to change the character OF the
Senate a. it exists by the Constitution, and
10 create a special class with peculiar privi-
lcgcs never asserted or claimed in any way
until the civil war dslocatcd the various
functions Of Government, and set up new
theories and practices. Although the
Democratic minority complained Of the cx-
cesscs Of the Republican majority, there
were many profitable abuses In which they
shared in small degree Gradually they
grew TO stand by each other without respect
10 party. and to join with their adyersaries
in resisting the policy ol the peoples repre-
scntatiycs.
No-Democratic Senator ever raised his
voice, in the sharp collisions with the House
in the two last ConRrcssc-, 10 uphold the
demand for economy Upon the plea that
opposition was useless, they submitted In
silence, and fnlsilied the pledges which had
been made in every State Convention, and
most solennly at st. Loui. u 1876. Now,
when this miserable Trctonc" can no longer
be repeated. and when tho offices arc held
by Democrats, they Il, ucci-rly what the
Republicans did, In oppo- iu. reduction Of
the paw Of the incumbents. The Democratic
majority Of the Appropriation Committee
consists Of Mr. DAVIS OF West Virginia, Mr..
WITHERs. sIr. BrcK, Nj WALLACE, and Mr.
EATON. They are answerahlc for the hill in
its present shape, and ought to be held to
account for this shameful extravaganza
These officers and clerks and messengers
and subordinates Of the Senate receive
more than double the pay to which they are
entitled, measured 10y n comparison with
the price paid for A. high a grade Of ability
and education in the other pursuits of life.
Tho ordinary average 81 ~crN Ice r. about five
months in a year For the first months Of a
session the Senate usually meets four days
In n week only. and sits about four hours on
those days. During tho rocose Of Congress
these officials go home and, with few eXcep-
tious, rarely render any public service Yet
the Democratic majority propose 70 con-
inuc the iGiqultous system II the Rcpubli-
cans.