The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-06-30
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JUNE 80, $780,

February 7. 1873, to double the
pay Of the President and increase
the salaries of the Vice President,
Cabinet, Speaker, justices Of the
Supreme Court and members of
Congress. This scheme had been
thoroughly canyassed, and only
awaited II favorable chance TO be
laun chcd. Three days later Gen.
Butler moved to suspend the rules
so as 10 attach this bill as a rider
to the miscellaneous appropriation
bill then pending. 1t was beaten
by thirty.ninc majority, which in
cluded some of the strongest friends
Of the proposed plunder, who
voted that way for effect. The
first fire was thus drawn, and But
Ter knew where TO plant his bat
terics.
The Legislative appropriation bill
came back to the House February
"a loaded with one hundred
amendments. The natural course
was to have had them printed,
so that members might examine
the new items. But there was a
game to play, and Garfield took
the lead. By virtue Of his chair
manship, he moved that the
House resolve itself inSo COM
mittee Of the whole on the special
order. Suspicion had been awak-
ened, and adjournment had been
voted down previously. Dawes
was put in the chair, and the door
was opened for the grab. Garfield
had assured members that the bill
would not be called up that night,
and the House was thin except on
the stealing side, which was in
the secret of Garield's treachery.
A special vote was demanded on
the Butler amendment, now
moved as a rider to the pending
bill. 1t was defeated by 6fty-two
majority, Butler himself voting
against it. But be Immediately
moved to reconsider and to ad-
jou-n. Nothing was now want
ing to rivet the vote but to refuse
to adjourn and then TO cIinch it by
refusing to reconsider. The issue
was clear, but right in the face of
the large majority just recorded
the House adjourned by a still
larger majority, leaving the re-
consideration alive and kicking.
The next day Buffers motion to
reconsider was first in order, and
when Farnsworth moved to lay it
on the table and finish the busi-
ness majority Of thirty-nine an
swered in the negative.
THE DE GoLYER FRAUD.
The next vote fixed the Con-
gressional pay, and the bill, with
this graft, was sent to the Senate,
and thence to q committee of con-
ference. On the last day of the
session Garfield reported the bill
back, doubling the Presidents
salary from the 9TH Of March,
insteaded Of the end of the fiscal
year, and raising the pay of Con.
gress from $4,000 to $1,000, re-
trcactively for two years, with a
long catalogue Of augmented sala-
ries for public officers. He pre-
tended that there was danger Of
an extra session unless the report
was. adopted and told the House,
1t may be an unwise expenditure
in some respects, but in most
cases the increase is proper and
ought to be made 1t was finally
driven through by a majority of
six.
GarGeld's connection with the
Washington ring is also we'll
known to the country. One of
the most notorious Of the corrupt
contracts made by Boss Shepherd
was that awarded to DeGolyer &
Mcclellan, Of Chicago, for laying
wood pavement. This contract
covered 100000 yards at $3.50
yard, which the superintendent of
contractors swore could be put
down at $3.50, every item ofcostin-
cluded. So there was a clean
profit of 100000 to be divided. To
further this job, which was pre-
liminary to others to follow, the
sum of s97, 900 was expended. 1t
was given out in the spring Of
1872. At that time Richard c.
Parsons was marshal of the Su-
preme Court, and had converted