New-York tribune., 1880-10-30

J
SIR: VIII you permit me- through your columns
70 address some plain words to of my successors
! nm the United States Senate from Connoctcntf
TRUMAN SMITH
Stamford, Conn, Oct 90 1880.
MIR SMITHS LETTER
| ToHr Hon. WILLIAM II. B,RNUM. Chairman Of the Dem
ocrohc N1tiona Committee.
SIR, Yon reprcsented in the House of Rep
resentafives Of The XLth. XLIst, XLIh and XLilld
Congresses the IYth Congresslonai Dstlct o Cohfou
cut IA the undersigned did par Of It Oo-wit, Ltch
field County thea our Win D.strictJ, iu the AAVith
and XVIII ana the whole OF It in the NNIAth ana
XXXtb You rcpresentel our ancient Commonwealth
foucc called the land NJ steady habits I'm the United
States Senate FOR the XLIYth and NLVm Coogfcsses
being wnat rcmamed Of Tire last senatoa term ~ the
lamrntcd o. s. Ferry, ~ the undersigned dd IN the
XXXlst XXXIld and XXXIIld Congresses. During
the period of your service your compensation was at
least threefod more than that OF the undersigned
and such men .s Henry cay john G. Calhoun ana Dan
e Webster with whom he had the nonor 10 be as0cla
ted Ihe pay OF members at that ora w4s 3 per day
and milengc. which IN the case OF the under
signed wls at the long session from 92'ooo
q, s275O and at thc short sos'ion less than 5000 in
cludng mileage n both cases being comp nation II
from S1.7OO to $3.50 per anuum. or from $3.4oo 10
30 go per Congress- but your compensation during
,he whole OF your at Wa,hu<to wa 5000 per
lunum. or SO O)O per Congress, beside mileage.
The under. -ncd now charges: First, that YOU were
paid most aouadauty for yOlr so,'ces,on the hypo-
thesis that you much In your sent anl a' attn-
tive TO your duties good faithful memb rs ever are;
mat the people OF tlo Uui,ed SItes had a1 absolute
right to your attendance ( kae-s excepted; and tnat
Won had no more moral reht n you dI not choose 10
attend apply for and take compensation attached
yOur Ollie" tuuu break INTO enc treasury ahi carry
o the amount c ctoriqi second. be changes that you,
while "A member o. me House, were guilty oI an alb
.tfr II
by any other member since tha Organization of the
Government lie doubts whether the yfc-l'e or any
five bad cases in any Congress woui equal yours.
The truth b., that before Juu became a member you
hid established yourself IN the iron bus ness on large
scale. hal been nigh degrr" successful. About
hat time. perhaps before, the country ran maj on
the su1jrct OF railroad building aud the demand for
iron became enormous aud the prodt- Of the business
correspOndngly Hence y0u coul not af ri to oc-
cupy Congress- and did not TO very largo
extent Tue undersigned must mako one exception 10
this dark picture and that IS If any question as to pro
lection had likely to arise, you took care 20
be on hand.
Tie undersigned his not the slightest doubt but that
you made than 100000 per Congress ont Of your
IRON business, and probably that lmOInt anIuiy. And
what dld you 10 with your immense earnings including
what yOu got out Of the Treasury which
Won diI not earnl 1t is believed by vast
number OF our best people thai you. socy are re-
sponsbie for the Introduction o, political venaity into
western Connecticut. You reported % have won
drrul apuude for that so of enrt We're You for that
reason selected for the Oh urmausnip Of the Dem
ocrauc Nloua C,mml;rec2 Il that capacity you have
nut into activity al The eng ncs Of detracon ana abuse
winch the EVIL one cou invent DeimIrch the best and
rurest men Of rhe country.
: +. the und .rsi ned is indignant at your conduct
He mad the honor represent al Washington tAe di'
trcl wHich you Lave done so mach To deinoril zc.
Nhn Le wa, elected ycualW was unknown III the
district; and tie sam trmg WA ira whe2 the late
senator D. s. Ferry, the Late )un II. Hub ari. and also
iha Hon. .. = seymour and the Hon. Gcorg C.. Wood
,uA botn D..nocrat,. were e-eJsl 10 ihe House.
uu. on your advent it orctn, 'r mt uly preya-
.u,. The uu lersI1ucl rs sometimes Thought
elf gui.y OF serious dereic ION Of duty
m Yt arr suIll you for tine ccnorm'I.s o. hc bar Ol
public OPINION bat advanced age and o,Ic cons.u-e-
a.us usy- pr, yeut,I lie tells you 20 your face tat
tcrt hc io to Washington and set ,hc statistics Of
yunr als.ul.. 3D. c5nIecuo1 w.,u yoIr bl-ccts rc
uu-ll,us jhc Treasury aua We thcm 90 the puDlc
I,cv would roN ryou al over with inttuy.
S,qJator3. CoHp.. o.. -. 1880. TRUMAN SNIrH.
Ps-iIaslu- nui- ned tlc reoiug, the Undersigned
.uomi,tea n to % dI~cr.c. ircad. VINO advised hnn TO
a.crrlaIu whether dr+ yout sty pay Al iul. say
l. tA,t p,...b F., you d Iu,t In 4ce1rInHy wrore To-
u. h.nofl .ie Secretary OF he r.esy, and has Ja- IJ
c.lycd tn 10. owing reply:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Oct. %, 1850.
hon. TEUHiS SMITH. >tf1ford. 'DHU:
FIR: reply yaur cp uIlln 'a.lon OF me 2ol insf
relative 80 Tie iouut 90 c1nU u.ltou i've Pos tie
uHu. WuuIW II. T. nam 'o le-uItr ~ tue II Lu.r ol
Repre-. Natives fortnc Xith Kills, Kill aul NNlilI
gouEle-s... md as UutrI stat uatf .or tAo ALiN,n
anI XiNth tuugr s-cs. nave tu' honor to 50 mat
c records of thi~ p'r,mrnt low tlr following sums
% have J.rn pad 90 Mf Barum ID luu Tor comp. usa
.luu tII mileage:
XIlh Congress slGii0O, XLIIGl congrcss~sl24ol -
XLIs tS51e.s CSSse. 56 90 Xvh toatlcs lS 1888 70 70
Tne aIu.uut '1 Gufiur fhc XIII Coz -ress nc uIes
The retro Iucr asri mp,H-apn uudcr me At OF
March 3. 1873, Cu WAS -uJ>rqd Ictr ed 10 llc
In MI
the ilcr astd compensation allowed by the act
rom tue besluuug that Congress To he date OF Us
repeal, JANUARY 20, 1874. Nc.} respectfully,
JOuN -IllhAN. Secretary.
The foregoing rch IN ITS developments and calls Tor
comment. 81, tlIs hc whholds ior thc present. Rest
assured. -ir D. God spares my lie, TINS mat.r VIII not
rest here. 5.
oct. 20.