The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-16

ask him II this blll cOuid nave come w
tonight except on the motion OF the
gentleman from Ohio, | wish tC
ask another question. 1t is clear ma,
iority here to night are ready to vote fol
the proposition to increase salaries. The
thing which the minority asks is that
this vote shall be taken in daylight un'
der the eyes of the country,
Mr.. Garfield-I desire that what has
been said shall not be taken out OF my
time, If any gentleman in this. House
desires to intimate that / have done or
NAV do any more than my duty in call
ing the attention OF the House to the
public business, | am here to answer
him.
Mr.. E. II. Roberts-If any gentleman
assumes to put the threat on me, am
here to answer him. ! do intimate that
it is unusual to bring Il bill including
such proposition and vote at such an
hour.
Mr., Garfield insist on the floor, and
say this: gave notice this afternoon to
the House that | desired an evening
session for the sake OF bringing the Ma
val Appropriation and the Legislative
APPROPRIATION bills before the House,
after the one hour was devoted to the
bill of the gentleman from Massachu-
sets (Mr. Banks), Chairman of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Gentle
men came here with the understanding
that both these bills were in order. Tie
had before stated that he told members
this bill was not likely to come up, and
sent them away.l And, sir, il any gen
tleman has any responsibilities any
where relating to any OF these bills, let
him bear his share. l bear mine. |
rose, however, to say that l not only
regret that this proposition has been
brought here and now, but l regret that
it has been brought at all.
But despite all such efforts the treach'
erous work of the night was completed,
On the 28th of February, just before
midnight, the bill was reported to the
House from the Committee of the Whole,
when the permanent record of votes had
to be confronted. Here again Mr. Gar
field allowed the regular business to
progress, after obstructing opposition by
technical points of order, until the APP
pointed time for finishing the work.
DRIVING THE LAST NAIL.
This brief history OF the proceedings
in the House traces the course OF Mr..
Garfield from first to last, and fixes the
responsibility directly upon him. He
abuses his trust, and by an act of base
completely allowed Butler the oppor-
tunity to originate this outrage, And
when he could have dealt it a fatal blow
he sat still and passiyely gave the plum
derers their greatest help.
On the last day of the session Mr..
Garfield reported the result of the con-
ference, doubling the pay OF the Presi-
dent, and raising the pay OF members of
Congress from $4,000 to $500 retro
actively for two years, with long cata-
logue of augmented salaries, He made
labored and feeble speech intended to
palliate his unworthy conduct 1t was
the old story so often repeated, Of what
the Senate conferees had eXaCted, and
what the House had surrendered. Speak
ing of the salary, he said;
STILL MORE HYPOCRISY.
The Senate Conferees were unani-
nous in favor Of fixing the salary at
$500, and cutting off all allowances eX-
cept actual individual travelling eXpen-
ses of a member from his home to
Washington and back again once a ses-
sion, and cutting off all other allowances
of every kind. [Observe his effort to
show the sacrifice OF allowances" by
repeating it twice in a sentence,-ED.
That proposition was agreed to by a
majority of the conferees on the part
of the House. was opposed to the i'll
crease in conference, as | have been
opposed to it in the discussion and
in my vote here we have seen how
sincerely; but my associate conferees
were in favor of the Senate amendment,
and was compelled to choose between
signing the report and running the risk
of bringing on an extra session. |
have signed the report, and | present
it as it is, and ask the House to act on
it in accordance with their best judg-
ment.
This scarecrow of an extra session
deceived nobody. There was no more
danger of one than there is now. If Mr.
Garfield had resisted, even at that late
hour, in manly and decided way, in
stead of conniving as he did, the House
would have instantly receded, and the
Senate must have followed suit. He
knew that perfectly well when this
sham was invented to impose on the pub
lie. But if it actually involved an extra
session, was it not better to call one and
stamp out forever this disgraceful mode
of legislation, and put an end to such
plumber, than to protect both by an ac-
quiescence? The cost would have been
cheap for such an example.
A brief discussion was permitted, from
which some passages may be proftably
culled;
INTERESTING DISCUSSION.
Mr.. Hibbard-I desire to ask the gen.
tleman how much plumber will be taken
from the Treasury if this raising Of sala-
ries is adopted?
Mr.. Garfield am glad the gentle
man has asked me that question. The
report presented here, taking into ac-