Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-07-22


1t has been variously claimed by Mr..
Garfield's friends that he was "the first
to cover his back pay into the Treasu-
ry," that he was 1.-THE fourth" 1.-The
sixth" )" and "among the EARLIEST" and,
also, that "from motives of delicacy to
others who has not followed his exam
pie, he refused to permit his friends to
publish the fact Until some weeks af-
ter.n In a speech delivered by Mr..
Garfield at Warren, Ohio, in 1874, he
endeavored to give the impression that
he had been the first to refund, with
out making himself responsible for the
assertion. He said to his cOnstitu-
ents:
II do not myself parade the fact. but more
than year ago the New York World publish
ed list, STATING in chronological order the
Senators and Representatives who covered
their back pay into the Treasury. MY NAME
WAS FIRST ON THE LIST"
A few weeks ago gentleman Of Iowa
sought information of the Treasury De-
partment in regard to the exact date
of Mr.. Garfield's act of conscience.
He received from Assistant Treas
urer Upton the following reply, which
has been PUBLISHED in many newspa-
pers:
'TRE AsrRY DEPARTMENT,
sOFFIcE OF THE SECRETARY,}
.'WAsHISGToN, June %, 1880.
"H. DUsEY, ESQ.,, East DE Moiues, Iowa:
.'SIR: In reply to your letter of the 18th inst,
asking to be informed on what date the Hon.
jas A. Garfield paid into the Treasury his
back pay, aud how the Treasury bo ks chow
this transaction, have to inform you that 1t
app 'ars from the records of this office that the
sum of 81 54S was de posted to the credit OF the
Treasurer Of the United States in the name oil
Jas. A. Garfield on account OF retroactive in
crease of salary on the 22d OF April, 1913, and
that this amount was covered into the Treas
ury by miscellaneous covering warrant No 1O4,
second quarter, 1873 and cannot be withdrawn
except by act OF Congress. Very respectfully,
j. X. UPsON. Assistant Treasurer"
The Forty-secOnd Congress came to
an end March A, 1873, voting itself in
its last hours nearly two million dol
science operated i'm April-on the 22d
day of April, according to most of the
printed versions of Mr. Upton's letter
to Mr.. Dusey, or on the I'd of April, If
the New York Tribune accurately
prints that letter. We have not seen
the original Of the Upton letter. Let
us assume tl.at the date was April 2,
instead of April %.
During the four weeks between the
date on which Mr.. Garfield came into
possession of his S4 ,54S and April 2, the
earliest day alleged to be the date Of his
refunding that sum, the country had
become thoroughly awake as to the in
famous character of the salary grab.
Never did disgraceful act bring speed
ier retribution upon its perpetrators.
In twenty-fOur hours after the Forty
second Congress had adjourned the
whole country knew what had been
done, and was boiling with indigna-
ton. Meetings were held, resolutions
were passed, guilty Congressman were
by their own constituents
and i'm the organs Of their on parties. |
Then the members who had p0cketed |
the money began to straggle to the
Treasury Department, some Of them in |
advance of the storm, some of them un-
der stress of weather. To the latter class
James A. Garfield belOnge.
On March 26, 1873, regular Repub-
Iican convention for Trumbull county,
in his district, was held at Warren.
The purpose of the convention was to
nominate a candidate for a member of
a State Constitutional Convention. AL
though the Republicans of Trumbull
county had not assembled to look after
their Congressman, the public indigna-
ion over the salary grab was SO in
tense that they adopted resolution
Mr.. Garfield for voting for
hat measure, and requesting him to
.esign.
In order that the state of feeling
among Mr.. Garfeld's constituents may
De clearly understood, we reproduce
rom the Cleveland Leader, Republic
IAN newspaper always friendly to Mr..
an editorial article comment
ng at that time upon the action of the
w Varren convention:
..At the Republican County Convention held
t Warren on "Wednesday, March 70, Tor the {
purpose of nominating u member OF the Con-
Convention. aresolution was passed
ems uring Gen. Garfield for voting for the bill [
mere EASING Congressional salaries, and request
ny him to resign forthwith. This Is plain Ian
uage, and AS THE RESOLUTION RECEIVED BUT '
wo DISSENTING VOTES, 1t may he accepted as
epresenting the ruling sentiment that pre-
ails in the most pOpulOus and important
uunty in Gen. Garfield's district
This. therefore, is the verdict OF the people ;
pom the salary grab, a measure which In it
Elf was without Justification, and which has
1T stain upon the good name OF its perpe- !;
-ators which they can never outgrow. Such
Gen. Garfield's friends were disposed to q
efend his vote for the retroactive clause OF g
ne Salary bill, on the ground that, as Chair
ian of the Appropriations Committee, he 1
as responsible for the General Aappra- n
on bill, HAVE BEEN sILENCED By MS sUBsE-
UENT FAILURE TO APPEAR AMONG THE vIRTU-
Us FEW WHO HAVE REFUSED THE BACK PAY n
HUs SECURED. !.
Had he, like Messrs. Monroe and Upson, ]
burned it and remanded It to the Treas ury =
such a way as to bar all claim upon IL, his
,tion in supporting the bill would have been 1
far atoned as to have spared him the
resent reproof from his constituents. How
will treat this summary demand to vacate
Is seat remains tO he SEEN" o
After retaining possession Of the {
.oney for a month; after his neigh 4
prs. Congressman Monroe and Upson, =
ad returned their back pay; after II
invention of his own Republican con- e.
ituents had angrily demanded his Il
signation; after all the events OF a,
arch, 1878, Mr.. Garfield i'm April COW y !.
ed his S4 ,54S into the Treasury. He u
crificed the money and saved his fc
at. Yet i'm his speech at Warren, a o.
EAR later, he had the audacious hy- 3
,criscy to pretend that he was the - =,
st Congressman to see the impropri-
Y of keeping the stolen cash, and the r,
st to restore it to its owners, the peo- m