Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-06-30
THE SALARY GRAB,
Another Chapter in Gar1eld's Infa.
nous History.
THE INCEPTION OF THE JOB AND now IT
WAS WORKED THRoUGH-THE REPUB.
LICAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT
ONE OF ITS MOST PERSISTENT SUP
PORTFRs.

POhTfHb.
The story of the salary grab forms
one Of the most disreputable chapters
in all the disreputable history of Amer,
lcan politics, 1t was sympathetic,
well.considered, previously concocted
steal. 1t was an audacious attempt to
rob the Treasury. Members OF Con.
gress who had done nothing to signal.
ize their ervices-membcrs who were
never heard Of except as the aye and
noe vote was called members whose
principal business about the city was
mixing up with bad women, getting
systematically drunk and betting heav.
lily on poker were prompt upon their
feet when it was proposed to double
pay themselves for services they had
never half earned. The commonest
kind OF Representatives; the seediest
sort of Senator'S were in the scheme
There were some Democrats, as we
are sorry to say, active and earnest in
promoting the success off programme
that, in its best aspect, contemplated a
deliberate robbery of the Treasury.
Our Democratic friends, for the most
part, have since repented of their sins
become more or less ashamed of them.
selves, as it were covered their theits
back into the Treasury, done divers
and sundry things to make themselves
reasonably straight with an outraged
and insulted constituency. Not so,
however, with JAS. A. GARFIELD,
Of Ohio, the Christian disciple par er-
cellence, and, by phenomenal comb.
nation of circumstances, Republican
candidate for President of the United
States.
The story of this great shame is not
easily told, 1t is not a pleasant thing
to write. There were weak .kneed and
weak-conscienced Democrats in it,
men of whom better things had been
expected-but this doesn't exsuse Mr..
GARFIELD at ALL He was on the
winning political side at that time.
He was prominent representative Of
the great party OF reform. He was
looked upon as the embodiment Of
high moral ideas, that were born into
being with the CESSATION of the Repub-
lican party. 1t was thought of GAR.
FIELD, as robust representative of
Republican principles-coming from a
district Of Ohio where Democratic in
iquity never obtained even so much as
/ N fnotbnl1 tbat ha mould Iono,, Al
drafts of the party upon his reputed
craftsmanship; that in great crisis
Of virtue, so to speak, he would be
found true amongst the true, steadfast
among the steadiast, honorable where
few were honorable, honest where
honesty had become an exception.
In this great emergency, however,
when the thieves massed themselves
for raid upon the Treasury, Mr..
GARFIELD was found wanting. His
Puritanic morality succumbed in view
of double pay. 1t was terrible temp
tation. If there were less prominent
statesmen who yielded to the seduc.
tive influence OF enlarged drafts on the
paymaster, it was at least expected
that JIM GARFIELD, the exponent
of all that was true and noble and
honest in the Republican party, would
on this occasion cloak himself with
double mail and call to his aid all the
sturdy sincerity of character that is
supposed TO be evolved from the fault.
less atmosphere of CHyahoga.
II was at this critical moment, how.
ever, that the fortitude of Mr.. GAR
FIELD broke down, and there is no
man more shamelessly audacious in
the whole history of the salary steal
no man who went about the fraud
with more unblushing selfpossesson
than the distinguished Representative
from Ohio, who now asks the votes OF
the people for the highest Office in
their gift
II was in December, 1872. Schuy-
Ter Coliax, who at that time, had re.
ceived no checks for his services TO the
Credit Mobilier ring, but who was
supposedly waiting for something of
the kind, sat in the Speakers chair.
1t was in the worst stages then OF the
worst administration that the country
had ever experienced Dissipation,
recklessness and habitual immortality
prevailed everywhere. With the ex.
ception Of Sumner of Bayard, of
Trumbull, Of Frank Blair and Jim
Nye, in the Senate, and of Slocum,
Randall, Niblack, Wells, of Missouri,
and Mitchell, of Wisconsin, in the
House, there were few men in Con.
gress who were not ''on the make.' 1t
was doubtless the most infamous Con.
gress that ever sat in Washington.
The gems that shone conspicuously in
the Senate were Patterson, of New
Hampshire Simon Cameron, of Penn
sylvania; Pool, Of North Carolina
Spencer, Of Alabama; Ames, Of Missis.
sippi; Brownlow, of Tennessee Clay
ton, Of Arkansas Harlan, Of Iowa
Pomeroy, Of Kansas.
1t was season peculiarly ft for
strategems and spois, and our noble
friend from Ohio, blatant with relig.
ious profession and oficiously promi.
nent in affectation Of high type of
virtuous living, came promptly tc the
front as leader and advocate of the
greatest grand larceny that was ever
perpetrated on the Government.
On the I'd of December, 1872, Mr..
GARFIELD, present Republican can
didatc for President, reported from the
Committee on Appropriations a bill
making appropriations for legislative,
judicial and executive expenses, which
was referred TO tho Committee OF the
Whole House and made a special or.
der for December IL, and from day to
day until disposed of
On the 3lst OF January, 1873, the
Legislative bill was returned by the
Senate to the House with sundry
amendments, in which concurrence
was asked. Mr.. GARFIELD moved
that said amendments be numbered,
printed and referred TO tho Committee
on Appropriations. Agreed TO.
On the 7th Of February, the heat of
the proposed steal being still on, Mr..
Butler, the model reiormer of Massa.
chusetts, otherwise known as the Es.
sex statesman, reported from the Com
mittee on Judiciary, by unanimous
consent, bill TO adjust the salaries Of
the executive, judicial and Legislative
departments ofthe Government. Fol.
lowing is the bill in full