Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-23


Mr.. Editor! Much is being said just now
concerning the so-called "salary grab" and
great stress seems to be laid upon the fact OF
Gen. GarGeld's connection with the measure,
! by Democratic sheets. Indeed, the Demo-
cratic papers have ever referred TO this act of
| Congress as the great salary steal" would
| like to say a few words about the matter, as |
am able to do so advisedly l was in Wash
ington when this bill was passed by Congress,
and was knowing to all the steps taken re-
gardng it,
At the outset permit me to say that Gen.
Garfield was in no wise the author of the bill
in question, though your well-meaning neigh
Dor would evidently wish to have his patrons
understand to the contrary. Nor, again, was
| IL in any sense of the word STEAL The
| public are too easily influenced by the shallow
articles of demagogues, and there were many
men out of Congress who wished strongly to
have seats there, and they Mt once made a
lever of this act, with which to create q pub
lie cutlery against the supporters Of this salary
bill, in order to have them ousted from their
places, that, perchance, they might secure
them for themselves. How frequently their
selfish plans were successful, you well know.
Many worthy and honest men were recalled
to private life, and their places in Congress
were in very many cases filed by even less
than third-rate politicians, on account of this
salary bill
Geni Butler, who is in all respects a shrewd
business man as well rs a learned lawyer saw
that, in the matter of Congressional pay, there
was great injustice in the item of mileage.
For instance, the members from the Pacific
coast and the distant western and southern
states were receiving by way Of mileage, in
addition to their salaries, much greater pay
fre Nlu.,
States and from such States as were adjacent
to the District OF Columbia. In order to rem
edy this disparity in reward for equal services,
he proposed TO equalize the pay Of members
by making an average. He computed the
pay Of EACH with the mileage Of each and
from the total he found the sum, as proposed
by the said bill, would be Just recompense
for ALL rejecting all mileage and making an
increase for some and a reduction for others,
but taking the same sum of money from the
treasury as before. Hence the claim of the
bill being robbery from the people was, as
l have said, the selfish cutlery of unscrupu-
lous demagogues and that for purposes of
their own, and not at all for the welfare Of
the government.
Whatever may have been the merits or de-
merits Of the bill, Gen. Garfield was from the
first opposed TO it. The two houses could not
agree, aud a committee of conference was
called for, and Gen. Garfield was made chair
man of the conferees on the part of the lower
house. In that committee he opposed the
bill; but when it was agreed upon, he, as
chairman of the committee was looked to
to report it to his house. In all this he was
free from any blame, though it is counted
against Gen. Garfield, because he reported
this bill to his house. He could not do other
wise, whatever may have been his feeling as
to the bill itself. (See Jeferson's Manual
sec. ~
have known Gen. Garfield well for seve-
raj years, and, so far rs l am able to Judge of
him. he is in all respects a high -toned Chris
tian gentleman. SO much superior is he to
the authors of all the petty and malicious H.
bells which are going the rounds OF the Dem
ocratic press, that they cannot reach him nor
tarnish his most brilliant record as a citizen,
soldier and statesman. NISDEx