Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-30
GarfieId's Record on the Salary Grab.

y
Gen. Garfield was chairman of the committee
on appropriations when the salary grab was
favorably reported, voted for the grab in COM
mittee, reported the measure favoraby and
voted for it again on the floor of the house.
No man occupied a position where he could have
defeated the iniqmty except Garfield, and he
worked and voted for the steal.-Demoor
paper. tU E 49, a &
This is one of the misrepresentation
concerning Garfield with which the Dem
ocratic papers have been filled ever since
his nomination. The facts are, in brief,
these: He opposed the back pay prop
osltlon III all it's forms, both in commit
tee and in the house; and when it came
up tackled to an appropriation bill upon
which the two houses disagreed, and
upon which there was committee of
conference appointed, of which Garfield
was the chairman of the house portion,
he signed the conference report under
protest, and reported the matter to the
house, March Sd, 1868, in this language:
[ wish to state in a few words the condition of
that [salaries-increase] question in the confer
ence. The senate conference were unanimous
in favor of fixing the salary at 81, 800, and cut
ting Off all allowance except actual individual
travelling expenses of member from ois home
to Washington and back again once q session.
The proposition was agreed to by majority of
the cOnferees on the part of the house.
acds opposed to the increase in the conference as
1 haze been opposed to ii IN the discussion and
an nay UoteS here; but my associate conferees
were In favor of the senate amendment, and I
was compelled to choose between signing the
report and running the risk of bringing on an
extra session OF congress. l have signed the
report, and 1 prase 1t it as it is, and ask the
house to act on it in accordance with it's best
Judgment.
Mr.. Hubbard, of New Hampshire said de-
sire to ask the gentleman how much plumber
will be taken out of the treasury if this raising
of salaries is adopted?
Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio-I am glad the gentle
man has asked me that question. The report
presented here, taking into account the changes
made with reference to salaries of members and
officers of both houses, will involve an annual
increase of expenditure of about three-quarters
of million dollars.
Mr.. Hibbard--How much for the present con-
gIess?
Mr.. Garfeld-For the present congress it in
wolves an additional expenditure of about one
and quarter millions. / think the house ought
to know all the facts.
Thus, instead of favoring the steal, he
opposed it all through, and only signed
the conference committees report in it's
favor in the last hours of the session to
save the Legislative, executive and iudic-
ial appropriation bill to which it WIS
tackled, and then stated the case plainly
to the house-his opposition TO the
measure from first to last, and how much
it would cost the country But this was
not all. A list of those members who
turned the money over to the treasury,
published within two months after the
passageof the bill, contains the name of
James A. Garfield Thus he not only
opposed the measure all through, aban-
doning active opposition only when it
appeared that such opposition might re-
suit in producing the undesirable and
expensive necessity of a special session
of congress, but he refused to take the
a law. 1t is safe to predict, however,
that not one of the papers that have pub
hshed the charge against Gar
field that he favored and took
back pay will publish the facts
in the case. They go upon the
principle that ga lie well stuck to is as
good as the truth" Meantime they
seem to be wholly oblivious of the fact
chat the thing which they falsely allege
against Garfield, and for which they de-
nounce him, is true of large number of
prominent Democrats-men whom they
commend to the favor of the people as
reformers," and worthy of the highest
offices. Among those who voted for the
salary grab are Randall, the Democratic
speaker of the house and aspirant for
the Democratic presidential nomination,
Trumbull, Democratic candidate for
governor of Illinois, and Voorhees,, the
loudest screecher for "reform,' and who
has spent $4,000 on an investigation of
the negro exodus.