Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-12-16
Who Made the Taxes.

claims OF the republican party
may be of some intetest as well
as surprise to some of our rea-
dcrs.
The war burdened the coun-
try with an enormous public
debt and a grievous system of
Taxation. These matters de-
manded at the hands of faithful
representatives in congress a
rigid and effective system ofre-
form and retrenchment in the
public expenditures. With this
immense debt overhanging us
and a burden of taxation that it
was almost impossible to pay,
the republican party having the
executive, and control of both
houses of congress, on the 3rd
of March, 1873, the act common
Ily known as the SALARY grab"
was passed, the same being re-
ported By Gen. Garfield, then
chairman of the committee on
appropriations. BY this meas
ure the salary Of the president
was increased from $25, 900 to
$4,000 per annum, cabinet of
ticers to $4,000 a year, chief
justice of the supreme court to
$lO,500 and the nine associate
JUICES to $4,000 IA year each;
the salary of the speaker of the
house ofrepresertatives to So
600, and that of each senator
and member Of the house to 81
500, upon the 81 day of March,
1873, when congress was just
expiring, the members of which
had already served their two
years, at fixed salary Of So, 900
a year. This act was made re-
troactive, and gaveto each mem
ber of congress $1,000 extra for
the two years just served in adj
dition to the $1,000 stated sala-
l,y. The unjust and hnwar'rant-
ed measure was enacted when
the nation was groaliing under
an already enormous burden.
The amount of this salary grab
can be summed up as follows:
So, 900 additional to 366 members
of congress. y III SI,930O00
Addition 10 the presidents sal
cry. $4,000 |
to the Judges of the
supreme court. $4,000 |
Addition to cabinet officers. 14,0O0 |
Making total increase of these
salaries Of s., ,ss7, 500
Besides this the salaries of
all the employees Of the house
and senate were increased, so
as to aggregate $4,000. So
that the increase in salaries
made i'll '71-73 amounted in
round numbers to $2,0O0.000.
The compensation of the sem
ltors and representatives in
was formerly fixed at
sS per day and mileage. In
1857 it was made $4,000 year
md mileage. In 1866, both
louses and the executive being
'epubiican, he compensation OF
senator's and members was in
to $1,000 a year and
mileage. In 1873 the compen-
iatioa was raised to ", 800 a
rear and mileage, but in 1874 ,
t was restored to $1,000, but
,nly done SO to appease the (
lowl of their tax ridden con-
For many years the {
ialary of the judges of the SUI |
,renne court was 81, 500 and the /
,hief justice $4,000 per year. t
N '67 this was increased to $6,- {
100 and Sc, 800. y In III to $S,- I
400 and $500 and at the same |
ime nine circuit judgcships &
we're created at a salary Of &c. {
100 each, aggregating $1,000. y
rhe salary of the president was t
increased to $4,000 per year, c
ust at the expiration of Grants |
irst term, giving him the benefit b
# the increase on both terms OF /
200, 900 in all. In the mean il
While the expenses Of the exec c
tive mansion under republican
nle from mere nominal sum
un up to $75, 900 II year and one
ear of Grants administration
hey reached $4,000. This is 4
epablican economy with a ven- v
,ence. The presidential Office il
osts the country $4,000 al S
ear. This together with the e
lrge donations and subsidies O
eceiyed by the president from e
7eaIthy parties and corpora {
ions made the presidential chair n
d a financial point of view, an V
nviable one. 9 Not only have v
he expenses of our government r
'een greatly enlarged under re- a
,ublican rule, but what is still q
sorse the pure and elevated Il
caring and patriotism that has Il
surrounded the execu- r
i've chair, has given away to r
reed, fraud, vice and violence. c
The above is but one Of the t
many expensive luxuries of a re- II
ablican administration. n
Dress according to your busi- Il
ess; but so far as csrcumstan- Q
tances will permit, with neat y