New-York tribune., 1890-01-03
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
CONGRESSMEN'S SALARIES.
WHY THE MEMBERS SHOULD NOT BE MADE To


WHY THE MEMBERS SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO
SUFFER- BECAUSE OF sILooTT's RAscALITY
70 the Edffor Of The Trfou"e.
Sir: As one OF the "impecunous congressman
have read with considerable suppressed WRATH .no
editorial in "The New-fork world Oh Dece'noe -
IN regard TO the salaries OF members OF the House.
surely even a Member Of Congress must have some
rights that other people are bound to respect ana
among those rights IL does not seem extaVagano "
include his right TO receive the not very eAorp'.an'
compensation allowed by law. In the nrst place II
unworthy OF any American newspaper 10 oeciare 'a'
the traditional Congressman" Is Inclined 10 Rrao 'o
public money and in the second place II Is not true
The notorious fact Is that members Of the House OF
Representatives are inclined to timdity In providing
themselves with the emouments and comforts requisite
for the rendering Of the best service TO the pubhc.
A comparison Of the pay, style of living FURNISHING
OF the House Of Representatives with the same con-
ditions appertainng to men Of similar prominence III
private and professional life Will instantly demonstrate
this.
But in the special case Of the sicott steal The
World is shockingly out Of Joint. Congressman have
not played and jockeyed with Treasury funds"
never had dealing with the Treasury except in the
legitimate line of drawing my legal pay and mileage
and no other dealing with the sergeantat-Arms.
never had any illegal favors in the form Of discounts
and the trouble 1 in to-day comes OF letting the
Government keep my salary for several months wtl-
out interest because thought that If leaving 1t with
the United States brought no profit, had at leaS'
the advantage OF being perfectly safe
T can't imagine what The Worlds writer was
thinking about when he arragned all the members OF
the House for having. seen the keepers OF oheir
treasure gamble at hoTseraces,' etc. That Is not
only untrue but It is silly. never saw any Oh those
people gamble anywhere, and was not uhder any
obligation to 60 where gambling is carried on to see H.
9th IL.
other things that did not like, we had nothing
10 do with the selection Of those people and no power
to control or interfere with Them The majority
selected the officers Of the House, including the ooi
peant-at-Arms whose cashier stole the public money
intended for salaries, and the Speaker who approved
bond so wored that the liability ceased last MARCH, Ill
stead of recurring good bond, as specifically de-
manded by Che rules Is it not just little steep ior
a Democratic newspaper in the face OF the facts,
10 denounce those Of who opposed the election OF
that sergesntatArns and that Speaker and VINO nave
had no control whatever during the past six years III
the Housei
The statement that the loss is the result of their
(our) own msmanagement' is not true In any sense
As a matter of fact the safeguards provided by the
rules for the disbursement Of the members salaries
were as complete as any that exist in regard to any
disbursing officer of the Treasury today IL the
Speaker had obeyed the explicit requirement OF the
rules and obtained bond for $4,000 WIN goou
ntrnsted to the Sergeantat-Arms during his term OF
Office the Government would have had as ful pro
lection as it has for any disbursement. ,,.,, &,
The last proposition In The Worlds editorial Is
not based upon law, equity or GOOD morals. Inc :
and the writer probably did not know what he meant
when lie used the words "pay warrants III that con
necton. ] left my salary for several months nn-
drawn, because wanted to use it later 10 pay my
expenses at the Capital NO dollar OF IL Was e.Sr s
naid TO me- hut the money was paid out OF the
Treasury in accordance with a system ana usage Oh
than thirty years that had eStaDshea tne etst AZ
Arms as merely the authorization OF transfer OF ue
MONEY from the Treasury to the dis6urslne oicer Oh
the House. who under bonds OF So0OOO 10 pay
II ont TO tle members having right to it, by obtain
ing the proper receipts from them for every dolaT
Of cash. Instead OF 1t being our iau1 tnsI Sc1e ~
had the money long enough to steal' the fact Is te
Treasury paid him the money he stole on the 2Ith,
Goth and 3Oth of November, while members haa no
really decamped with the money before Congressmen
could have claimed it, for 1t was the salary uue
December 4 that he stole: - - A.. ..o.
But behind all technicallties there are the facts
that ongrcssmen entitled TO compensation that
they simply took the only course by wnch uleS
could collect viz: by signing te regular sah anu az
the agency established by the rules and recognized
over and over again by law; and there Is no more
Of funds proved thief than there would be III ne-
priyng Secretary Window and all the employees OF tne
Treasury Department OF their months pay ae 1ecause
with the funds he obtains from the treasurer Oy
presenting the monthly pay roll 10 when lie nad
secured every signature many days III ADVANCE as Is
The simple fact is that the members Of Congress
had not been paid their salaries and there can DC
nothing in the nature OF back pay grab III prOVld-
ing that they shall receive simply tie compensation
to which the law entities them. Any other course
would be deprving them OF tner pay "i,9ut S INV ec
would be neither more nor less tIan a roDIItePy ol
members Of Congress ONE OF THE MEMBERS.
Boston, Dec. "a, 1889.