The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-01-30

Iu6K OE0W ROOO9OOO ~ A4AAON6Oi
when thew Were only entitled to mile
age for one6 trip each way, or $175, 900.
In other words, they drew 40 cents for
each nEle travelled when it only cost
them w cents, making a clear profit of
% CENTS per mile"
We do not know as to the accuracy
OK these figures, but u information is
conclusive az to the important point
a Democratic Congress did vote them
selves the extra mileage, and it was a
very discreditable act"
The editorial which induced the
prominent gentleman to write to the
Messenger, appeared in The PROGRESS
sTvE FARMER about two weeks ago. 1t
was written nearly a year after the
law authorizing clerks was passed.
Since looking up the law again, we find
Just one error in our statement. Clerks
are allowed pay only during each ses-
sion of Congress. If the session lasts the
entire year they get 81, 200; if less than
a year 800 per month for the full
time, be that six or ten months. For
the benefit of the prominent gentle
man" who wrote to the Messenger, and
others who may be disposed to doubt,
we will reproduce the act itself. If
you don't think we r giving you
straight goods get a copy of the Con-
0ressionaI Record dated March 8, 1893,
and look on page 1926. By reading
that and following pages you will get
az the facts, the discussion, and the
vote.
The law itself is as follows:
Joint resolution (H. Res. 1867 author
izing members to certify monthly
the amount paid by them for clerk
hire, and directing the same to be
paid out of the contingent fund of
the House.
ResOLUed, etc., That on and after April
1, 1893, each member and delegate of
the House of Representatives, of the
United States may, on the first day of
every month during sessions of Con
gress certify to the Clerk of the House
of Representatives the amount which
he has paid or agreed to pay for clerk
hire necessarily employed by him in
the discharge Of his official and repre-
sentative duties during the previous
month, and the amount sc certified
shall be paid by the Clerk out of the
contingent fund of the House on the
fourth day of eachmonth to the person
or persons named in each ofsaid GER
UIicates sc fled: Provided, That the
SnIOunt so certified and paid for cleri-
Cal services rendered to each member
and delegate shall not exceed $1OO for
any month during the session: And
provided further, That the provisions
@e chic nonOlV1NT0n nhnfA not nnnlu RI
members who are chairmen of commit
tees entitled under th9 rules to clerk"
The vote by which the above was
passed stood, yeas 132, nays 81, not
voting 40. The vote was taken after
midnight, after quite a number of Con-
gressmen had left the hall. That prob
ably accounts for thelIghl vote. The
North Carolina members voted as fol
lows: Yeas, Bum, Grady, Williams.
Nays, Henderson, Branch. Not voting,
Alexander, Cheatham, Cowles, Craw-
ford.
The prominent gentleman" referred
to did exactly right in going to the
Messenger. If you see anything in THE
PROGRESSIVE FARMER that you don't
believe, investigate the matter. This
applies to all our readers. If you don't
believe a thing is correct, find out
about it and call us to account. If the
prominent gentleman" had only taken
a second thoughthe would have known
that we could not afford to publish a
fabrication. The PROGRESSIVE FARMER
goes to a number of Congressman in
Washington If we should misrepre-
sent a matter of that kind they would
correct it. The paper goes to hundreds
of editors and other well informed peo-
pie who would give half their lives to
find a gross misstatement in our col
umns. Remember we generally can
refer you to the book, chapttr and
verse in such matters. If the gentle
man who wrote to the Messenger will
send us his name and address we will
mail him a copy of our paper of March
%, 1898, containing the clerk hire bust
ness, which ought to be proof to him
that the party Organs" he reads have
been suppressing the truth in this as
we'll as other matters, for they can't
say that they didn't know it.
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