The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-17
U. S. TREASURY RECEIPTS.

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Saturday, March H.. 1,726,QtQ.S0
Monday, March IA. ....... 2,1SS, 26S.49
women and II children trailed along at his
heels. 1t is true that all were clean, and
o, the apathy Of the faces of the women!
The hopeless vacuity which stared at you
from eyes which il they had ever been
windows to sour' had so long been left
wide open to the storms of q grinding,
poverty-stricken, life that even the hint of
a souls tenancy had long since Fed.
And the children! Poor little beggars,
thin and scrawny, and scrofulous, sore
eyed, lame, half-witted, blind! Not one of
them that could face the world with a full
complement of Godgiven faculties,
Cheated Of feature by assembling ma
ture,
Deformed, unfinished, sent before their
time
Into the breathing world, scarce half
made up
what can be expected OF them when they
arrive at years Of accountability? Or ra-
Their when they reach that time when men
and women are held accountable? One Of
this mans wives was an Indian, one
were American born. Not one Of them
could read of write. Not one of them had
ever seen the American Flag, and they
could not comprehend its significance
when showed it to them. II ignorance is
bliss, surely these people ought to have
been the happiest on earth. They had
not an idea above something to eat, clothes
to hide their nakedness, and knew just
enough of figures to count at night the
heads that lay in rows on the pallets on
the dirt floors Of their adobe homes, SO
as to make sure that the children were all
in. Here, indeed, might the President
revel in the thought that as long as men
and women like this live, no race suicide
will tend toward depopulation Of the earth.
Will New Mexico and Arizona come into
the Union with these plague-spots?
The question as to whether salaries of
public officials in Washington shall be in
creased is now attracting much attention
among parties interested, and has become
the subject Of wide discussion through the
public press. Bills were introduced in
both Houses early in the session providing
for raising salaries of Senators and Rep
resentatives. A few days since Senator
Gallinger introduced bill which goes still
further, raising the salary of the Presi-
dent from $4,000 to $4,000 per annum,
OF members OF the Cabinet from $1,000
to $4,000. and Of Senators and Repre-
sentatives from 5000 to $1,000.
The experience Of the last serious at
tempt to increase the pay Of Congressman
will be quoted as not encouraging to any
further movement in that direction. In
vestigaticn shows that on four different
occa sions since the Government was or
ganiZed Congressional salaries have been
increased without serious objection, and
that in each case the measure was made
retroactive for periods varying from three
to 10 months. But in 1873, when the
Salary Grab Bill was passed, March 3,
and made retroactive for the entire two
years OF the Congressional term then clos
ing, such fury OF resentment was raised
throughout the country that the law was
promptly repealed and any Of those who
accepted the back pay were permanently
relegated to private life by their angry CON
stituents.
The measure now proposed avoids this
objection by taking effect after the close
of the present Congress, March 4. 1906
1t Is claimed that the action of 1873 would
have been sustained by the people but for
this back pay feature, which 10 now
avoided.
1t is argued by those who advocate the
increase that under present conditions the
high places Of the Government are get
ting to be more and more the exclusive
preprogatiye Of rich men. It is said that
Secretary Root, who recently retired from
the Cabinet, spent $4,000 a year in ex-
cess of his salary, and nobody accused
him OF undue ostentation or extravaganza
Ihe Senate has got to be known as the
"millionaires' club" because no poor man
can accept seat therein without suffer-
ing more or less modification by reason of
his inability to maintain a style which is
thought to c0mport with the dignity of the
position. No Senator or Congressman of
moderate means thinks of bringing his
ton is VIGOROUSLY inadequate to the ex-
penses OF their maintenance here.
1t is claimed that salaries paid BY the
Government are unreasonably low in CON-
parison with compensation given to men
holding positions OF corresponding respon-
sibiiity with railroad companies, life
insurance companies and other business or
financial enterprises Of great magnitude.
ment has long since oyershadowed that Of
all private institutions, or even that of any
other Government in the world.
Public sentiment will. OF course. be
thoroughly tested by Congress before It
will venture to enact so radical a pro-
vision. What that public sentiment is.
Senators and members will soon begin to
ascertain through the newspapers and let
tiers from their constituents. A partial
preliminary test of popular opinion was
made by the "Sentry Box" bureau OF in
formation, disinterested authority in this
city, with the result that OF large num-
Der OF newspapers and individuals indis-
criminately sounded, over 80 per cent.
were recorded in favor of the schedule en-
bodied in Senator Gallinger's bill, and less
than 70 per cent. went on record against
it. All the arguments pro and con will
undoubtedly receive a thorough airing
while the proposition il under discussion
Speaker Cannon and his red carnation
appeared briefly in the back part OF the
Senate Chamber the other day, which 10 a
matter for mention. trivial as it may
seem. Speakers Of the House and Presi-
dents of the Senate very seldom visit each
the other House OF Congress. There is no
reason why they should not. but they inst
don't. Mr.. Cannon evidently does not In
tend to pay any more attention to this
fusty old custom than he does to a lot OF
others.
Up in Grand Rapids, Mich, there is a
Democratic club. That club looks on Gen.
Nolcou A Msloc lind - o4ro,,