Evening journal., 1914-10-08
New News Of Yesterday
An Incident of the Fill
more Administration
BY Holland.

When David b. Hill was elected
United States Senator from New York
he was Governor of the State and his
term had nearly year to run. Gov
ernor HIPS friends knew that he was
not solicitous to become United States
Senator, preferring to remain in the
executive control Of New York State
for another term But the exigencies
of politics compelled him to accept the
nomination for the Senate.
Governor Hill did not resign the
governorship Immediately. His term
as United States Senator began March
4. succeeding his election in January.
I He was therefore entitled to his sal
airy as Senator, and as he had not Civ
en- up the office of governor, he was
receiving the salary appertainng to
that office This caused a good deal
Of criticism. and some were bold
enough to infer that Governor Hill
intended to pocket both his salary as
governor and his salary as United
States Senator
As was customary with him, he did
not reply to these criticisms. But at
the expiration of his term as governor
he took his seat in the United States
senate. Immediately he inquired of
the Sergeant-at-Arms to learn in what
shape his accumulated salary as SEN
, ator was to be found. The Sergeant
at-Arms told him what the sum-ap-
proXimately four thousand dollars
was. Thereupon Senator Hill asked
what was the method of returning
money to the Federal Treasury.
He was told that all he had to dc
was to cover the entire amount of the
salary into the Treasury Department
and that he would receive a receipt
acknowledging the return of the
money. In a few days, he covered his
salary into the Treasury.
In speaking to a friend of this ac-
tion, Senator Hill said that he had
been told that his was the first in
stance in which any one who received
a salary from the government hat
covered the salary into the Treas
ury since the early seventies. wher
many of the Senators and Represents
tives covered the back pay or the diff
ference between $4,000 and $4,000
which was the increased salary vote,
by Congress, the law TO go into effec
retro-activity. In other words, th'
members were to receive not Onll
the $4,000. but the proportionate par
OF the $4,000
Public criticism of this action wa
so emphatic and widespread tha
many of the members refused tn
back pay and returned it TO thu
Treasury.
Senator Hill was told that ther
was an earlier instance of an office
OF the government covering a larg
amount of money into the Treasury
He narrated the aneodote to an init
mate friend substantially in thes
words:
"When Millard Fillmore was Presi
dent he appointed a personal friend O
the name of Broughton Harris sec
retary Of the newly organized Terri
tory of Utah After Harris was con
firmed by the Senate a large sum q
money was given to him TO take to tn
Territory for the account of the Uni
ted States government.
Harris reached Utah in safe
ty. although he had man
difficulties to overcome and wa
several times In serious danger
After he reached Utah, ne found him
self speedily in controversy wit
Brigham Young, who insisted that tn
money should be turned over TO Lin
Harris refused to part with IN
money, and at last made up his min
that not only the wisest but the sal
est course for him TO pursue was I
turn his back upon Utah and make nj
way as speedily as possible 10 Wash
ngton, retaining possession of IN
money.
After a tiresome journey that last
ca three or four months. he arrive
IN Washington and as soon as the d,
partment was opened on the day al
| ter his arrival he covered the entir
| sum. which had been given 10 hin
back into the Treasury. Presider