The Washington herald., 1917-01-17
"To Him That Hath. /"

Just how the Senate committee
can consistently ignore the justice of
the plea OF the government employees
for higher salaries is hard to figure
out. yet it has actually cut from the
appropriation bill the 5 and 10 per
cent increases which were included
by the House OF Representatives
though the latter House is made up
of the direct representatives of the
people.
The Constitution OF the United
States says that "All bills for rais-
ing revenue must originate in the
House Of Representatives" Literal
ly this means that in the matter of
taxing the people of the country the
Lower House must direct the method
of obtaining revenue. But when the
Constitution was adopted, who can
doubt but what this clause was in7
serted for the purpose OF placing the
expenditure and collection of all pub
lie moneys up to the people.
But the country is today facing a
deficit of 100000. 900 and despite the
fact that the House has sanctioned
the raising of salaries OF the govern
ment employees, although it was
aware of the deficit at the time, the
members of the Senate committee
disregard the peoples plea and oblit-
crate the increases in the name of
economy.
Why should this economy be first
practiced on the livelihood of those
who are barely getting living wage
We are told in countless reports
both official and unofficial that the
country is at present enjoying a
prosperity never before attained.
Why can't the members of the legis-
lative bodies devise some plan to
make this prosperity make up the
deficit in their zeal to institute
economy.
Many of the employees of this gov
ernment of the richest, and most
prosperous nation in the world, are
in actual poverty. Does Congress
know what this means? A play
which is showing at one of the local
theaters pictures graphically the run
ming mates of poverty. Their names
are Degradation" "Delusion," "Des-
pair" and "Crime" Is that the sort
of quartet with whom the employees
of our government should associate?
That is what threatens some of
them.
When the movement to increase
the workers salaries was first inau-
gurated by The Herald and was be-
ing debated in the House, fifty-hve
Senator'S pledged themselves to sup
port the movement when it should
reach the Senate. Twenty-seven of
these members were Republicans and
twenty-eight Democrats. The Her
aid withholds their names but they
are matter of record. Just what
did those Senators mean when they
agreed to support the movement?
Are they supporting it by standing
idly by and seeing these raises wiped
out or deleted? We say that they
are not.
They follow like sheep along with
those who lead by the force of il
logical reasoning that there is a de-
felt. The deficit must be met, there
fore they deprive those whose sal
aries form the lowest figure paid by
the government, while those who
hold the higher positions and who
directly benefit from the prosperity
of the country are spared.
"To him that hath" is truly
spoken when it applies to the action
of our Congress should it practice
the false economy of depriving the
lower paid employees of the govern
ment the slight betterment of condi-
tions made possible by the House of
ReDreSeOtatives