Year: 1873

:
pander to IL, but that he might go
before the people and raise them to sentimental
the necessity and propriety OF The measure. ke-
curing TO the consideration OF the Increased Salary
bi Mr.. stephens said that he WAS very glad 70 say
that was a measure for which neither political
party was responsible. His opinion was that the
democracy in the proportion OF their votes Ia
congress were quite as responslule as ine rep@pi-
mainl had admitted yesterday that under the con-
stituton every Congress had right to IL Its own
beginning OF the government. 1t had ire
quently increased that compensation, ana
retroactive. Worthy men mad done this in the last
century and IN the early part OF the present GEN.
tury The brightest ornaments Ia American MIS-
tory had subjected themselves to be denounced as
salary grabbers and thieves. The first great thing
TO be learned in this lie, as taught IN the schools
OF ancient Greece was to discriminate between
that which the multitude thought was right and
that which was right III itself. II there were any
thing wrong, any thing immoral anything dishon-
est anything which would reflect disgrace on a
mans memory for making that legal appropriation
he wanted 10 know where 1t was. II It was wrong
We're men TO find rule OF right and wrong His re-
marks on tns subject did not apply to himself but
ne was citizen OF the country, and he felt deep
interest In the dignity and character or Congress.
He claimed that when Congress passed the retro
active law OF last session 1t had constitutional
right 10 do so. He was not saying whether 1t was
expedient or not. but no blush should rest on the
cheek OF any man. Whether he voted for 1t or not,
he sn0uld have let tnat he justly entitled to
II as he was to receive 81 q day. IL was a c0nst-
tutional law, constituti0nally passed, and those
VINO were entitled to pay under II were as much
entitled to the whole Of as they were TO any dime
received under II. Ifany thought 1t was too much
and returned It he lMr. Stephens) would not cast
a slur upon him for doing so. He mad discussed
the moral view Of the question, and he would now
proceed to discuss it as to lJs poltical aspect He
as Representative, but ii he were to state what he
thought the services OF Representative
ought =. to be worth it would go lar
passed. A Representative OF the people ought TO
be man OF tnat mental calibre that information,
that education. that virtue, that trustwortniness
and all those qualities which command the highest
remuneration He had given II as his opinion IN
the last speech he made in the House, IA years ago,
that II the salaries oil members OF Congress were
$4,000 OF Senators $4,000, OF the tnle Justice OF
the supreme Court $50,oO0 OF the Associate Judges
better lor the country az large. lie held the same
opinion still, lie certainly should not vote for the
bin reported by the committee but he believed
that the most unWise action oi the last Congress
was the abolition OF the ranking privilege


Mr.. GARFIELD, rep, OF ONO, replied 10 Mr..
stephens. There were some things, ne said, in
the speech just delivered 80 radically unlike the
views entertained by the American people that
10 public positions being held out as prizes Tor the
emoluments attached to them. All that the dis
tlnguished gentleman had said In regard to the
the sham demagogue would be cordially cOncurred


in by ali who heard him. Public opinion, in some
OF its forms, might sometimes be wrong, but after
all, there was place where public opinion finally
adjusted itself and finally gave the stamp to
What mankind would usually call right. Il
this were world where the highest power
was the best paid power the gentlemans argu-
ment would have been right; but exactly the
reverse OF that rule was true. The things that
had marketable value in the world were not the
things that We're highest in the ethical and INTEL


ectuai scale. It had never been the theory Of the
government that the scale OF pay was the dstinc-
tion from the common to the intellectual and high.
One OF the highest and most Intellectual men OF
the nation (auding to Professor AgasSiZ) had
recently told him that he had made II the rule OF
his lie to abandon any intellectual pursuit the
moment i1 become commercially comm valuable:
the House, he SAID that when public opinion
held that the pay which Congress had voted
delicate in Congress to resist that public opinion.
II did not interfere with their manhood or inde-
not, simply because they had the power to, com.
bine 10 take more than public opinion thought
they were entitled to have None OF the bills be-
fore the House met his views, and yet he was will
ing to vote for several Of them If they came first in
order 1t seemed to him that the aggregate
allowed under the old law, ought to be preserved,
only that the mileage ought 70 be equalized and
distributed among All the members. He believed
that II there was fair equalization of the total
payments under the old law 1t would satisfy all the
reasonable demands OF public opinion. and no un-
reasonable one ought TO be satisfied.


Mr. RANDALL, OF Pennsylvania, reviewed the
legislation OF the country IN the First Third Fir
ond Congr esses, and classified the votes OF the
Pennsylvania members in the various Congresses
named, both Senators and Representatives, show
ing that all OF said representatives In both houses
either voted for or received retroactive compensa-
tion. He then argued at length as to the adequacy
and equalization OF pay, in favor OF the repeal of
mileage and OF the substitution or actual expenses.
He opposed any reduction OF the salary under
$1,000 as not being too much to maintain himself
and family and at the same time keep house in
this District and retain his identity with his con-
stituents.


Mr.. POTTER, (dem.) OF N. Y, referred to his posi-
tion in the last Congress, where he favored an in
crease OF the Executive and judicial salaries but
not OF Congressional salaries beyond 6,5OO year.
and had opposed back pay. He saw reason to
change those views. lie once thought members
na M e ana
useful members were often those who
had no means OF support but their sala-
rles. This was mainly true of members from
country districts. In the large cities 1t was
otherwise. The true measure OF compensation was
yet induce no one to seek the office for the pay.
This sum he thought not beyond $4,000. Although
representatives ought not always TO biindy follow
the popular Will upon question affecting their
own salaries, and in which they were directly in
terested they ought to be governed by that will.
He hoped the law would be repealed, that the
ranking privilege and mileage would not be re.
stored and that any increase beyond S., 600 should
be confined to utnre Congresses.


MIR. KASSoS, (rep.) of Iowa, advocated the sub.
stltute reported by tine minority Of the committee,
and argued that the majority bill would strengthen
noticed on his return to Washington alter an abb
sence OF TOUR years, to have grown up 10 danger
Gus degree. lie thought IT was time for them to
see whether there was no melting away OF the
legislative power OF the government In that con-
nection. He criticised the recommendation OF the
President In regard TO erecting mansions at Wash
ington Tor public officials and in regard to giving
the President the right to veto portions OF bill.
He had found so much OF that DRIFT at Washington
to the aggrandsement OF the Executive branch OF
the government that he wanted no principle TO be
established by the action OF the House which
would surrender stlll further the legislative dignity
and legislative authority.


Mr.. SPEER, ldem.) OF Pa, said he had voted
against the Salary bill in all Its stages, and should
now persstently vote for its repeal; but II there
was to be reform, he wished it to be thorough,
honest, earnest reform.


MI. CRoCKER (rep) OF Mass, in an amusing speech,
described the uncertainty OF his mind alter the ad
journment OF last Congress as to what he should
do with the back pay which he had received, after
voting against the bill. He said he was In the
category OF those who had taken the back pay. He
had collected 1t all according TO law, every cent.
uaughter.) lie did not like to be slow in return
ing IL. He h8d tried to get some company IN
that action, but failed. He had, how.
ever, found some noble men who had
made up their minds to give the
back pay to schools. He had finally
deposited 1t in one OF his banks, thinking It would