Year: 1873

! voice OF the Eeop1e.


This article is better written, and per.
! haps little more vitriolic than great
many of which it may serve as sample ]
| To the Editor Of the Journal:


| Fraud seems to be the order of the day
and those who are not engaged in it are
blamed with lack of business sense. The
| high standing and skill of the men occu-
pied often imparts to it not only repecta-
! bility but protection. The point upon
which depends the immunity of the thief
is his standing and the amount stolen. If
a poor devil takes an overcoat or horse
from an individual he is followed through
the county and State with curses and
bowling, and, if arrested, sent to the
Penitentiary. But if he is a big thief, and
steals thousands of dollars, and puts up
the bars behind him, he is regarded as an
expert gentleman. We have known hun
CRY mortals driven to desperation by mis-
cry, and starving for food, break window
and steal bread to keep life within them,
who have been seized by officers and
whirled to Columbus, as burglars, to ex-
plate their crimes, and the law was vindi-
Gated, and the people rejoiced And we
have seen men in power who have dellb-
erately cheated their fellows and the
Government out of thousands of dollars,
when there was no necessity to compel
such action, and they have been allowed
to go "scott free "glorying in their
shame"


A more open exhibition of the latter
named rascality has never been exhibited
to the American public than was mani
tested by the late Congressional thieving,
in what is called 'back pay" 1t was q
gross outrage and an unmitigated swim
die, and for it there is no excuse. 1t was
a disregard of duty and honesty, and the
violation of a contract, by which Con-
gressmen were hampered to a personal
disadvantage There may be few men,
| like Ben. Butler, whose impudence and
blackguardism may carry them through
the torrent of indignation which the peo-
pie feel, but the mass of the Congressman
who voted for the iniquity pronounced
their political death warrants in their
vote, and "the places which now know
them shall soon know them no more for
ever" Their requiem is sung-their
dirge is in the ears of their families. The
people are now groaning under taxation.
| No man comes to the Treasurer without a
disturbed face; no land owner comes
! that does not feel as if he were paying


heavy rent for the soil he tills; no me-
| chanic or laborer or business man of any
sort that does not look sad over his ne
| cessities. With this grievous burden


bearing upon them-the rich distressed,


and the poor scarcely knowing where to
| get bread, and the universal public look
| ing to the wise legislators for relief these


scamps and scallawags in Congress pro-
| iect and carry out swindle to increase


our burdens over million of dollars per


annum If this expenditure were for
| the public good it might be acquiesced in


and tolerated, but it is simply for their


individual benefit and not for any gen
| arol VIIpUoSo


When members of the last Congress


were elected it was with the understand


ing and agreement, on their part, that
| they were to receive five thousand dol


lars year for their services. The labor


of the best among them was worth no


more, and the general average would be
| much oYerpaid, even at that price. 1t


must be remembered that these mem


bers of Congress serve but about six


months during the long session and


three months during the short-they


serve only nine months in one session of


two years. For the nine months


service we, the people, were already


paying them TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS !


Our contract was to pay them that and


not a cent more. Was it not enough ?
| We ask you, lawyers and field hands,


doctors and blacksmiths, preachers and
carpenters, mechanics and laborers-was


not ten thousand dollars sufficient for


nine months work? But it did not sat
isfy these greedy cormorants, and they


corruptly and shamelessly voted them


selves two thousand five hundred dollars


a year in addition-makingf five thousand


dollars more for one term of Congress, or
fifteen thousand dollars for nine months


on the part of some of them, for loaferage


and trickery in Washington City. The
short session is three months duration
onefourth of a yeGr-no more. For it the
Congressman voted himself, or took,
seven thousand five hundred dollars from


depleted Treasury and nation in debt.
This would amount to thirty thousand


dollars year for his distinguished SER


yices-more than we gave the President


of the United States before this law was


passed, and three times as much as we


now give to the Chief Justice of the SUI


preme Court. But, it may be said that


the rest of the year after Congress ad-


journs he does nothing. That is not so.


A professional man, mechanic, merchant


or farmer obtains position by being q


Congressman that gives him influences


and opportunities for employment, spec


ulation and investment, which private
citizen has not and you can further put


it down as q matter for consideration,


that any man who voted for this steal, or


took the benefits of the fraud after it was


voted him by others, is, more than likely


engaged in some heavy peculations on


Governments, which his vote can carry


through and which will make for him


bed on which his weary frame can here
after repose. He who will take the profit.
of a wrong will do a wrong.


, Iu regard to this shameful act of Con