Year: 1873

As Butler denies the authorship of the


back-pay amendment we are at loss.to
guess what Congressman could have been
equal to SO ingenious an iniquity, since
the latest development shows that the
scheme meant back pay for every body.
1t seems that every member of Congress


elect who holds the proper certificate and
whose seat is not contested, now draws
his salary monthly at the rate of $625 per


month. Thus, there having been no
March session, the members may draw
So, 5,625 before they take their seats in De
cember, which is $625 more than the


whole amount of the old salary, and is to
be paid before days service has been
rendered, or before even the forms of


membership have been complied with
The effect of this is to ensure the Uni
ted States Treasury against the possibil-
ity Of saving few dollars by reason of
resignation, death, or a vacancy from any


other cause A case has lately arisen
which illustrates this. Mr.. William
Whiting was last fall elected to Congress


in the third Massachusetts, district He
died on the Goth of June. His heirs are
therefore entitled to four months pay


unless Mr.. Whiting has already drawn


it. On the 4th of November his successor
! will be elected, and as soon as he receives


his certificate from the Governor, he can
draw S625 per month from the first of
July. If he has other business more at


tractiYe or more imperative than his du-


ties as Congressman, he may resign on
the lst of December, before Congress as
sembles, having three thousand dollars


in his pocket without even seeing his
name enrolled in the official record. If
Butler had not so positively denied the
authorship of the bill, uncharitable per-
! Il ~ L 4. i
counting upon his election as Governor


in November, having meanwhile added


this second five thousand dollars of back
pay to his income to defray his campaign
! expenses.


The salary bill seems to have been de-
signed for swindle from beginning to
end, While every chance is given the
indolent and useless members to draw


pay before they earn it, no chance is
given the taxpayers. They must pay in
full for service which was never rendered
If the authors and abettors of this scheme
think that after these repeated exposures


such an effair will elbow over" they mis-


take the public judgment. And this re


minds us once more to draw the atten-
ton of those congressman who have an


nouneed that they "have not drawn the


back pay" to the fact that something


more is necessary. A Congressman who
is competent to make laws did not need


the assurance of the Secretary of the


Treasury that the claims of this salary
against the United States never lapses,"


for common sense teaches that repudia-


ton is not part of our Constitution.
! What will Senators Sherman, Edmupds


and Morton do about it2 They have


boasted that they left the back pay in the


Treasury but it may remain there to
! their credit for lifetime. They must
make formal restitution or they must


bear the discredit of accepting the booty


Farther than this ii is well to bear in


mind that among the measures which


will be demanded of the present Con-
cress with remarkable unanimity will be
the repeal or modification of a law which


was disgraceful to the Congress that


passed it, and will be hardly less so to


one that permits ii TO stain the statute
| book.