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What An Opportunity He Lost

What An Opportunity He Lost image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
March
Year
1873
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Suppose tliat on the mormng of Tuesday, Mareh -Ath, when the bill incrpasing salaries was handed to President Grant, hc had, instoad of signing it, sent it back to the House ot' Representativas with such a message as tliu following : " I return herewith the bill providing f'or an increase of salaries without my signaturo, whioh I withhold tor tho t'ollowing reetsons : "1. This bill gi vea me 50,000 a year for the nest f'our years witliout regard to the tact that when I accepted the nomination and electiou I contracted with. the people to peifonn the duties of tho offiee 15,000 a year. It would be dishonest in me to draw any more by virtuo of a bill passed as this ono has been, and 1 refuso the proffur aeeordingly. Bendes, apart i'rorn this decisive consideration, the question of increasing the President's salary was not discussed and deeided by the peoplo in tho recent election, and I do not think that a nieasure of so serious a nature respecting the compeusation of their public fcervants should ever be passed until they have had an opportunity of exprpssing their judgment upon it. " i. I also disapprove of this bill booause it inoreagea the pay of ïncmbers of Congress for a period of service already performed and already pid for. This appears to me to be a more flagrant invasión of popular righta and ot' the principies of oummon h.mesty even than that clause in the bill whicb doubles the President's salary." Suppose President Grant had possessed intolligence and honor enougll to send in such a message as this, what a great man he would bo in the estimation of the people, and what a great man he would be in reality '

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus