The So-called "repeal" Bill

The fraudulent and disgraceful bill which pas9ed the House on Wednesday evening stamps an indelible mark of hypocrisy ön the professions which metnbers have been flaunting before the country since the beginning of the ses9ion. It would be a strong presutnptioa again9t the honesty of the bill that the course oi' the discussion unmasked Butler asits real author, that its advocacy was surrendered into his hands at the final piuch wheu it was put on its passage, and that in the applauded speech by which it was carried he outdid even himself in uurestrained license of abusive ribaldry. Men do not gather grupes of thorns, nor figs of thistles. nor au honest repeal of tha salary-grab Irom the most unabashed and impudfint of all its champicns. A triumph of Butler on thü subject is a triumph of fraud, craft, and brazen effiontery, as will sufliciently appear when wo proceed to analyze the bill. Tüe demonstrations of the Iluiise against the salary-grab reseuible that faiuous cauipaign oí' Saúl against the AmalHkites which cost hiin his crown and kingdotn. He had been comuianded to sniite without remorse, to utterly extermiimte Agüg and 11 his sutijects, to "slay botn man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." When Ue was returning with the spared kiug in his train, and laden with undestroyed booty, he was niet by the indignant prophet to whoin he boasted that he had perlormed the cominandnieut of the Lord. " And Sainnel said, What " meaneth then this bleating of the sheep " in luine ears, and this lowiug of the "oxen which 1 heari" The incensed people will uieet Cougress with a similar inqiiiry, and cali it to a swift reckouing fbr disobedieuce to their mandate. The House has l.rought off Aag in safety, and is loaded with t'orbidden spoils. By the bill which has been passed the salar3' of uiembers is reduced from $7.500 tu $6,000 a year, Ut take effect when the bill shall bewme a Uw. As it must first pass the Senate and receive the signature of the President, it is not likely to go into effect, before the end of January, leaving hut one month of the present Congremonal year to which the reduction will apply. From the 4th of March, 1873, to the 4th of March, 1874, the pay of meinbers will be as follows : Eleven month at 6'24 6'?T5 ' Oue muutU t $50t' ■_ 5I Twelve months' oompensation $7,375 The gain of the Treasury by this great measure of reform which it has taken the House three weeks to achieve, is $125 for each member, as the following figures show: By the original grab bill $7.500 By the " reiieal" bill '■i's Amount disgorged. Í1-5 The House has covered itself with public derision and disgust by this pitiful sequel to its loud professions since the beginning of the session. The mountain after its protracted contortious and violent pangs has brought forth- this .' The House has passed a bill which reduces the pay for this year precisely 1 2-3 per cent. ! It is the same in effect as it" the House had passed a bill levying an come tax of 1 2-3 per cent, on the salary oL menibers for this year, and asked the country to accept that as a repeal of tbe salary grab. During the war, when the cost of living was inuch greater than it is at present, the members paid an incomo tax of 5 per cent. on a salary of $3,000 ; and dow ou a salary twice and a half as great they are willing to contribute the magnificent rate of 1 2-3 per cent, if they can be peruiitted to keep the exorbitant salary. What a uiiracle of honesty and public spirit! The incidental expenses of the House while it has been engaged in this great act of restitution must considerably exceed the ainount of money they propose to relinquish, so that the Treasury is made actually poorer by this sublime act of repentant virtue. Now, what is the amount of time and service which the ineinbers render for the $7,375 at which they offer to flx their salaries at the present year'r From the begiuning of March to the beginning of December (mne montUs) nothing. From Iin'ïfi;"hiav.te.tatsb-lkey are „SfS""" fair to deduct the time they have spent in this hypocritical, profitless wrangle and also the holilay vacation, which would reduce the period of actual service , to two nionths. But calling it three months, the rate of compensation for the time they seive is woll on to $30,000 a ypar. The suiu of $7,375 for one four.th of a year is at the rate of $29,500 a year. The great reform which they have ac complished consists in reducing their couipensation froui the rate of $30,000 for this year, which the original grab bilí wuuld have given thein, to $29,500 a year, the rte fixed by tlie bilí they have so magnaniuiously pasped. The bilí requires no member who has drawn and pocketed the back pay to return it. A Urge majoiity cf the members of both Huuses are in this category. The suiu tolal of th plunder over and above the oíd salary of $5,000 realized by members like Butler up to the 4th of Match uext will be asfollows: Two years increase at $2,600 $5,000 Üueyeal tit 2,375 2 37 Total fprab for three yeara fiMlt The new bilí leavea this barefuced swindle unrodressed, and adds $1,000 to the oíd salary for the last year of the present term, which this dishonest Congress may inurease at their pleasúre at their next session, after the Congressioaal elections. This fraudulent bilí is Rot up with all of Butler's characteristic craft and cunning. It is adroitly contrived to deceive the people while it robs them. On itn face it is raerfcly a moderate addition to the oíd salary, and au abatement of $1,500 a year from the new one. But the proper point ot view lor judging it is not how it will affect the successors of this Congress, but its members. It ia Tery easy for them to be virtuous at the expeuse ot' men who will be elected to fiH their places ; but virtue at their own eost is a different matter. Up to the 4th of March next, there is an abatemenfc of precipely $125 from the increased compensation of three years ; or $41.66 2-3 a year from the salary of $7,500 during the three years that enormoug sdlary is taken. In cousequenoe of this great act of peni tence which has passed the House the salary of members from the 4th of March, 1871, to March 4, 1874, will average only $7,458.33 1-3, instead of the plurap $7,500 given thera by the grab bill. How pleasant are the paths of virtue ! How cheap and profitable is Congressional repentance! The most eloquent of the old Engliah divines quotes in one of nis sermona what he calis an odd saying of St. Ambrose, that " it is easier to find a man that hath not sinned than one that hath truly repented " It for the word man we Bubstitute Congress. the saying need not seem very odd to the American people. A very appropriate HUny for the mêmbers of the present House might be made from a passage of Jeremy Taylor in bis exposition of the "odd saying" of St. Auibrose. We propose that Butler put on a surplice of " Sime colored taffeta" and read tais litany, wuilu the kneeliug House makes the responses : CoNFESSlOJT. "Because we hate the sin," Response. "And yet love it too well." Coxfession. " We curse t," Response. And yet folluw it." ConfessioN. " We are angry at ourselves," Response. " And yet cannot he without it." Con-fessiox. "We know it undoea us." Response. " Bat we thinh it plemant." All ïoqetheh (the House still kneeU ing). " And when we are to execute the "fieree anger of the Pcuple upon our sins, " we are yet kiud-heartad and sjjare the " Agag, the roigning sin. the sijlendid " tetuptatiou : we hare some kindnesR ■■ lei't towards it."- AT. T. World. 5ow Eagland factorles are graánaTly rnming business on full