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Show THE NATIONAL LAW-MAKERS' STEAL- That extra $5,000 congressional fctipend continues to work in tho col-Boiences col-Boiences of memborB of oongrcsa, liko fresh yeast in unbaked bread. The maneuvers of the different individual pensioucra aro aa various as can well be imagined, our telegrams of yesterday illustrating this in tho oases of three New llaropshiro Democratic repreacn-titivcs, repreacn-titivcs, all of whom voted nay to the bill, but two of whom, after having mado all possible capital in tho State eleoiioo, out of their voting, have already written for and received tho $5,000, the third evidently only holding hold-ing off until his calling and election Las been made sure, beyond the possibility of doubt. Mr. Jloar, of Massachusetts, donated his eharo of plunder to tho Worcester county Free Institute of Industrial Science, declining to consider liiiupelf entitled to any thanks therefor, i Mr. Upson, of Cleveland, has refused to draw his baok pay, but tho Leader of that city hopes, since ho has not been reelected, that he will receive hia $5,000 andput it back in tho treasury, fo that ho may not bo tempted to call for it a year or two henco. Another gentleman presents his "extra" to an orphan asylum ! And so (hey go, without regard to their votes, in congress, con-gress, pro or cod. Further, the leaven continues to work variously in tho State legislatures. While Illinois censures cen-sures her members of congress who are registered in tho affirm ativo on tho bill Wisconsin compliments hors who voted nay, and Pennsylvania shows her approval of tho steal by adopting tho preacdent and voting aa in-orcaeo in-orcaeo of salary to hor legislators, who file stationery bills with enormous items charged to the account of "ink warranted not to corrode," said fluid being whisky thus ingeniously put up ' by tho Harrisburg liquor dealers. A writer ia the Washington Chroniclo calls for tho donation of all congressional "conscience money" to tho Christian Woman's association of tho District of Columbia, which congress con-gress omitted to provido for; and that great harlequin, tho Baiotly Ben But-lor, But-lor, is said to bo preparing a letter holding up to scorn and indignation all congressmen who aie now inventing excuses to ward off tho wrcth of their constituents. Of course the upright and moral Benjamin Butler is the proper pro-per man to attond to this little matter. Tho New York Sun closes the present scries of illustrations of tho power of the yeast that is working and slowly gathering sutlloient force to elevate all of these sa'ary thioves, it remarking upon tho splendid opportunity that President Grant might have improved, to regain his lost position io the estimation esti-mation of tho people, if ho had only returned the bill with tho following 'speoial" message : 1 return herewith the bill providing for ai increase of salaries without my mguature, which I withhold for the lollowiog reasons : 1. This bill gives me $50,000 a year for the next four years without regard to the fact that when I accepted the nomination and election 1 contracted with the people to peitorm tho duties of the office lor $o,000 a year. It would be dishonest in me to draw any more by virtue of a bill patted as this ono has been, and I refuse the proffer accordingly, liet-ides, apart from this decisive l judders; ion, the question of increasing the President's salary was not di.-cu-scd and decided by the people peo-ple in the recent election, and I do not think that a measure of to serious a nature ref ecting the compensation of their public pci varus should ever be passed until they have had an oppor-t oppor-t unity of expressing their judgment upon i'. -. I also disapprove of this bill be-euise be-euise it mcrcacs the pay of members t-t'coDfjrei-s for a period of service already al-ready performed and already paid fur. This appears to me to be a more flagrant flag-rant invasion of popular rights and of the principles of ojmmon honesty even tbsn lb it clause in the bill whicb doubles the I'resdi'Li's sjliry. j Let the leaven vro:k, the elections to i erne will indicate its results. |