Why, sir, there were few men of capacity, few men of fitness to occupy positions under this government who did not subscribe, gratefully, anxiously subscribe, to that fund to relieve U. S. Grant from his poverty. And yet, he is to be arraigned here as a gift-taker, as though that was a crime! Mr. President, there are two classes of people in this world, and we see specimens of them both. We have great _o-ra-tors_ and great men of business. On this floor our _o-ra-tors_ have occupied the time of this session to the exclusion of business, and while these _o-ra-tors_ have been wasting the time of this body to the detriment of the business of the nation, willing to indulge in windy orations at the expense of the government, U. S. Grant, President of the United States, has been managing the affairs of this nation better than they were ever managed before. While your _o-ra-tors_ were here delivering windy words, he was paying the national debt faster than these _o-ra-tors_ could count it. While they were _o-ra-ting_, he was negotiating treaties and attending to the civil service of the nation. While they were _o-ra-ting_ on this floor during the war, he was winning victories in the bloodiest part of the fight. And now, while they are _o-ra-ting_ on this floor, he is endearing himself to the hearts of the whole people of this land as no other man ever did. Stanton was prophetic; he is not only great in war, but he is greater as a civilian. The act of March 3, 1873, which raised the annual salaries of Congressmen from $5,000 to $7,500, gave also to this increase a retroactive effect and made it apply to the members of Congress who passed the measure and whose official terms ended on that very day. Public opinion did not approve of any aspect of this change, but it condemned vehemently the voting by Congressmen to themselves of $5,000 each for services already rendered and in addition to liberal salaries fixed at the time of their acceptance of office. So emphatic were the manifestations of popular wrath at both this act and its methods, that the next Congress promptly repealed "the salary grab," as it was commonly called. Mr. Chandler's integrity and good sense kept him from any participation in this obnoxious performance. He opposed the increase of compensation earnestly in the Senate, voted against it at all stages of the contest, and refused to accept his "back pay." When the bill had been passed and the increased salary had been placed to his credit on the Senate books, he went to the Treasury with his colleague and they deposited the difference between the old and the new rate to the credit of the government, writing the following letter to the Secretary of the Treasury: WASHINGTON, March 28, 1873.