The newspapers immediately characterized the pay raise as the "Salary Grab Act", associated its promotion to the recent Crédit Mobilier scandal,Jenkins; Alston; Nonnenmacher, 2006, pp. 674, 680 and accused the governing Republican majority in Congress of perpetuating an atmosphere of corruption. Most of the criticism, especially from Liberal reformers, was aimed at Republicans.The American Citizen, 20 September 1873, p. 1 Along with the Crédit Mobilier scandal, the so-called Salary Grab Act or "Salary steal" fueled a widespread notion that the party in power was hopelessly corrupt.Calhoun, 2017, p. 462 However, the connection of the Liberals with the "salary grab" was easily open to criticism. Four Liberal senators and one representative supported the salary increases, and never returned their back pay.Ross, 1919, p. 195
