Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-12-26
How Speakers Live.

The Washington correspondent of the New
Orleans P~icayune gives the following as the
manner in which our Speakers luxuriate upon
a salary of sixteen dollars per day:
Custom neither has entailed upon the occu-
pant of the Speakers chair the necessity OF
lavish entertainment as in England. Few of
the Speakers with us have lived at great ex-
pense than the majority OF members. MIR VIM
throp alone for a quarter of a century-it may
he since the organization of the Government
has exceeded in his style of living his official
salary. Generally the Speakers have been par
simoniously inclined. They have had a great
deal of good feeling, bat very little of good en-
tertainment for members. "When first en-
tered Congress'-a witty member from the
West Ga Democracy was saying the other day
-"we elected John w, Jones, OF Virginia,
Speaker. In the West we thought a man with
Sl6a day was something. Every rlan out
there treated to liquor and fixins' who could
raise any thing like that money. waited some
time for the Speaker to invite me to his house,
but | had to wait, One day, as was walking
along the avenue. | saw him going up to his
room-it was over a druggists shop-and he
asked me up. | mounted. After a while he
inquired what I would take to drink! told
him u little whiskey and sugar He went to
4 kind of closet and fetched out a bottle about
half full of liquor. He hunted round for some
glasses, but found only one, and that rather
hard-looking. He invited me to fill up, and |
did Afterwards he rinsed and filled up him.
self, and that's all the entertainment | got out
of him. Well, the next Congress we elected
John w. Davis, of Indiana. He made apretty
good Speaker, but was not much given to ell
Pertaining. ] don't think | ever drank or ate
in his house, but | believe he once or twice
stood oysters and liquor. No matter, in both
Speakers we secured a democratic ascendancy,
and what are oysters and liquor compared with
that!
s.In the last Congress we elected Robt. e.
Winthrop, of Massachusetts, a Wing, but ne
vertheless a gentleman. | was not intimate with
him, though had served in two Congresses
with him. He had never treated me to whiskey
nor to oysters. | did not vote for him of course,
for | only go as far as democratic principles
go.
'Not long after his election-perhaps some
six weeks-1 received a note from him. 1t was
gilt-edged and printed. He requested the favor
of nv company to dinner. This was going a
little father than democratic principles had gone,
but knowing our principles were always NOV
lug aileau,i ann DelL8 alfiiiu otilefs Noulu heeP
up even if | did not, | went. There were a
good many of my democratic friends there, who
went straight into the different fiXins, and we
all agreed the dinner was first rate.
"Well, he gave evening parties, too, once a
fortnight, which were pot slow. His suppers
were the decided thing. | went to every one
| was invited to, and should have gone to more
on the same provocatjon."
Col. Winthrop invited every member of the
House at least once during the session to din
ner. His cuisine was as good as could be COM
manded-his wines unexceptionable. He en-
tertained, besides, distinguished strangers who
came accredited to him, whether in diplomatic
or private life.
For other reasons, however, than in the loss
of his generous hospitality, his defeat would
be sensibly felt. Always courteous, whether
in or out of the chair, respected alike for pri-
vate character and virtues, it is not invidious to
say that no man in the House could make good
his place.