The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-21
HOW THE MONEY GOES IN CON
GRESS.


From the N. +. Times
A well-known contributor to the AHaatc
uOHtbly calls attention to the waste of public
money which goes ON in and around Congress.
He condemns the pictures under the dome
and elsewhere, in common with most other
critics who have any cultivated tsste to boast
Of He is severe in his remarks upon the
young lady who managed TO cajole Congress
men into awarding her large sum of money
in advance, for executing statue" of Presi-
dent Lincoln. Mr. Parton does not give us
his impressions of the clay model prepared
by the young lady III question. Perhaps he
did not see it. Those who did will sincerely
hope that it will be some time before the
statue itself is finished.
What puzzles our contemporary most is
the charge made for carrying on the daily
work of Congress. session costs the coun-
try 81 200, 000-a good round sum, consider
ing the little we get for it. Each day entails
upon us an expense of S33,OO But there is
something more than this to wonder at if we
look into the details The Forteth Congress
used up nearly eleven hundred penlnives,
costing about three dollars each, and, of
course, the members did not pay for them.
The country is so rich, and has so few taxes
to pay, that prodigality in Congress is a
venial fault. Besides penknives, such neces-
sary articles as snuff, tobacco, pocket scs-
sors, hair brushes, and ''extra morocco desks y
have been furnished by grateful nation to
its representatives. Among the items is this
very startling one:-'12 cotton stay-laces,
So Can such things be? We presume the
stay-laces were not dear at that price, but
is there no dark mystery concealed under the
supply of them? Does some intelligent patriot
| keep his family in such articles at the cost of
his country? Or does Congress give stay
laces to ''sculptresses, as we'll as money for
| European tours Or is there Congressman
somewhere in the background who is proud
| of his figure, and has revived the old custom
of wearing stays to keep it in shape? Let us
have a committee Oh the subject. The ''re-
| velations" would be change on the usual
| style of such reports
1t costs $2l44'65 to transport the body of a
| defunct Congressman to his home, and that
when the distance is only short. The people
may we'll hope that their representatives will
! manage to survive their term of office. They
ought to be examined by a medical man
| before being put on the nomination ticket
| Sometimes there is ''call of the House, and
| absent members have to be hunted up from
| all parts The Sergeant Arms is allowed to
charge S. 90 for every truGnt whom he thus cap
| lures How his heart must rejoice when q
prolonged "flibustering' movement is going
ON, and the majority of members go home to
bed He may bring up hundred in one
dav. and thus bag 1920 as his perquisites.
Stationery is an article which most members
of Congress use by the cartload. Has Mr..
Parton ever made tour Of the rooms of our
legislators during the session? If SO, he
ought not to be so much at loss as he says
he is to account for the enormous quantity
consumed. There are many ways of getting
rid of good writing paper.
Our contemporary advises the abolition of
all the allowances now given to members OF
Congress; and the substitution of one fixed
sum as salary instead. The 'franking priv
lege" is the first abuse that ought to be put
an end to- Now Congressman may send
almost anything under his frank, from stay
lace to pair of top-boots. 1t amounts tc
nothing more nor less than a wholesale rob
berry of the nation-somebody must pay
everything that a Congressman uses, and o
course the poor taxpayer is the victim. Tht
Atlantic say that other nations are no bette
off than we-but two blacks don't make
white viii Congress reform itself, or wal
until an indignant people takes it in hand ?