St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-11-12
HOU the Money Goes iu Congress.

\ wcll-known contributor TO the At
Iantic Monthly calls attention to the
waste OF public money which goes on in
ani around Congress. He condems the
pictures under the dome and elsewhere,
N common with most other critics who
have any cultivated taste to boast of.
He Is severe in his remarks upon the
young lady who managed to cajole Con-
-reSS ncn into awarding her 4 large sum
OF money, in advance, for executing a
statue" OF President Lincoln. Mr..
Parton does Mt give us his Impressions
Of the clay model prepared by the young
lady in question. Perhaps he did not
see il. Those who did will sincerely
nope 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
iaily work OF Congress. A session costs
the country 81, 900, O,UUO-a good round
sum, considering the little we get for it.
Each day entails upon Us an expense of
:33. 900. But there is something more
;han this to wonder at, if we look into
,he details. The Fortieth Congress used
up nearly eleven hundred pen-knives,
costing about three dollars each, and,
ot course, the members did not pay for
tltm. The country is 50 rich, and has
- lew taxes to pay, that prodieality in
Cungr - il u venial fault. Besides PEN
knlvt-. such nece--.,ry articles as snuff.
tobacco, pocket scissors, halr-brushes
and extra morocco desks have been
furnished by Il Gratetul nation to its rep
rcscntatives. Among the items is this
very startling one: ''l2 cotton stay
luccs. ST" Can such things be We
presume the stay-laccs were not dear at
,hc price, but Is there no dark mystery
concealed under the supply of themi
Does some Intelligent patriot keep his
family in such articles at the cost Of his
country? Or docs Congress give stay
ia,c> 10 ''sculptrcsscs, rs well as money
tor European tours Or is there q Con-
gIc>,man somewhere in the background
vino Is proud OF his figure, and has re-
vIvcd the old custom OF wearing stays
10 keep it i'll shape! Let US have
committee On the subject. The ''reve-
lalions' would ,c II change ON the usual
style OF such reports.
1t costs -, III O5 to transport the
cody ola dctunct Congressman to his
somc, and that when the distance is only
short. The people may well hope their
vivc their term OF office. They ought to
he examined by medical man before
hclug put on the nomination ticket.
Sometimes there lsa "cali of the House."
and absent members have to be hunted
up from all parts. The Sergeant-at-
Arms is allowed to charge 50 20 for
every truant whom he thus captures.
How In, heart must rejoice when "a pro-
:ongcd ''tiliibustcring' movement IS 20
my on, and the majority of members 90
home to bed. lie may bring up a hun
drcd IN one day, and thus bag S52O as
MS pcrquisIies. Stationery Is All article
which most members OF Congress use by
the CARLOAD. Has Mr.. Parton ever
made a tour of the rooms Of our legisla-
tors during the session Ii so, he ought
not 10 be 50 much at u loss, as he says
he Is, 10 account for the enormous guam
MY consumed. There are many ways
OF getting rid OF good writing paper.
Our contemporary advises the aboll-
lion OF all the allowances now gwen to
mcmbcra ot Congress, and the substitu-
ton Ui one fixed sum us salary instead.
'Ine ''trankIng privilege" is the first
abuse that ought 10 be put an end TO.
Now Congressman may send almost
anything under his frank, from stay
lace 10 4 palr OF top boots. Ii amounts
u nothing more nor less than a whole
-tle robbery of the nation - somebody
must pay for everything that a Congress-
man uses, and OF course the poor tax
payer is the victim. The Atlantic says
That other nations alc no better OFT than
we are-but two blacks don't make
white. Viii Congress reform itself, or
wait until an Indignant people takes 1t
i'll hand ~. \. InleS.