Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-02
Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, D. c., I
Feb. 26. 1870. (

the money goes" calling attention to and
quoting from Parton's article in the Atlantic
Monthly on the small sins Of Congress. L
feel constrained to notice it, from the fact
that Mr.. Parton's ignorance of the things
whereof he speaks has evidently been shared
by the writer of the article,-has led them
both astray, and should the misrepresenta-
tions go uncorrected, might do injury among
the people and make them unnecessarily
dissatisfied with Congress. Do not, pray
you, consider me saying that Congress has
no sins, or that it has not given great cause
for criticism but that it is such place of
entire corruption and wholesale irresponsible
plumber as is represented, is false. Whatever
perquisites-if you choose to call them such
-Congressmen enjoy, are either expressly
legalized or have become lawful almost by
prescription.
Of the manner of appointments and the
number of appointees, have little to say,
except that as regards those around Congress
on which the most stress is laid, there are
only about twenty door-keepers to the House
of Representatives, having as many doors,
whose duty it is to preserve order, to answer
the continual calls for members, to care for
about thirty committee rooms, in some cases
acting as clerks to these committees, and
when not otherwise employed, compelled to
go down into a damp, dark room and paste
books. Even if there were an unnecessary
number of such employees, what psrauisite
would it be to Congress? They ure con tin
! nallv harraala1 To annoint nd
every appointment makes more enemies than
friends; they receive no pecuniary benefit.
Those generally appointed as a rule good
for-nothings at home, or poor disabled SOL
ders; they no sooner give an appointment
than they are besieged to turn the happy
man out again and put in another, and so it
goes over and over again, the same old story
fight for ofice-and if a member does not
provide for every old pauper that calls on
him, he is unworthy of the confidence of his
people, and hears of his ingratitude to the
men who elected him. How many think
you of the Congressman would retain this
perquisite one day if they could be entirely
rid of it. | venture to say, from my knowl-
edge of these men, that there may be half a
dozen who would retain this shadow of pow
er, but the great mass are crying daily,
- deliver US from offce-seekers." The fault
of this abuse is not in Congress, but in the
people at large, who will persist in sending
persons here to debauch as far as possible
their representatives. How many times have
l known of Congressman freely giving money
to take home some poor fellow who has spent
his all here in search of Office, and then
in all likelihood his constituents fail to re-
turn him because he has not enough Influence
at Washington To be sure there are OCCASION
al violations of law in regard to accepting
money for Offices, as has lately been seen in
the matter Of cadetships at West Point. and
the appointments to the Naval Academy
But the estimation in which such conduct is
held is plainly seen by the action of the
House just now in the case of Whittemore
of South Carolina. OF course we believe
that there are men who cannot be exposed,
who accept pay for appointments, and who
take brides for their action in Congress, but
this rascality of few should not bring upon
Congress generally the charge of SHINING in
this regard
What then are the pay and perquisStes Of
J Congressman? IsE salary. 80 ,oo4' I'd,
mileage, from S28 to 81 700 Sd, Thinking
: privilege, unrestricted except as to weight Of
E single packages; 4th, books which he is
r supposed to distribute 10 his constituents !;
! 5tb, newspapers and stationery, 1925 each
year These FIVE are all of what are called
, the legitimate ways of making money. Every
one will confess that Congressman are en-
titled to salary, mileage and moderate
amount of stationery. If any of these
amounts are too high, let them be reduced,
as think they should, but do mt suppress
the fact that these things are authorized by
law and fixed, in order to make the people
believe that they are being robbed by I'M
counted and unlawful Titles.
The ranking privilege has, as you know,
received a great blow, and is likely to be
abolished the printing Of the vast number
of books will be stopped by this measure
also and there only remains the LIST, I'd and
Sd items mentioned An attempt has been
made this session, one at least of the Vermont
delegation aiding by his voice and vote to
reduce all these items, but without avail
We hope that it may yet be done, and Con-
gress rescued from the very appearance OF
evil.
Great stress is laid or the consumption OF
d" pen-knives, pOrtmonnaies, ETC. Bu'
: what difference does it make whether mem
Der of Congress chooses to draw pen-knives
} gold pens, portmonnaies, newspapers or wha'
not to the amount of Sl25-for he can't pos
sibly get any more unless it is taken from
his salary-or to receive the same amount II
: money? DO people think that they would
J be any better pleased to have this sum added
, to their salary than to have it drawn as 1T is
} No doubt the allowance is altogether toe
: large. for very few are the Congressman who
after having received all the stationery anC
newspapers they desire, do not receive S5'
{ to $50 in money. But you may rest assured
Q that when you receive an order through thu
clerk of the-House for a newspaper for
: member. that member is sure to pay for 1t
t 1t is very easy to see how, when we
, in the midst of this state of things. rec
c ognize the extravaganza of some of tn
a expenditures of the government, those Wit
: grudge shoes to the children of thei
Supreme Court Judges, and who ask thu
judges themselves to give their services t.
2 the State for the same sum as is demanded
d by the thrifty farmer, the great event o
d whose life is Il suit of new clothes or 1
Journey to his county seat, who never saw
the capital of his State, much less has any
t idea of what it costs to obey the demands oil
6 society, can think of Congressman only al
= leeches to draw out their money like blood