New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-10
Senator Chandler on Living with
In Ones Means.

During the discussions in the Senate on
the increase of salaries, Senator Chandler
and Senator John y. Logan had quite n
lively colloquy, and our long Michigan man
got the better of the sucker senator entirely.
IL Is well known 10 well-inforned Michigan
men. that the sound doctrine which Mr.
chandler preached to the Senate, he has
practiced all his life, to wit, the principle o..
living within ones means. when he was
poor he pTacticed it rigiily, made money, and
saved 1t; and as re saws, If his sole income
was his IS, 900 Congressional salary, no mat
ter what others spent, il would cover his ex-
peuses, and so it ought every other man.
The theory advanced by Logan, Matt Car
penier, Banks, and others, was the Govern
ment should provide spending money to
satisfy every spendthrift in Congress. That
The salary should equal the expenses of tho
man whose income from private sources al
lows him and his family the fullest latitude
IN luxury and palatial splendor. Such non
sense Mr.. Chandler fifty rebuked, and read
snort lesson which ought not TO be lost
upon thousands of individuals in private life.
The following is the dialogue, as We find il
reported In the Republic:
Mr.. Chandler. The Senator from Wiscon.
sin says this is practical question, and it is.
sir, very practical question. 1t means bus.
mess. 1t is not for me, Mr.. President, to
critlclse the action of brother Senators or of
members OF the other House, 1t is not for
me to say what the services of individuals
mere are worth have no doubt that in the
estimation OF most of the members of this
BODY the pay they receive is entirely made
quate; but l have never known n vacancy
in this body that had not at least one man
willing to fill it for the paw. In nv own
state think there must be at least tiftv men
VINO would be willing to sacrifice themselves
TO take my place; and presume there is not
another state in the Union that could not
furnish large number of men ready and
VIKING ana anxious to take the place of every
member OF this body upon the compen saton
that we now receive
Mr.. President, when YOU come To the cost
OF living, it is a mere matter of taste. There
was Quaker living in Philadelphia a few
years ago, halter, and one day rather a
rouSh man came in to purchase a hat, and
inquired OF the Quaker if he could not take a
dollar less than he asked. Said the Quaker,
AS live, friend, cannot" With a large
sized adjective the man turned around, and
said, Then live cheaper" That was his
response. said the Friend "Thee can take
a hat; thou art the first man who has under
stood my secret If man will live within
his means, he can in all probability, whatever
he gets, and whether YOU pay 5000, or
81 300, or sl7, 800, does not interfere at all
with the expenses of living. A man who
will not live upon IS, 900 will not live upon
s. 500. He will not live within his means if
he does not live Oh $1,000. And what is to-
day tho compensation that we receive? Why,
Mr.. President, our duties here occupy about
four and half months in the year, certainly
not more than five months at the outside.
For that we receive $1,000 year, or Il little
over 81 900 month. 1t would be very hard
to satisfy my constituents that 81 900 month
was not as much rs could earn. think |
could earn more, for do not believe there is
a man in this body or IN the other House who
has made one half the pecuniary sacrifice that
have made in occupying seat IN this body ;
and yet was perfectly willing, entirely will
ing. and have been continuously willing to
occupy the seat for the pay.
Mr.. Logan. Will the Senator allow me to
ask him question:
Mr.. Chandler. Certainly.
Mr.. Logan. Please state to the Senate
what your annual expenses are for living
here in Washington city.
Mr.. Chandler. l do not think it any ol
the Senator'S business. [Laughter.l
Mr.. Logan. l do not think it is either;
but will you not give them approximately {:
Mr.. Chandler. l live within my means,
and it is nobodys business how much |
spend.
Mr.. Logan. That is true but you spoke
about men living within their means.
Mr.. Chandler. l cannot tell how much
spend.
Mr.. Logan. Do you think it costs you
900 year to live here?
Mr.. Chandler. am not here to be ques-
toned. Ispend what 1 please at home or
in Washington, and it Is nobody's business
Mr.. Logan. know that but if you had
no income but the $1,000 salary how would
you get along?
Mr.. Chandler. Then should live within
the 49, 900 most certainly, and would in all
probability lay by little. lLaughter.l
Mr.. Logan. The point want to make is
that lnasmuch as you are not dependent on
that, you want to require poor men to live
within their means, within the s. 900, and
you to have an opportunity Of living on
$4,000 or s25, 900 if YOU desire. That is
about the difference, is it not:
Mr.. Chandler. have always lived with
in my means, and / always expect to do so.
Mr.. Logan. Rich men always do.
Mr.. Chandler. | was very willing to come
here and occupy seat on this floor at the
salary which was then prescribed by law, and
am willing to do 50 yet.
Mr.. Logan. Would you not have been
willing to come if the salary had not been
anything at all? Laughter.
Mr.. Chandler. 1 might and might not.
Laughter. But / consider that the average
Congressman is we'll paid. There may be here
and there man who could earn more none
than he receives as a member OF Congress.
have no doubt that my distinguished friend
from Illinois could earn ;20, 900 or as 900 al
Z L t. L. . L.
and the average Senator is paid all that he is
worth for the service that he renders, and il
| a moiety Of both bodies should conclude that
they could not possibly afford to remain with
the salary, and should therefore resign, do
not think the country would suffer Laugh