The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-31
SENATORIAL PAY.

The sum Of $4,000, adopted by the House
on Wednesday as the annual salary OF
Senator of the United States, with sufficient
allowance for mileage to cover actual travel
ling expenses, seems to be enough for the
comfortable support Of an average Conscrlpt
Father. He is supposed to be Of mature age
and to have succeeded in professional or
other business. He is presumed to be the
supporter of family living in comfort, II not
elegantly. He may be taken as the father OF
q youth at college and damsel at boarding
school, with younger representatives at home.
His average age may be about fifty years. AT
that time of life his tastes and habits are sup
posed to be fixed. If he has lived in genteel
luxury at his own home he will seek for SINH
lar qualification at Washington.
For rich men with elegant tastes the salary
would meet but q fraction of their expenses
For poor men with large families it would
scarcely suffice even with strict economy. Il
is not the duty Of either sort to accept the
position unless they can afford it.
Salary may be an important consideration
to few Senators, perhaps to one in four; the
great majority of them are usually independ-
emit OF salary, and would suff.r little incon-
venience if receiving nothing for their ser
vices. It has become something of fashion
for Senators to take their families to Wash
ington, where, Of course, the cost Of house
keeping, added to expensive dissipation and
almost compulsory entertainment, greatly ex-
esed the Senator'S allowance.
An honorable citizen of q State, well-in-
formed as to its wants and interests, capable,
by n, cans of native talent and thorough dis
cipline, Of presenting sound doctrine in
forcible and impressive manner, man Of
learning and man Of business, man capa-
BILE of vindicating in the Senate the equality
and the sovereignty Of the State which he
represents, like every other true servant, is
worthy Of his hire. To such Senator we
should not hesitate to give enough to sustain
his family comfortably at home, and enough
more to enable him to live OF the national
capital without any disagreeable sense of in
suficiency.
Neither at Washington nor elsewhere will
any gentleman of real taste attempt to ape
the foolish and wicked extravaganza of srobs
and shoddyites, nor will he permit his family
to waste his substance in delusive and costly
follies Yet Senator who is worthy of his
position ought to receive for able service
satisfactory and comfortable salary.
It would, perhaps, be quite as we'll if SEN
ators'of the United States were made wholly
independent of the government as to their
pay. They are the ministers Of the States
whose Legislatures select them, and if they
should receive their pay directly from the
States that employ them it might tend to keep
them more constantly impressed with the
idea Of State independence. Senators are in
some aspects clothed with ambassadorial func-
tons, being representatives Of governme nts
rather than of popular multitudes; for this
reason we should prefer to have them wholly
dependent upon the States which appoint
them, and wholly independent Of the power
to which they are delegated. Receipt Of pay
from their own States directly by formal vote
of State Legislatures would remind Senators
Of the source of their ministerial authority
and OF the special and constant duty and obe-
dience due to their respective States.