River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-07-21
SENATOR'S AND SALARIES.
How and when They SevefaIIy Ora
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How and when They SeveraIIy Draw
Their Pay.
United States Senators draw their
salaries just as regularly and with as
much greediness as any other "hired
hand" in Washington. Some of them
draw every day during the session of
Congress, some once q week, others
twice month. A few of them go into
the cashiers room of the secretary's
Office and get their salaries only once
month. One senator only draws his
pay once year.
Among the senators who most FREE
quently cali for their stipends is Sena-
tor Voorhees,, of Indiana. 1t is said
that he calls on the secretary for his
salary oftener than any other member
of the senate.
Henry g. Davis, of West Virginia, is
rich man, and uses his salary for
spending money. Whenever he needs
a little pocket-money he sends his
clerk into the cashiers office and draws
$50, 800, 500, and sometimes $500, at
time He boards at the Arlington
Hotel, and lives within his salary.
Don Cameron, of Pennsylvania, it is
said, prefers hard money, but is not
regular in calling for his pay. He does
not carry any money with him, and
runs bill at the senate restaurant,
which, have heard often amounts to
from $500 to $500 When he needs
any money he goes in to the cashier
and tells him to send up to his house
$50 in 10-cent pieces, 800 III quarters,
5000 in half-dollars, and 800 or so in
silver dollars.
Old David Davis is, perhaps, the
most regular in drawing his salary On
the first day of every month he goes
to the cash-room and calls for his
money. One day 7 happened to be
there when the Illinois heavyweight
came in for his pay. While the clerk
was getting it ready Mr.. Davis remark
ed: 81 expect / give you young men
a good deal of trouble, calling for my
money so often, hey-eh? ?" "Oh, not
at all, answered the clerk. eff all the
senators were as regular as yourself,
we would not have any trouble at all.
"Ah p said the senator; "are there
any who draw more frequently than l
do, eh-hey-eh? cob, yes, sir. |
Some eff them draw little every day, |
others once week, and a great many |
a dozen times month" "You don't |
say So" said Mr.. Davis. care there
any who draw less frequently than l
do?" Eyes, sir. There is one senator
who only draws once year." "Ah
Eh, hey Humph p grunted the old
senator. "He could draw out and get
interest on it, couldn't he-hey, eh ?"
and then rolling up his monthly salary
which the clerk had handed him, he
walked off muttering to himself, "Once
a year, ell ought to draw it out and
get interest on Itch, hey ?"
Roscoe Conkling drew his salary once
month. When ne resigned he sent
one of his clerks up to the Capitol and
drew all that was due him, including
the day on which his resignation was
read. He, however, was not in his seat
on that day, nor was he at the Capitol
at all afterward, during the remainder
of the extra session. Platt, of New
York, has balance of Sc placed to his
credit, which, if he does not check out
before the LIST of July, will be sent to
him by the Secretary of the Senate.
One Senator from the South, who
owns property, it is said, frequently
sells his salary before it is due at dis
count / am told that once or twice,
after having given an order on the Sec
rotary for his pay, by the way, he had
gone and drawn it out himself, allow
ing his order to go to protest and be
dishonored.
Sherman draws his money whenever |
he needs it, sometimes twice month,
and oftener it runs ON two months.
Pendleton draws up close every month |
when the Senate is in session.
Burnside sends draft on the Secre-
tary's office to his banker at Providence |
once a month, and the bank draws on
the Secretary of the Senate regularly |
every month, whether the Senate is in |
session or not Anthony is the only |
Senator that draws once year, and his
banker attends to it for him.
Fair, of Nevada, went of without
drawing cent. but his salary from the
4th of March to the LIST of July will be
sent to him if he does not draw it out |
in the meantime, Fair is said to be |
worth $40 100000 Ben Harrison drew
on his salary three or four times. Call,
of Florida, is said to be the most inn
provident Senator in the bunch. 1t is |
said that he really does not know how
to manage his own financial affairs.
Senator Joe Brown, who looks like an
early day Scotch Presbyterian, uses his
salary for living expenses in Washing
ton. He draws his money whenever
his hotel presents its bill. Then he
goes to the Senate Chamber and com
plains about how much it costs to live |
in Washington. His living expenses, |
however, it is thought, do not exceed |
his salary. Last winter he boarded at |
the Riggs House, but he bought, or pro-
poses to buy, house in which he will |
live, and. it is said, will entertain on an
elaborate scale, Mr.. Brown is said to |
be worth one or two millions.
There are several Senators who have |
no other income than their salaries. |
They carnot draw more money than |
is actually due them, but are entitled |
to their salary whether they come near |
Washington during the session of Con- |
gress or stay away. If they do not call
for their money it is sent to them on |
the LIST of July each year. The major
ity of Senators are railroad directors, |
presidents of banks, bank directors, etc. |
Pendleton and Sherman both have |
large railroad interests, as also has |
Henry G. Davis, of West Virginia, who
has large mining interests, besides a
large commercial business in Balti- |
more. Plumb and Ingalls,, of Kansas,
are both interested in railroad enter
prises in the Southwest With but few
exceptions all of them are interested in
some way with some corporation or
other. The five-thousand-dollar salary |
paid Senator is, therefore, to them, a
minor consideration. There is not one |
of them that would not be willing to |
serve as United States Senator without
the salary, and question whether
there is one of them that would serve If
the salary was the only consideration at
stake.