The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-04-12
OUR SENATORS.
Lawyers and Railroaders In the
Majority. t
washIngtOn letter rhIIadeIphIa Record.

| WhsninBtOn ictcr fniihueiphih hccoru.
The new Senate, II such It may b.
called, is' u remarkable body, aud III
analysis shows that fifty two OF tn,
mem bers are lawyers, or rather hav,
studied law and then drifled int
politics. A round dozen are rail
readers, and all the great corpora
l'tions OF the country are represented
in the Senate, either directly or Judi
recliy. The New YORK Central hs,
Senator C0nEIiDg aud Plat; thu
Pennsylvania road Don Cameron aid
General Sewell; the Baltimore q
Ohio Senator Camden, who, Ia addi.
iivn, has big interest In that rather
Odoriterous monopoly. the Standard
Oil Company. The Southern rail
roads arc represented by Malone and
Joe Brown; the Western roads by
General Logan, Senator Fair and
General Edgarton, The Eastern
roads, which require no legislation,
are looked after indirectly by Sccre.
tary Blaine through bis next best
man .Bpb" Hale. Tho Texas Pacific
interest, Is guarded BY Senators KeI-
logg aud Maxey. There never was a
time in the existence of tile present
government when tho railroads OF
the country deemed itso important
as at present to have their 'auor-
neys" upon the floor OF the Senate.
This grows out OF the fact that every
Tom, Dick aud Harry who Is sent
to Congress has some plea or plan
for the government and control Of
railroads in his mind, Tho most OF
these ideas are pornicious, and, there:
fore, the corporations, instead OF ex-
pending large amounts Of money in
lobbying, as has been the case hereto
fore, prefor to make the deal in the
State Legislatures, and thus save a
double expense. Sixteen of the men,
bers OF the Senate wele identified
with The Confederate service, either
In a military or civil capacity, while
but seven served in the Union army.
Three are credited to The editorial
profession they being Anthony, OF
Rhode Island; llawley, of Connects.
icut, aud Plumb, OF Kansas. Wade
Hampton stands almost alone as a
professional politician. Senators
Ferry, Rollings and Morrill, are cred /.
tied to the mercantile class. Hill, of
Colorado, Is a professor Of metallur-
gy, Jones, OF Nevada, is n miner,
aud Davis, of West Virginia, 10 an
operator In coal and oil. General
burnside has been identified with the
military ever since he became of age
except ior brief period when he was
secretary OF Western railroad COM
pany. Mcpherson, OF New Jersey, Is
capitalist, aud measures men and
land a. iheirinarkct yalnc. The rich
est man in the Senate Is Fir, OF Ne.
vsda His colleague Jones, was at
one time as wealthy as he, but lie be-
came mixed up in numerous wild
cat enterprises, and his millions dis
appeared like snow before July sun.
lialf million melted away in a
scheme to provide the large cities oi
the South with patent ice. Philetus
Sawyer, short, bald-headed, ro.
tund man, comes next In worth. Ills
millions were made In the lumber OF
the Northwest. There are halt doz.
EN- members whose wealth Is comput-
ed at from $l.000,000 to $1,000, ,0O0
The poorest man is presumed 10 he
VOORHEES,, of Indiana. David Davis
can show more avoirdupois than any
single Senator, while Mahone is the
feather weight. The latter wears his
trousers plated at the waist, which IL
one oi thc eccentricities OF this rather
strange lndiyiduai. Vice President
Arthur has the peculiarly OF never
appearing OH the street without silk
umbrella. 7ai
1t was Jonn Phoenix who, upon
leaving q California port, leaned over
the rail Of the steamer aud shouted
sGood-by, Colonel" ITO q friend and
immediately halt the crowd took of
their hats IN acknowledgment Of the
salutation and shouted in return
"Good-by, old fellow, t'keer o.
y'rsclfW Malone had a somewhat
similar experience during the inaug.
u ration, lie retired early one night
aud awakened by messenger who
produced card with this inscription
~. A. Martin, Col. Militia Virginia.
"By----,p shouted Malone, Il amt
going to get up for any colonel oi
militia; there are ten thousand oil
them in Virginia, and they'd keep
me awake oil night il sat up to re-
ceive them tell the colonel I've gone
to bed.n The nextmorning itiwas
explained 10 Malone by a friend that
"c0l.n did not mean colonel this time
but that II included nearly a hundred
members ofa colored military com
pany OF Virginia who had come to
sercuasle him. Malone always scrut
Iinizes . card closely now which bear.
the word "col,' upon IL. ,,,s.
Few persons have any idea Of III,
cost Of legislation. 1t matters MOI
whether Congress IS In session or oil
a vacation, The expenses are ncarl,
the I. same. The sum Of $780, 900 i
requircd to pay the salaries of the
lmcmbers of the House and their mile
age. In addition to this the Hous,
voted itself $l25 for each member fo
newspapers and postage stamps
making all additional $37,725. Th,
clerk disbursed on account of salarie
to stationary employees $22l. .449 las
year, exclusively Of $4,000 whicl
the Treasury Department paid direc
to the stenographer. During reces
the persons who receive compensation
arc only about one hundred less thar
OF other times. The cost for the Sen
ate ia about $600,000a year, nearl,
| 100000 going for salaries and mil
cage, and tho remainder being divid
ed among the employees. Contrary 4
the general opinion, ON extra sessiol
] of Congress coasts but very rlittl
money, because nearly all the EN-
Iployees are paid whether Congress
sits Or not. e fsNifi