The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-03-24
THE OoNTEMPTIBLENEsss OF PARsI-
M0NY,

and parsimony. The one is commendsble In
the highest degree, while the other is con
neutrality-suspicious., despicsblo. We have
before had occasion TO submit few remarks
upon that portion Of the state constitution
which inhibits the payment Of II per diem ex'
ceedng two dollars after sixty days service TO
legislators, but tho following paragraph from
the st. Louis Post-Dlspstch brings the mat
ter up again in so strong and forci-
bic manner that we cannot refrain
from again giving expression to our
disgust for such sprovision in the iunda-
mental law framed for tho direction and
government Of iraemen, of honest men and
OF gentlemen. The Post-Dispstch says
"The statesmen of the Missouri legislature
are now hammoring away At 81 per day. 1t
is said that very fair board can be had st
Jefferson City for SO 80 per week, with
washing and incidentals at fifty cents. As
liquor costs little Of nothing, frugal mem
Der can save SO week without doing himself
himself violence. The spring is very back
ward, and IL will be at lesst three weeks
before tho rural members will DO seized with
a desire to 60 bArefooted. The session may
DO extended into next month" II would
seem from tho above that the Missouri law
requires its legislators TO serve for dollar u
day after certain length Of time. Now is
this not little and pitifu? Men who 80 TO
the legislature are presumed TO be gentlemen
and men of standing in tho respective COM
mlnlies that name them to represent them
in the legislature. |. it not con-
tempHble parsimony, then, on tho psrt
of the state 10 require th0m to give their
time aud their abilities 10 behalf of the states
best interests and the peoples welfare, for Il
pittance that will not support them decontly,
will not enable them TO live rs becomes gen
tlemenY " Is true that membership Of
the legislature is not supposed TO be remit
nerative position, place out of which money
can BIO made, but i. is not too much to sup
pose that IL carries with it salary sufficient
to enable the legislator to 1.-Two and TO sup
port himself 10 a style that gentleman.in
his position should live. Any citizen of the
the state who is legal voter is eli
giblo to seat in the legislature, but by
cutting down the Legislators per diem to
niggardly proportions, by putting it at the
ptiful figures that no cannot live without
drawing upon his income from other sources
you drive poor men away from the losisla-
ture. They dare not accept seats in il.
because they cannot afford to neglect their
business, TO leave their homes and spend
what little substance they may have in their
support at Austin. Tho consequence will
DO that only rich men viii be elected TO tho
legislature, because only rich men
can afford il. II needs no arguments |
from us to show that the bost |
interests of the country, that is Of tho masses |
of tho country, might bo imporlled by max
ing only rich men Legislators. The rich men
of tho country are interested in its railroads, |
Ito manufactures, its express companies, its |
lines, in fact, in all lis great enter.
prses and industries, and capital is very
liable to look out for tho bes. interest of
capital, and to shape legislation to that end
it can do ii, without regard to the
rights, behests or interests Of labor
Or anything else. We do not wish
10 DO understood rs advocating
, high rate of salary for members Of the
legislature. We think five dollars per day is
sufficient, for this sum will enable member
o live comfortably and easily and, further
moro, il he is poor, ii is sum sufficient to
,eep him FREQ in SO far as HE nee ssilios may
}, concerned from tho temptations of the
obby. Want and ponury make the very
'ast men do things that they blush for them
.lves, that their consciousness lash them
lmost into frenzy for doing. Pay the leg
slatcr who is poor only 81 or 81 per day
sy for his services and no has
10 resources of his own TO draw
rom to enable him to pay his bills ut tho
spitsl, and no il an easy victim for the
obbyist who has q sehomo TO work, ameasuro
0 put through. Ii is human nature, Spar
an integrity, an iron will, u Washing,onian
irtua can bat barely escape the wilo5 of tho
educer with his crisp bank notes. his silence
nd his secrecy under such circumstances.
Again We say TO the legislature, and wo say
in the name Of the people and in tho nsms
Il honesty and of TRUTH change that two
'ollar clause Of tho constitution 50 that the
legislator will receive i've dollars for cvory
lay he may serve.