Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-04-15
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
CONGRESSIONAL PTcNIcs, FISHING Ex-
-cURsIoNs AND BANQUETs-IN-
CREASE OF WEALTH IN
CONGRESS.

NONNhEsS1ONAL PlCNICS, FISHING En-
-cURsIoNs AND BANQUETs-M
CREASE OF WEALTH
CONGRESS.
(Frcm our regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, d. c., April II, 1882.
In the spring time some United
States Senator'S fancies turn to the
thoughts of fishing, excursions, pic
mics, anywhere away from the heavy
debates of the upper House. A party
of Senators have just returned from
fishing excursion of several days in
Virginia Tomorrow Senator Fair,
the bachelor Senator from Nevada
with snug little fortune of $4,000
600, will give picnic excursion to a
number of ladies and gentlemen to
the Great Falls of the Potomac, twelve
miles distant Yesterday another mil
lionaire, Congressman Allen of Missou-
ri, was driven slowly on his last excur-
sion in hearse from the Arlington
Hotel to the railway station. He left
fortune of S15,OCOO00.
The past has been an unusually mild
winter at the Capitol, but there has
been great deal Of sickness among
members and senator's And there is
reason for the suspicion that much of
the i'll health arises from the system
wrecking dissipation that has become
too fatally fashionable among members
and senators during the last few years.
or since the Senate has become the
blouse of Millionaires." At no pre-
vious time in the history of the coun-
try has there been so large number
of wealthy members in Congress. The
present Senate contains at least a
sc IRE of Senators not one of whom is
worth less than 100000. The richest
man in the Senate is, of course, Fair,
of Nevada, who probably possesses as
much as all the other Senators togeth-
er. Next to him in lucre is David
Davis, of Illinois, a widower who is
reported to be the possessor of mil
lions. 1t is somewhat difficult to name
the Senator whose fortune ranks
third in size, but, if Eugene Hale of
Maine has received the mantle of his
father-in-law, Zach. Chandler, with its
we'll lined pockets, his fortune is near
ly as large us that of David Davis. The
wife of Senator Hale is the only
daughter of the late Senator Zach.
Chandler. Other very wealthy Sena-
tors are Miller, of California Malone,
of Virginia apd Sawyer, OF Wiscon-
sin known to be worth more than a
million each. Sewell OF New Jersey
is a railroad man and is reputed very
wealthy. Senator John Sherman, of
Ohio, it is said, is worth more than
81 100000, his property consisting
largely of real estate in Washington.
Among other Senators who write their
fortunes with several figures, are Cam
eron, of Pennsylvania Davis, of West
Virginia and Plum, of Kansas. Sen
atOrs Hill. OF Colorado Brown, OF
Georgia GrOome, OF Maryland Nc
Pherson, OF New Jersersy; and Pendle-
ton, OF Ohio, are all worth more than
100000. Many other Senators are
comfortably fixed, possessing little
boards of from $4,000 to 100000
Among those who have but little, COM
paratively, here below, that is not more
than 100000 apiece, are Morrill,, of
Vermont; Anthony, OF Rhode Island ;
Rollins, of New Hampshire Jones, of
Nevada Jones, of Florida johnson,
of Virginia Beck, of Kentucky /;
Saunders, of Nebraska Allison of
Iowa, and Harrison, of Indiana.
The House has not as many wealthy
men in proportion to its numbers, but
there are several millionaires in this
body, and many more who, before this
late day OF colossal fortunes, would
have been considered rich. 1t may be
useless to moralize on the influence
of this great increase of wealth in the
two legislative bodies of the United
States, and the undermining and viz
tue-sapping tendencies that the abuse
of wealth will produce on individuals
and on States. But it is certainly
more profitable to moralize now than
it will be at the inquest. There can
be no doubt that the efficiency
of members and senators is seri-
ously impaired by stomachs ruined,
or brains clouded or crazed from the
so-called "high-toned' dissipation in
which some of our ;mprovised states
men disport their wealth. There Is
scarcely an evening that some wealthy
congressman does not give dinner.
These dinners are, to speak mildly
ogies of gluttony and drunkenness.