The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1882-04-22

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Congressional Pie Mes, Fish;nq
Ercn;sions, aad Bcnquete. H.
crease OF Weci,h im Congress.
Congressional EachipcIs.
From our Regular Cor, ,esponlent.l
Washington, d. G. April II, 80.
In the spring time some United
States Senators fancicS gently
turn to thoughts of fishing, excur
slonss, pic-nics, anywhere away
from the heavy debates of the up
per House. "A party of Senators
have just returned from fishing
excursion OF several days. in Vir
eiIlIa. 10 morrow Senator Fair
the bachelor OF Senator from Ne
vada with a snug little fortune of
$40 0oo,0 will give a pic mic ex
cnrSlon to humber of ladies and
@ent!em Ell to the Great Falls of
the Potomac, twelve miles dis.
tant. Yesterday another million
ARE, congressman AlicE OF Mis-
sou.l, was driven slowly on his
last excursion in q healse from
The Arlington hotel to the rail
way station. He left IL fortune
oi $l5,o00,GOO.
The rast has been an unusually
mid winter at the Capital, but
there las been Il great deal OF
sickness among members and sen
ators, and there is reason for the
SUSPICION that much of the ill.,
health arises from the system
wrtckins dissipation that has be
come TOO fatally fashionable
among members aud senators du
ring the last few years. or since
the Senate'haS become the "House
OF Mll'ioEairts." AT no previous
time III the history Of the country
has there been SO large II number
OF wealthy men iD Congress. The
present Senate contains at least Il
score ot Senators not one Of whom
is worth less than s2O0, 600. The
richest msn in the Senate is. of
course. Fair, Of Nevada, who prob
abiy possesses as much as ali the
other Senators together. Next
to him in iucre is David Davis, of
Illinois, Il widower who is repu>
ted to he the possesSOr of millions.
1t is somewhat difficult to name
the Senator whose ftutune ranks
third i'll size, but, if Eugene Hale
OF Maine has received the mantle
of bis father in law Zach Ciland
Ter with ITS vel! lined pockets. his
fortune is n a:!y as large as that
of David Davis. The wife of Sen
ator Hale is the only daughter Of
the late Senator Zach. Chandler.
Other very wealthy Senators are
Miller. OF California; Maho,r. of
Virginia and Sawyer. If Wis
cOnsin know 10 be worth more
than million Zach. sSewell of
New Jersey is a rail road man
ana is reported very wealthy.
Senator John Sherman, OF Ohio.
it is said, is worth more than
S1.OOO,00O. his property consist
ing largely OF real estate in Wash
ington. Among other Senators
who wrote their fortunes with
seven figures, are Cameron, of
Pennsylvania; Davis. of West
Virginia and Pinm Of Kansas,
Senators Hill, nf Colorado; Brown
Of Georgia G.oomt. of Maryland
McPhe'>ou, ct New Jersey are
all worth mo,e than $500. 900.
Many ether Senators are cOmpar
aIively. here below, ,slat is not
more than 100000 apiece, are
Morrill, ct Vermont; Anthony, of
Rhode Island; Rollins, of New
Ham>hirr: Jones. OF Ne> ada and
Jones. Of Florida j: johnson. OF
Virginia Beck. OF Kentucky; ;
Saunders, Of Nebraska Allison,
OF Iowa; and Harrison of III
Giana.
The House has rot as many
wealthy men in proportion to its
members, but there are several
milllonaiIes in this body, and
many more who, before this late
day of collassal fortunes, would
have been considered ,ich. 1t
may be useless to moralize on the
influence Of this great increase OF
wealth in the two legislative bod
les of the United States, and the
undermining ami virtue sarping
tendencies that the abuse Of
wealth will produce on indigi
duals and on States. But it is
certainly more profitable to moral
ize now than it will be at the in
quest. There can be no doubt
that the efficiency of members anl
senators Is seriously impaired by
stOmachS ruined. or brains cloud
ed or craZed from the so called
high toned" dissipation in which
some of our improviSed states
men dlsrort their wealth. There
scarcely an evening that some
wealthy congressman does not
give dinner. These dinners are,
to speak mildly, argies of gluttony
and drunkenness.