The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-12
A coNGREssMAN's EXPENSES.
How Much 1t Costs to Live in Style at the
Capital.

HOW Mucn 1t Costs TO Live IN style at the
Capital.
Washington Special.
A new member of congress came here a
few days ago to make some arrangements for
winter residence He speedily ran across
an old member from his own city, which will
not be named here but it is in the North
west, and the political recruit asked the vet
eran where he had better look for a house.
"How many are there in your family?' asked
the old member. only my wife and l."
was the reply. "You don't want house at
all, said the old member. "Where shall 1
go to board?'' go to the -. That is Just
the place for you cut-glass gentlemen You
can live in swell style there for a great deal
less than il would cost you to keep house.
A lived there all the while he was in
Washington, and B., who tried every
hotel in town, spent his last political davs
there"
"What did A pay?" asked the new
member
"He had his wife and daughter with him.
and he paid 800 month"
"Whewl' whistled the new member, who
could pay 800 month if he really wanted
to. Pm not going to pay 500 month. I
know where | can get very good accommo-
dations for $3.50 MONTH"
Put another $3.50 with that and compro-
mise on $780," said the old member, land go
in for some of the ct ceteras. / have been
here some years." he continued, land can
give you few points. You don't want to
bury Yourself in any $3.50 place. If YOU
were a common citizen you and your wife
could get very good accommodations for the
figures you name, but a congressman can't
do it. You want to go to place where the
In h.
gress, and will advertise you-give you
boom. You haven't any idea how totally
obscure you can be next winter if you are
not careful. Every new member of Con-
greSs is looked on as an accident If he gets
reelected it is assumed that his constituents
did it on purpose, and he gets treated with
corresponding respect. But he is of no par
ticular account his first two years. You
come on here next winter a new member,
and personally unknown to the leaders
in the House. and you get tackled on
to the tail end OF an unimportant committee
the committee on revolutionary claims or
on expenditures IN the State Department
and you never catch the eye of the Speaker,
and it will surprise you to find out how
small part OF the government you are and
how little you count in Washington. though
at home you are prominent citizen in one
OF the great cities of the country. Therefore
you want to live where you will be OF
enou"h account 10 compensate you tor your
obscurty at the capital Suppose you go to
that $3.50 place. You'll have good food and
good room, but nobody in the house will
remember that you are congressman, or
care if they did Now, how would you like
it to put in hard days work at the capitol,
wearing yourself out on a committee where
there is plenty of work and no glory, and
then go toybNr clearinghouse and be asked
where you've been all day2 You wouldn't
like it. You've got money, and you'd better
live where you can get some enjoyment out
of being congressman"
by the way" said the old member, recur-
ring to this subject, "A, whom l referred
to, used to have pretty comfortable quarters
at the hotel spoke of, c. called on him