New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-05
4 Rad ,SH1VE.

The able statesmen of the Pennsylvania Senate
have been shaving and bathing at the expense
of the State since 1874. Objection to this use
of the public money having been made by some
captiOus newspapers, an investigation has been
held and a discOntnnance of the custom IS
likely to follow. Some decidedly interesting
revelations have been made 10y the inquiry. An
act of 1874 provided for the appointment of
ajanitor of the wash-room." The Senator'S at
once informally elevated this humble person
into tho position of Senate Barber" ard put
him in charge of the Senate Barber shop and
bathing rooms There was no warrant Tor
such an establishment, but it was maintained
for eight years and the expenses were PAID
from the Contingent Fund. The barber testi-
fled that his establishment cost tho State i'll
1881 about $500. When the newspapers
began to talk about it he wanted to shut up
shop, but the Senators would not let him. >"
long as hc kept it going he did not believe in
Stunning it OH Cheap John principles, 80
bought the best of everything" During the
session of 1851 thirty gallons of the best I'M
ported bay rum was used to lave the heads and
bodies of the Senatorial statesmen, and there
was also CONSUMED n tremendous amount of
puifs powder. pomade and soap. 1t ought to
have been the cleanest and sweetest and
sleckes: Sen ate in the world.
We regret to observe that second-ratc articles
were "fung i'm on the able Senators i'll
several instances. The barber let out his pat
ronage by contract, and some of the contractors
male handsome profits by supplying inferior
goods. Thus the sponge contractor agreed to
supply sponges Mt SO a pound. Those he
furnished were subsequently estimated as being
worth no more than 81 pound. Or course, the
State was the pecunlary loser III the trans
action, but what lgnominy it was Tor the august
Senatorial head to be swabhcd with sponge OF
so low a quality. Then boxes containing only
sixty bars of soap were paid for as II containing
one bundled. Second-rate, ard possibly
second hand, combs and brushes were fur
nisled in the same way, and there were sug-
grstions that the man who supplied the
towels and chamOis skins had n "divy" with
the barber by which no furnished poor
supplies and made u 80 per cent profit
on his contract. This shows how corruption is
gnawing at the very vtals OF our institutions.
Nothing is too sacred for it's pollutng touch.
Think of the Pennsylvania Senatorial bald
head, scrubbed with laundry soap, washed of
with sponge bought on a street corner at ten
cents the dozen, polished up with towel which
may have been a discarded dishcloth, and
finally whitened with nasty chalk preparation
deceitfully called powder! No wonder free in-
situations are t0ttcring! If this is the kind of
treatment which a great modern statesman ex-
peIiences when he submits himself TO be shaved
and bathed at the public expense, our system OF
government is miserable failure.
There is another phase of the case even more
appalling. The barber testified that the Sena-
tors were in the habit of putting the Injuries of
his establishment ut the command OF their WIS.,
ting constituents. That is to say, the Senator
who had constituent to entertain would say to
him in a winning and hospitablo manner: "My
"dear Brown, ] am going to give you treat.
" Here is an order on the State Barber for free
shave and free bath. Go and enjoy yOurself."
There are persons who Object to iavors of that
kind. A promising new club Of gentlemen in
this city WAS nearly stampeded recently by re-
cciyIng a communication from the proprietor of
a Turkish bath establishment Offering to give
all the members of tho club a free bath. The
query was at once raised whether a club which
struck an outsider az needing a general bath
was in a healthy condition. The Pennsylvania
constituents were not so sensitive and they'all
took the bath. Now they are shown that 1t was
a second-rate wash which they were treated to,
and that the cost of il cams out of the pockets
of the taxpayers rather than the Senators. 1t
is a world of shams aud decisions.
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