Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-07-14

~ money 0OcS-SaTn COX IN lufH6yr-BlOT-
rison and His Tariff worry-one Dirty
White House-Judgc Kelley and Con.
Wheeler.
Special correspondence.
WASHINGTON, July 5-"Upon what sum
can an economical congressman live at
Washington ~
/ asked this question of General Ben Le-
fevre, of Ohio. as we rode out to the Capitol
in a herdic to-day. He replied at costs
me 5000 a year with no extra expensesfo for
lunches and theatres. l don't believe n man
can 1.-Two here decently on less, aud pay the
proper attention to his district. He has to
have his stenographer and clerks to send
out his documents and run his errands. His
board costs a good round sum, and he must
buy a lot of reports and speeches to keep his
people informed. / send out thousands or
speeches which / have TO pay for, and ! send
them to every man in my district, Republic
can and Democrat. I have sent out 10, 00a
OF Judge Kelley's speeches on the tariff, and
nm equal number of Sam Randalrs and Bill
Morrison's. / used to send out a great
many of Garfield's speeches, and make it q
principle to see that every man in my dis
trict gets something. l have no family to
add to my expenses and / find / can't afford
to stay here and pay out So. 600 a year for
the sake Of Patriotism. | have announced
to my district that i viii moi beJ again a can
didatep
Gen. Lefevre is but one of many of the
present congress, who have come to look
upon con sressional life as a protitIess bust
ness, and who, have decided to get out Of it.
Martin Foran, one Of the leadin & labor con-
gressmsn, tells me he is too poor TO accept a
49, ~ 10 , q, -.
dolth Tucker. of Virpinia. has decided to
leave the. house and devote himself entirely
to the practice of law Barh,,,n. Of Viz.
g,nia, has also announced his Intention of
retiring. though there is a considerable rres-
sure to have him continue in the house.
The day is fast coming wbea only yery
rich men or poor men without brains can
afford to remain IN congress Tl,era is-no
money IN the business leeitunatelv ..a tho
| oldest members OF congress are rs, n rifle moor
men. SAM Randall has bee,, here TWENTY
two years. and IT ia doubtful yhetbar ba il
worth more than 10000 TODAY. .Judoe
| Kelley is not rioh. and Tom Reed Sneaker
| Carlisle md Holman hive addad Inf 5itfla
to their piles since thew came to CONGRESS-
years ago. Holman Is perhaps worth $40.
600. but be Inherited the most of this and
he has lived very economically here.
The cost OF living at Washington becomes
more and more expensive wear by wear and
the congressman of to-day leads a far differ.
ent life than did tho statesman in Webst er,s
tims. Then the majority of man CANA IN
congress- without their wives Thew hoa rdaa
at boarding houses. in What were called
messes. and ST a day was then n prettv fair
charge for room and board. Now II Is the
fashion for n congressman to bring his wife
with him and to either live NH q, botaI or 70.
| keen house. The charges at the first-closs
botels here range from 81 a day and mn,
wards. and 1t is not uncommon for n ron
pressman to nav 500 n week and mora ne
| hotel bills. Instances occur every session in
| which members nav / Oo0 4 month 1T
hotels. and if n congressman wishes, to live
in rooms outside of a hotel and 1va,,r ont
for his meals. he cannot oet ! GOOD nar,o,.
rand bedroom for less than 500 q month
IT one keeps ho,,ss and rents one furnished
room In n fashionable location his rent win
run all the way from S10o a month for \
house OF six or eight rooms 10 al 600 4
month for q house sometbino like Senate
| Blaine's. which rents for sIs' 600 q wear on \
Ave years lease. If he wishes to entertai1
| at ali his six or eight rom house will not do
and he must have one that rents for SO 600 or
IS 600 d YEAR at least and II he oives many
Il MINERS 1n WIFI soon md GlAE MS III win aY-f
nenses are seyerahtimes his rant. One can.
not give sSheap dinners in WASHINGTON and.
iii 4 senator accents inyitati6ns "a ,anosts
which cost $50 a plate he must rive like din
ners In repaying them. 1t is not an unoom.
mon thing for a single dinner here TO cost
81. 600. and we arc advancing so fast IL
ward the customs of Euro,,, that 4 dinner
without wines Is not la fashion. When
Eyart's WINS secretary of state his exnancas
cost him, / am told, from $50. 900 to $50 600
more than his salary. and Senator Sherman
told me not long ago that as secret.rv ar
the treasury he spent more in entertaininp
than the $1,000 a year which he rece;vaa 40
cabinet officer. i Z a
The entertainments OF a number Of con-
gressvnen during the past year have run
well up into the thousands, and these sleen-
ing entinp and drinking eYoenses arc Nv NJ.
means the only necessary ones. In the first
place. there is the stenoprapher and tha
clerk, which the statesman must have If he
does not wish to change himself into an
srrand boy and a hack. Some congress-
men often receive 100 letters a day. and the
answering of this mail alone would be a
physical impossibility. Then come tho
social expenses. and the matter of cab fares
IL o do not keep a horse. is a big one. The
congressman's wife cannot make her calls in
the street cars, and if she is in the swim sha
will need a ,carriage both day and nicbt
during the season. Her. dresses win cost her
more than at. home, and, the congressman
finds a thousand little extras, such as lew
elry, diamonds and cards, which he had not
dreamed of in the b~acswoods village from
which he came. The expense of calling
cards Il a little thing which might be- men.
toned as one Of many items. 1t is not nm