Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-07-11
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
ABOUT LEADING MEN AND MEAS
URES.
A Conrres-mRn's ENPenses-Where tn"
Money Goc>-Sam Cox in Turk"y-M"r-
rison and His Tariff W"rry-One Dirty
White H"use-JudSc Kelley and Gen.
Wheeler.


W ASHlNGTpN. July d " poA "nal SUN
can an economical congressman live at
Washington r.
| asked this question Of General B'n L.
fevre, of ONO as We rode out TO the Capitol
In a herliC today He replied at costs
me SS.DO a year with n extra Expenses for
lunches and theatres. don't believe a man
can live here decsntly on less. and pay the
proper attention to his dis rIct He has TO
have his stonographer AMI clerks to send
out his documents and run his errasiS His
board COSTS a gooi roun sum, and he mus
buy a lot Of reports ami speeches TO keep his
people informed | send out thousands of
speeches which have TO paw for, and s'nd
them to every man IN my district, Repubi-
can AMI Democrat | have sent out 1900
of Judge kelleys speeches OH the tariff, and
an equal number of Sam Rlndalrs and Bill
Morrison's ! used to send out great
many of Gartiolds speeches, and make II
principle to that every man III my dis
triCt gets something. ! have no family to
add 10 my expenses and find | can't afford
to stay here and pay out g. 90 n year for
the sake OF patriotism ! have announced
10 my district that | will not be again can
didate"
Gen Iefevrc is but one Of many Of the
present congress who have come TO look
upon con ,reSsional life as prottless bust
ness, and who havs deciled to get out Of it
Martin For an, one OF the lesdIn labor con-
gressmen, tells me he is too p ror to accept
denomination, and | understand that Ran
doll b Tucker, of Virginia, has decide TO
leave the house and devote himself entirely
to the practice of law Barbour. Of Nir-
G mia has also announced his intention of
retiring, though there is a cons Id~rable pres
sure to have HIM continue in ths house.
The day is fast comm, when only very
rich men or poor men without Trains can
afford TO remain in congress. There ls no
money in the business legit!mately. and the
oldest members OF congress are as rue poor
men. Sam Randall has teen here twenty
two years. and it is doubtful whether he IL
worth more than $1,000 to-day. Judge
Kelley is not rich, and Tom Rocd, Speaker
Carlisle and Holman have added hut little
TO their piles since they came to congress
wears ago Holman is perhaps worth SlO,-
600 but he inherited the most of this AMI
he has lived very economically here
The cost OF living at Washington becomes
more and more expensive year by ar, and
the congressman of to-day leads far differ
ent life than did the statesman in Webst ers
tim Then the majority Of men camo to
congress without their wives They boarded
at boarding houses, in what were calle
rnesses and 81 a day was then a pretty fair
charge for room and board Now it is the
fashion for a Congressman to bring his wife
with him. and TO ii her live at hOt'l or to
keep house The charges at the frst-claS,
hotels here range from 81 dav and up
wards, and 1t is not uncommon for a con
IL
hotel bills Instances occur every session in
which rlemb.rs pay $1,000 month al
hotels, and if n congre sma wishes TO live
in rooms outside OF a ho;el and walk out
for his meals he cannot get good parlOr
and bedroom for less than 500 a month
" one keeps house and rents on, furni he'd
room in a fashionable location his rent will
run all the way from 800 a month for a
house of six or eight rooms TO $1,000
month for a house something like Senator
Blaine's. which rents for Sl3, 90 year on q
five years lease. II h. wishes to entertain
at all his six or eight room house will not 40,
and he must have one that rents for g.. O0O or
5000 year at least and If he gives many
dinners he will soon find that his living ex-
pen>es are several times his rent One can
not give cheap dinners in Washington, and
]
which cost $50 a plata he must give like din
ners in repayiny them 1t is not an unCom-
mon thing for a single dinner here to cost
u 600, ami we ara advancing so fast to-
ward the customs of Europe that a dinner
without wines is not in fashion When
Eyart's was secretary OF state his expenses
cost him | am told from $2). OOO to $:jOOD
more than his salary, ana Senator Sherman
4, moi lpnr arO that - pf
the treasury he Spent mora in entertaining
than the s. 40 4 year which he received Is
cabin t officer.
The entertainments Of n numbsr Of con
yressmen durin; the past year have run
we'll up into the thou ,aadS. and these sleep
,ng eating and drinkir: expenses arc by no
means the only necessary ones In the first
place, there is the stenographcr AMI the
clerk, which the statesman must have if he
does not wish to change him elf into an
errand boy ami hack. Some congress-
men often receive 100 letters a day. and the
answering Of this mail alOno would be a
physical impossiblity Tnen come the
social expenses and the matter Of cab fares,
if YOU do not keep a hor e Is a big one The
congre~sman's wifi cannot make h,r calls in
the street cars, and if she is in this swim she
will need carriage both day and night
during the season. Her dresses will cost her
more than at home. and the congressman
finds a thousand little extras such AS jew
rlry. diamonds and cards. which he hal not
dreamed of in the b :ck woods village from
which he came Tns -x'cn u Of calling
cards is a little thing when might be men-
toned as one of many Items 1t is not un-
common for from 81 to 500 to be spent in
the cards for a season. AMI moro when anv
engraved inv .tatiOns are sent out No one
us,,s printed cards nowadays and etiquette
prescrlbrs different style Of cards almOsi
every year The result il that the Goa
gresham finds that, long b,!ore the session
Is over he is living far beyond his inc lme
and that thers Is No c!anc, of retr,nc l.
ment
Some of our rich congressman ara also
tired Of the life Charley Felton,. OF Califor
MA who is pc: hap, tho rich ,-t man in tn.
house. does nOt intend 10 coma back H
d cision is not on tine grounds Of expense
for ha says it co is hlm NOR. TO live at home
than it does here. H. is dIss1tlsti, Il with the
slow metho Is uf doing things and Ioes not
ike so much talking and so lIttl+ work Abe
Hewitt has gotten tired of congressional.
life; and = IN Cox, just before hs left for
Turkey, told me tuat he accep:ud the pO,
ton because he was tired OF tLra hing over
AMI over again the sane I'D straw III tn,
house of representatives
Speaking Of Cox, h. is making a grea:
success of his mission 10 Turkey. TIE su
tan has paid him esp 'ciAlly high honors,
and | have received u French and English
paper from him to-day c. ntalnIng long az
count of a banquet which the sultan gave al
the first of this month in his honor. TIL
-ultan paid especial altent on TO Mrs Cox
at this dinner, and Sam Cox made one Of
his pretty little speeches IN reply, which had,
however, to be filtered through the inter
pretsr before the sultan coul understand it
o Of the princes played the piano for tn
party, and tie sultan showed Mr.. Cox a
II Il l. : l. = - 1