The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-21
The Salaries NJ. C.S. are Re-
quired to Exist Upon.
THE FREEDOM OF THE FLOOR
The Behavior OF Ex-Congressmena rs
LObbyist--TheM Maintenance
OF Order-Etc
From our own Correspondent.

AAbAousH Tie sAldIl Oh q ION BreS.m an
is IS 900 per annum, exclusive of rail-
road fare, and an allowance OF $500 for
stationery. etc.. still there are very few
men who accept the position merely fer
the income it affords or the honor it il
supposed to confer. In the first place. it
is almost impossible for a man of limited
means TO fight bis way to Congress.
The expenses incident to an election in
every State and Territory in the Union
except, perhaps, the Territory of Utah
are something very considerable, ard
quite prohibitory so far as ordinary
everyday, well TODD men are concerned.
In consequence of this, poor men,
though they may possess the oratorical
abilities of a Demosthenes, or the
craftsmanship of q Gladstone, are
precluded from seeking Congre ssional
| honors. In England this is entirely the
case. The members of the British Par
/ lament get no salary at all. They
must be men of independent means.
They must pay the enormous expense
of election, and keep themselves in Lon
don, the seat of the government, during
every session of Parliament. The for
mer sometimes amounts TO q small
| fortune of itself, occasionally reaching.
in the counties of Northumberland and
Durham, especially in cases of contested
elections, the enormous sum of Zoo,
SIC, 900 and $l00, 000-rather large
amount of money 10 secure the honor
of being an NJ. P. To be sure, the cleo
ton bills of every member of the Brit
ish Parliament do not reach these great
/ "a mt IN fhEV
considerable, and very much beyond
the grasp of the common everyday
man, with one or two notable excep-
tons. In the English House of Com
mocs these exceptions were had in the
case of Mr.. Burt, who repre-
sented land believe still re
presently Morpeth district in the
county of Northumberland, and Mr..
Arch, who represented the Farm
Laborers' Union. Mr.. Burt was about
the first. If not the first, workingman's
candidate who was ever returned 10 the
British House of Commons. He was
put up by the members of the Miners
Union, one of the strongest organiya-
tons in the country, ana being poor
man, simply having held the position
/ of secretary Of the union in question,
he had TO be psid a salary. This the
Union raised, the amount being $500
per annum. Mr.. Burts advent in the
House Of Commone some sixteen years
ago vas quite an innovation. a sal
aried Member Of Parliament was some
thing altogether unusual. Albeit, Mr..
Burt has proved himself an able man.
He is radical in politics, aud, OF course,
strong and consistent follower OF Mr..
Gladstone. Mr.. Joseph Cowen, late
senior member for Newcastle-upOn
TYNE, one OF the ablest men that
ever sat in the House OF Commons,
though an extreme radical, was always
a staunch friend OF Mr.. Burt's. and
invariably they were found in the same
lobby. or upon the same side, upon al
impOr.ant cues. ions. Both OF them.
however. II l remember Alright, voted
against Mr.. Gladstone's Irish bill. not
because they were opposed - Home
Rule. or unfriendly TO the Irish people
for The Irish nation never had two
warmer friends than Mr.. Cowan and
Mr.. Burt-but because they could not
agree with the Grand Old Man" ~
MANY OF the details of his Irish bill.
Mr.. Arch, though quite al able man
and a successful leader OF the Farm
Laborers' Union never made much OF 8
mark in the House of Commons. How
ever. like Mr.. Burt, he was the chosen
representative of q certain trades or
ganiza'ion, and had to be paid salary
10 enable him to occupy the position e
which he had been elected, and which
10 say the least, was very honorable
one, and one that does not ian 10 th'
lot of many WOrkingmen IN England.
In the National Legislature ol
America. however, things are differently
managed. Every member thereon ma
q salary, as l have said, OF 5000, tins
Speaker OF the House. and the Presi'
dent of the Senate having $500 pc
annum each. Those. however, who
accent the position for the money
that is in it very soon md out that
is losing game. For a member
Congress 10 keep his family In anything
like decent style in Washington, sou
is found - be perfectly inadequate. IL
almost every case, unless the mem e
has some other source OF income
Congressional life and the expense
attached thereto viii land him owe
head and ears in debt. There may ,
a few men who manage TO actual
save money out OF the 50 600 per yes
for Congressional services, but they ar
So few and far between that they Nigh
almost be counted on the fingers {
one hand. To save anything at q
a man must live IN an impecuniou
style. II alone, he may engage moe
erately cheap room IN boarding
house, and eat st cheap restaurant
III he is encountered with family
soue men look upon them IS eI
CONFERENCE.-The may manage 20 live
a very unostentatiOus manner keepir
aioof from society. and IN this way saI
little Of his 500 per annum, or 81
per month. As rule. however. near
an Congressman have incomes ind
! pendent OF their Congressional salar
large number OF them are lawyer
and between sessions, and OCCASIONAL
|, during sessions. they follow very :
! munerative practice il the court
Tbeir Congressional duties, therefor
a are simply second string 10 the DO
They go to Congress for the love OF pc
: tics aud for the honor Of being memt
/" OF the National legislature. The e