The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-11
MATTERS AT THE CAPITAL
Reasons Why the Members of Congress
Should Be Allowed One Clerk Each,
But Why Should They Be Paid Six Dollars
Day?-Practical Illustration of Lard Adult
teratiOn-GeneraI Washington News
cLERKs ZOE MEMnERs.

Proposed Innovation for which thsrs APP
pears To Be Good Reason.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March 10.-Coneressman Stru-
bic, of Iowa, has introduced bill TO allow Sen
tors and members of the House clerks during
the session OF Congress &C 90 per day. To .
great many people this may seem like a small
sized salary grab, but no one who has not had
experience with the work which devolves upon
every Senator and member OF Congress can
have any idee of the enormous amount of work
which is put upon them by their constituents.
The Western Senator'S notably those from
Nebraska. Kansas, Iowa and Minnesota. as well
"a their colleagues in the House, have an
amount of work of this character thrust upon
them which is simply astounding to the out
slider / asked Senator Henderson day how
many letters regarding pension cases he re-
ceivsd. In response he pointed to pile of let
tiers at least two feet high, which had been
cared for during the past few days Turning
to his register and consulting his private secre-
AIRY, he said
~ underestimate it when I assert that have
fifteen hundred pension cases a year to look
after. Letters come from residents of Ne
braska, and from others who formerly lived in
Nebraska, and from still others who were con-.
Dected with Nebraska regiments during the
war, and who located elsewhere
Every one of these cases brings me from one
, dozen letters, and each letter demands
ply. 1t will give you some idea of the volume
of my correspondence when l assure you that
fill q one-thousand- page letter-book every thirty
days IN taking copies of my correspondence"
Senator Manderson's case is. by no means,
an isolated one. The Senators from those
States mentioned expend about 5000 year
apiece for stationery and postage stamps in an
Bwering the communica atoms of their consttn-
ents, who send them all sorts of inquiries re-
RardinR matters before the departments. Be
Rldes the direct expenditure OF money. each
Senator aud each Representative must do
great deal of running around in order to collect
the material with which to answer the many
Enquiries. le Is safe to say that at least one
half Senator'S or Representatives. time, II he
represents Western constituency, is occupied
IN looking after pension matters. While he Is
In his private room answering letters, or BOWL
Ing through the departments six hours day.
he is, of course, absent from his seat in Con-
Rresss and his constituents wonder why his name
does not appear oftener in the debates. and why
he does not cut more prominent figure IN the
proceedings.
The allow vance for postage and stationery is
dxed by law at 1925 year, and except in the
Senate every member of Congress who en-
ploys stenographer to aid him must pay the
costs out of his own pocket In two
eases which have come to my knowledge, NOM
bers have employed two more men to aid them
In caring for their correspondence. and it is a
frequent thing TO find Senators who turn over
1he entire salary which they receive from the
govern ment TO their private secretaries This
lis the case with Senators Palmer and Stock
bridge, of Michigan Senator's Hurst and Stan
ford, Of California. and several others Sena-
tor Henderson himself besides his private sec
retary Keeps stenographer employees nearly all
pr the time. and Senator Paddock, his colleague,
has, besides his private secretary, young
Imam who is a stenographer. and whose salary is |
paid out of the Senator's own pocket. 1t will |
be seen, therefore, that there some excellent
reasons why the St-uble bill should pass, If |
members of Congress to attend with great |
care to their duties in the Capitol This BILL by the
way, was referred to the committee on mileage |
and the oldest employee of the clerks office re. |
marked. as he recorded il this afternoon, that |
IN all OF his experience of nearly twenty years |
In Congress, this the first bill that was ever
referred to that committee IN his recollection.