Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-20
The Hon. John ID. Long COryects Some
Current MiSStatements.


The North Abingdon [Mass.) Public publishes
the following letter written to its editor the Rev.
Jesse II. Jones, by Congressman Long, OF that
state:
WASHINGTON June f.
MY DEAR JONES: have read with Interest your
editorials on the subject OF my retirement from
The House OF Representatives. l beg YOU not to
think II Is matter mercy OF few dollars more
or less OF salary. My habits are simple. and SAL
airy is not controlling consideration with me, as
1t ought not TO be to any public official. His pub
nc duty turns on far higher considerations. And
what you say OF his obligation to them and OF the
grave public responsibilities that rest On him is
true and You cannot say 1t TOO often or too
forcby.
do not write however with reference to nv
retirement, reserving what have to say about
that until write general letter to the district
NIUE later. write TO correct what INFER from
your editorials to be a mistaken notion with re-
gard to the manner in which Congressman gener-
ally live In Washington so far from being TO them
a"Babylon" full OF 'wasteruI wantons" and claws
luXuries," IL is very much what Arlington or Hing.
ham Is 10 your neighborS or mine. There are
Few persons OF great riches who now and then give
entertainments, and live In an extravagant and
pro1uSe way, as some rich people do in every other
community. But the great bulk or the Represen-
oatioes, ihcIudihs noticeaoiy nearly all the men
OF controlling influence, are men OF limited means,
who live in the modest ana simple manner.
ON the whole, should say that the instance OF
Henry wilson, which you cite Is a type of the
present majority OF members. Our Massachu.
sets Senators, Dawes and Hoar, live quite as
simply, one in a little tenement not better than
Other In clearinghouse, which you will not
mink extravagant when l tell you that, with
the exception OF myself, the rest OF the boarders
are Government employees, whose annual sala-
rleS range from perhaps 81 900 rapidly downward.
Walking out with Mrs Long at shutdown last eve-
ming we passed modest doorstep on which, with
his young children playing about him, sat a
member, who pointed to plain suite OF rooms as
his lodging, ana whose dress and manners OF liv-
Ing are as simple and transformations as those OF q
Plymouth County farmer, and yet he is a mil
uonaire, the rlchest man, think, in the House. q
Western lumberman, wise and hard-headed, and
not ashamed, but proud OF the goad stick which
he welded in his youth, and With which he
pricked his way TO fortune.
Among tn. leaders, Reed lives In the fifth
story OF a small hotel; Randall In a house that
would perhaps yield rent OF $500 or 1900: Nc
kinley in TWO or three chambers; Mills In a quiet
boarding house; and so on through the list, The
house Is full OF poor men who make no show who
are just such plain, well-behaved, temperate
ehurch-going people as you and meet at home,
who go afoot and drive no fine teams, who ape no
fashions, some OF whom 60 TO the few public recep
lions that occur in the,winter, but lev OF WHOM
are able or care TO hold receptions or give enter
tainmentS themselves.
Fine raiment is rare among them that an
Old suit which ain now wearing for the third
summer has actually been exploited by the news
paper reporters in the absence or any other SEN
sation as subJecting me to the charge OF being
.'well dressed; aud II Tom Reed should cover his
shining head with silk hat he would lose the re-
publican leadership. The member who lives lux.
urlously Is the exception. What Is undoubtedly
true OF few officials, especially SO OF some out
side persons OF great wealth, who reside and en-.
terrain In Washington In the winter and are ad
Vertsed In the society columns OF the press Is not
at all true OF the great majority Of the peoples
servants. Truly, yours, JOHN d. LONG.
STANLEY BELIEVED TO BE DEAD-Advices from
Zanzibar to the Paris Journal DIES Debats saws:
"There is little doubt that Stanley is dead. The
families or persons who accompanied the expedl-
ton have worn mourning for several weeks. II is
believed that Tippoo lib has taken revenge for
stanley's having thwarted him In his efforts to
continue the slave traffic"
ENPREss VIcTORIAs' MESSAGE TO AUGUsrA-The
Berlin Iuge6idu says that Empress Victoria SAINT
10 the Dowager Empress Augusta at Baden on
Friday, the following telegram: "She who was SO