The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-31

find time to attend TO her multifariou'
duties. she rarely neglected TO drive hel
husband to the train or TO drive TO meet
him on his return. At the Baltimore
and Potomac station one day throng OF
persons waiting for the New York train
were surprised 10 see short woman. with
a fresh young face and gray hair. clad
in rich sealsl.in. playing along the plat
form with little dog. She romped like
a school girl. now running forward rs
fast a. she could 90. the dog after her.
now backward at an astonishingly nimble
pace. |, was Mrs. Whitney, the society
queen. waiting for her husband. the sec
rotary. with whom she presently walked
away. as light hearted and gay as bride
-.
Some of the senatorsuRre eager to have
their salaries raised The pay of men in
public life ia ridiculously inadequate
Very few senators and not more than
one-half of the representatives are able
TO live within their salaries. and as for
saving anything out Of senator's or
representatives. salary. that is out of the
question with men who have families 70
support. A great many congressman
leave their families at home because they
cannot afford to bring them here. 1t Is
not at all uncommon for IA senator to pay
for rent alone more than his salary. a
western senator. living alone and rather
modestly in boarding house, and not in
a hotel. pays $3.50 n month for his pau.
lors and board. His salary ia only liz
tie more than $500 month. Anothe;
senator lost 5000 recently in g.
law suit, and. though an eco.
nomical man in his manner Of living.
was nearly forced into bankruptcy by
this judgment. Probably a score Of
senators and representatives could be
named who have been in congress from
six TO fifteen years. and who have been
unable to save a cent out of their salaries
There are scores Of members who can't
keep up with their tradesmen's accounts
If congressman had simply the ordi-
nary living expenses to defray his diff
Guilty would not he SO great But lfe
must entertain visiting constituents. ex-
pend great deal Of money for postage
on private letters, travel to and from his
district, pay his election expenses. and,
IN many cases. hire clerk 10 help him
out with his correspondence and to run
some Of the errands which his constitu.
ents are continually asking him to do foI
them. The average congressman is not
at best much more than an errand boy
and clerk for the people Of his district
Senators have II great advantage in this
respect over representatives. for each OF
them has a secretary on the government
pay roll, and some of them have besides
a committee clerk whose services they
command as reward for having secured
the clerks appointment. There ar
plenty Of newspaper men in Washington
whose incomes exceed those of senators
and representatives. In President Cleve.
lands cabinet there was but one mar
who lived within his salary, and in all
probability every member Of President
Harrison's cabinet will spend each year
a good deal more than the government
pays him for his services.
a..
A prevalent notion throughout the
country is that government employment
in Washington is equivalent to financial
prosperity. Yet there is no other city OF
the size of the capital in which so few Of
the residents own their own homes
Government clerks are not like mercan
tile employees. tradesmen, mechanics and
professional assistants in other cities
They rarely buy or build houses, or &C
quire bank accounts. Efforts to build
medium cost houses here and sell them
out on the installment plan have not met
with much success. Many suburban
town sites have been laid out, but il
seems impossible to coax the salaried
population out of the rented DWELLING
and boarding houses in the heart of the
city, where rents are out of all proper
ton 10 the value of the property and
conv6niences of the houses or apart
ments. -.
A congressman who would surely e
bankrupt if he had no income but hi
salary is William Mason. of Chicago
Mr.. Mason has seven children, all lusty
and destructive Shortly after the al
journment of congress Mr.. Mason went
10 the postofiice and bought 1905
stamps, with which to answer the letter.
of Office seekers. A thousand envelope
weN sent to him from the house station
cry room. Twenty-four hours later not
a stamp nor an envelope could be found
In the house, and an investigation devel
oped that the congressman's younger
children had amused themselves for q
whole afternoon putting the stamps on
the envelopes. writing letters to theii
friends and playmates in Chicago and
posting the missivcs in letter box nea
by. WALTER WELLM-AN