St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-18
Chaee's Resignation Arouses
Interest in the Stipends
of Our Solons.
If They Don't Get $4,000 Per
Annum They May Have
to Go to Begging.
But Some of Them Will Stay
by Their Guns if They
Go Without Shoes.
flow $4,000 Is Made to Buy a
Sandwich and Cup Of Cof-
fee Every Day.

WAsHINGTo-. March 1.-THE resig-
nation of Senator Chace upon his see
ond term of six years in the highest
legislative body in the world, has
aroused renewed interest in subject
that is bound to receive early and earn
est consideration in congress. Senator
Chase, in private, gives as the reason
why lie can no longer serve his state
and country as legislator that the COM
pensation of senator was not sufficient
to warrant him in longer neglecting his
business. He has expressed the Opin-
ion that he is considerably poorer for
his legislative experience than he would
have been had he remained at the helm
of his business ship, and directed Its
course through the breakers of the
past dozen or fifteen years. He
Is one of the largest cotton
manufacturers in New England, and
several times during the recent tariff
debate in the senate, evinced his famil-
larity with that subject, in its relations
to the industry in which he was inter-
ested. and gave valuable assistance to
his Republican colleagues in the dis
(OoSlOA VI lllC SCidlC III Liz
Mills bill. The question of
INCREASING THE COMPENSATION
of congressman has been receiving the
earnest attention of senators, especially
of late, and there is an overwhelming
sentiment among them in favor of
making the salary of congressman
$4,000 year, instead of 5000, as it is
at present. Members Of the house of
representatives, while thoroughly in
point, are not yet ready to
go to the full length de-
sired by them, fearing a repetition Of
the outbreak of censure visited upon
the congress of 1878 for its action on the
salary question. But it is argued by
the advocates of the increased salary
that what the people were indignant
about then was the ''back-pay grab
feature, and that if the increase we've
made to date from the end of the Fifty
first congress, no serious opposition
would be made to it. There was frank
expression of views by the senators on
this topic in one of the secret legisla-
tive sessions last week, in the discus
sion that ensued at the introduction of
resolution by Senator Teller au-
thoriZing the secretary of the senate to
pay to committee clerks serving ona
PER DIEM BASIS
during the session of the senate and the
clerks to senators during the coming re-
cess. the per diem allowed by law. Mr..
Teller, previous to presenting the reso-
luton which was referred TO the COM
mittee ON contingent expenses, said that
in his experience as chairman of a COM
mite he had been compelled at times to
employ two men to attend to the CORES
pOndence deyolving upon him, and it
was heavy burden upon him. He be-
HeVed senators should have annual
clerks, because their duties did not
cease with the adjournment of the SEN
ate. Senators Dawes, Stewart, Harris
and Gray Endorsed the sentiments ex-
pressed by Mr.. Teller, but Senators
Morrill,, Morgan and Hale said it would
be impossible to provide clerk for
every senator this year. inaSmuch as the
appropriations have all been made, and
IN any event the cooperation of the
house would be essential to carving
out the proposition. In concluding the
debate Mr.. Plat said:
Mr.. President. when the proper COM
mlttee shall consider the matters which
have been spoken of here this morning.
l think the committee ought to 90
further. think it ought to consider
the question as to whether senators are
FAIRLY PAID
for the work which they do and whether
the salary OF senator of the United
States ought not to be raised. | know
1t is charged that the senate of the
United States is composed largely of
rich men, to whom the salary is no OBJ
Ject. To some extent it may be true
that there are senators here to whom
the salary is very little ouject, but there
are senators here who have nothing to
live upon except their salaries, and
who are paid less for the services
which they render than they would
be paid in any other walk or occupation
OF life for similar services, and very
much less. In addition TO that. sena-
tors have great many expenses which
their position necessarily entails, and
the result is that those senators who
have no income behind their salaries
are obliged to live in pinched and
very, unpleasant way in the city of
Washington"
Mr.. Morrill-May l ask the senator
from Connecticut if he is not aware
that no man can come here with his
family and rent decent house and
1--we, without spending twice the amount
of his salary?
Mr.. Pratt have been aware and
think perhaps may as well say it as
any one, because | think | am as poor a
man as there is in the senate-I have
been made most painfully aware of the
inability of a senator of the United
States to live in the city of Washington
in anything like the style and with any
thing like the comforts which we have
at home. and which other people have
In Washington who perhaps are entitled
TO the same
SOCIAL POSITION
that we are entitled to the same social
position that they are. We are put at
disadvantage by what we feel every day
OF our lives. and there are senators here
who will echo what l say, knowing it
to be true. Now, l do not complain of
it for myself. / can remedy it for my
self, ii choose to do so. If do not
choose to endure the privatiOn, for |
use that word, which senator of the
tied States who is compelled to live
Us salary must endure, can remedy
Sneeb by resignlng my place and going
W. my constituents, and allowing
MIL 60 send SOMEBODY here who has an
JIne which he can devote to living in
Washington. | think that it is quite
fnan fhof cnma plain words vuaro c,,oIyo,,