The morning news., 1889-05-09
THE PAY OF CoNaRRssMsN.
What Legislators Received For Their
services in Years Gone by.
From fhe Wnshin0kon Star

What Legislators Received For Their
services in Years Gone by.
From the Washington Star.
If the shades Of the member of the first
congress and its immediate successors could
read ex-senator Chace's strong appeal for
better pay for members of congress they
would slrely smile, if shades ever S nile.
The salary of 5000 year and mileage
now paid to a senator or representative,
with the additional in the Sc lator'5 case
for the pay of a private secretary, would
have seemed TO these dead and gone congress
he au q. owaEce f5 for king. The first
members of congress were paid So day for
actual attendance ut tue session OF congress.
Sometimes a member had to make
Journey % horseback of 500 miles in order
to attend the session. He was allowed a
mileage of So for every 20 miles he had to
travel in going to CT returning from ses-
sion Taking delays on account Of bad
weather and bad roads into consideration,
20 miles was about an averaged d ty's journey
SO he was paid, practically, So day from
the time he lefG homo until he returned. A
member of Congress now receives mile
age of 20 ceats a mile, but as he can
travel at the rate of 40 miles an hour, tae
time he loses on the road is paid for at
very fair figure The first congress too,
had very effective provision against alb
senteeism. No member could draw his $6
a day unless the record showed that he was
present. An exception TO the rule was
made only IN a case of detention by sick
ness After Marcl 4, 1795. it appears that
senators received 81 a day. but menbars of
the lower house ,ntinuel to draw but So.
In 1916 the first move in the direction of an
annual salary without regard to attten-
dance wa mad. and congress voted its
me nbsrs 81 800 a year. Congress evil
IDENTIFY received some sharo rebuke for this
extravaganza, for the law was repealed the
next year and shortly al erward the com
pensation was fixed at IS per diem. These
statesmen of the new republic received
their pay in mucn depreciated currency,
hut the style of living then prevailing at
the national capital was 81 nple. and s. day
even with a discountst Fl, was enough to pro-
vide a member with the ordinary comforts
of the time. Ia 1886 tbs pay was raised TO
$1,000 for service in one congress or So, 900 a
year. AT the close of tho war TIE advance
was made to S., 001 year. In 1874
further advance was made
to $500 year, and congress
made Itself ridiculous bY voting itself back
pay at tJat rate from the beginning of the
congressional term and then hastily re-
pc aing the law increasing the congressional
salaries under stress of popular condem-
nation. Some members, however, kept
their back pay. 1t is not safe for any man
in congress to bagn an aS tation for an in
crease Of pay, but maa who has resigned
his seat as M. CAaca mas, AID returned to
private life can, wi hout rende ing him
self open to criticism, begin the camDaign
In every new congress some men are missed
WAC have declined reelection because they
cannot afford to serve. Some busy mem
b9rs pay out yearly to their clerks as much
| as they receive IN salary. 1t is said some
times, as a reproach, that only rich men
car get into Senate. It might be said
with equal truth that only rich men can af-
ford to 90 to the Senate.