The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-04-20
WHY HIGHER SALARIES 4?
From the New York Herald.


There is proposition going about to
raise the pay of congressman, cabinet
ministers and the higher department
officers.
Why should their pay be doubled, as
is proposed
The only reason given is that they
cannot live Sin style BETTING their
public position" on their present sala-
ries. But that is nonsense. A cabinet
minister receives eight thousand dollars
year, q member of congress five
thousand dollars. Each has beside this
many small perquisites, such as sta
tionery, more or less attendance, mile
age for the congressman at the rate of
twenty cents per mile and other mat
ters.
1t is true that these gentlemen can
not live like princes on their salaries !;
they cannot "put on style," as the
vulgar saying is, but they can live very
well in a manner befitting their real
position as "public servants" on their
present pay and perquisites, and in our
Judgment it is not necessary or expe-
dient to make the trade of politics
more tempting than it is already.
The tendency to display and luxuri-
Gus living by government officers ought
not to be encouraged. 1t comes from
the fact that in the last dozen years q
considerable number of millionaires
have taken 1t into their heads that
Washington is pleasant place 10 live
in, and have accordingly got them
selves elected 10 congress to
the senate-and have set very evil
fashion of luxury and display in the
federal capital. Such things are catch
ing, and it is natural that congressman,
cabinet ministers and heads of bureaus
would like to live in the same "style"
and make as big show as the million
aires.
But to merely double the pay of
these officials would not enable them
to go into the show business alongside
of the millionaires. II their pay is to
be made adequate to such things they
ought to have not less than twenty five
thousand dollars year, and if it is
really desirable that the peoples SER
wants in Washington shall make dis
play and live in grand style they ought
| to have fifty thousand year each.
Then they can do the thing creditably.
But why should they be encouraged
at the public expense in snowy living Z
That the pay of cabinet officers, and
especially OF the secretary of state and
his first assistant secretary, should be
made somewhat greater is not unrea-
sonable, but it would be, we think,
better to do this by making them an
extra allowance of two or three thou
sand dollars year for necessary social
expenses. But 10 double the pay OF
members of the house and senate
would, we believe, result in no in.
creased ability in those bodies, but the
reverse. 1t would make the trade OF
politics 80 profitable and SO tempting
as in the end to lead a much lower
class of men TO 60 into it with the sole
object of securing by machine methods
and intrigue what would be to them d
great prize.
But there is further consideration
Washington is not made mp entirely ol
congressman and cabinet ministers. II
has q number of the most eminent
scientific men in the country in govern.
ment employ. who are very poorly
paid, even at the present standard. II
has a considerable number of army and
navy officers, men of culture and emi
nenl i'll their profession. who again are
poorly paid. To raise the scale of liv'
ing by doubling the pay OF congress
men and the chief executive officers
would be serious injustice to these
classes. On the whole, with sub
sides. internal improvements, Blair
bills, pensions and other little matters
of that kind, promised by the republi
cans, there will not be much surplu:
revenue in year from nov, and when
the surplus disappears we shall cease
to hear about doubling peoples sal
aries