The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1889-06-15
X IN.

the first congress- and its immrdi-
ate successors could read sx-Sepa.
tor Chace's strsng appeal iorlbctter
paw for members Of congress they
would surely smile. The salary
of $4,000 II year and mileage now
paid t. a Senator orKcpresVnta'ive
with the additional, in tn Senator'S
case, for the pay OF n private sec
r-tarv. would have =, seemed to
those dead and gone Congressman
an allowance fit for n kim. The
first msmbcrs ei Congr,s S. were
paid So a for actual attendance
al the session Of Congress. Some
times a member Lad to make a
journey on horseback Of 500 miles
in order I" sttend the session. He
was allowed q mileage of $8 tor
every twenty miles he had to tray
ol in going to or returning from a
session. The DELAYS on account OF
bad weather and bad roads intn
consideration, twenty miles WAS
about an average days journey. So
he Was paid. practically, ST day II
from the time he left home until
ho returned. A member OF con
gress now receives n mllage ef 20
cents a mile, but as he cal. travel
n the rate OF forty m les an h II =,
the time ho looses on the road is
paid tor at a very far figure.
The first Congress, too, had Il very
effective provision aga.nst absen.
t-snism. No men Der ,uld dr.. "
his 81 a day unless the record
showed that he ga. present. An
exception to the rule was made
only in a case Of dctcnti. n by rick
ness. After March 4, 1875, it ~
pears thai Senators received 81 a
day, but members Of the lowe.
heuse continued to draw but Sc
In 1916 the first move in the direc
tim OF an annual salary without
regard to attendance was made
and Congress voted its members
$1,000 \ year, Congress cvltently
received some sharp rebuke tol
this was repealed the next yeal
and shortly sttcrward the c=mpen
sation was fixed at SIS per diem,
These statesmen of tbs now repub
lie received their nay in a mucl
deprecated currency, but style o
living then prevailing al the ma
tional capital was simple, and $;
a day even with a discount off va,
enough to provide a member will
ths ordinary comforts of tho times
In 1856 in sne Congress or 5000
for service in mi Congress or So
900 year. At the close OF th'
war the advance was mada to SO
90 agar. 1874 a further advan'
was made to $500 a year, att
Congress made itself ridlculnus b,
voting Itself back pay al that lat,
from the beginning ct the Congress
sional term, and then has'sly re
the law increasing tie Congre,
lonal salaries under stress OF POP
ular condemnation. Some mem
bsrs however kept their back pa
1t 10 not safe for any mar. in Cor
grcss 70 begin an agitation tor II
Increase Of pay, but a man who h"
r signed h,s seat, as MIR. Chsc
has and returned to private lif
can, without rendering himsel
open to criticism, begin the can
paign. In every new Congress
some meb are missed who hay
declined reelection because the
cannot afford to serve Some bus
members pay out yearly +" thei
clerks rs much ~ they receive i
salary. 1t is said sometimes, as a n
proach, that only rich men can ge
into the Senate. 1t might be nc
ded with equal truth that onl
rich men can afford to go 10 Il,
Senate. W ashington Star.
A discussion was in propres
last night in a hotel Lobby betw &c