The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-23


The resignation Of Senator chace q
Rhode Island just ~ he was entering
mon his second term may perhaps
pretiudtate discussion on question
which of late has been much can
vassed By menlbers of both houses.
4 relates 10 the salaries 81 senators
and representative. which. according
10 the ideas Of majority IN posn
hr~rclr. ere nos altogether too
small and not at all commensurate
with the amount o. work which . leg
islator il expected 70 do IN and cut o.
the national capital.
Senator Chace gives as reason Efs
he cannot longer serve his country IN
the halls of legislation that the salary
{. not sufficiently large to warrant bis
longer negIectsng bis business at home
He finds that the honor Of the position
and ss1oo Is not eaough 70 con sersase
MIN for his senatorial work an ] make
-, for losses entaiisd By MS absence
from his business in Rhode Island
He apprecistes the fact, nevertheless.
that the remedy il IN his own hands
and he settles the difficulty b. resign
ing
rhe.e Il, no doubt. q good deal Of
ss.nse &, these reasons for relinqtiish-
ine the rights 70 a seat in the highest
Legislative body in the land. The
salary sfiached 10 the position Il not
n keeping with the dignity Of the
niace. and not asi adequate remsnefa-
ton for the labor which ought TO be
exrected f:om every conscientious
representative OF the people. Every
RAN who IL 1T 10 be 8 United States
senator or q member Of the house Of
representatives ought 10 BE- able 70
Earn sso6o In private life, and most
81 the men sho are sent 20 Washing.
ton hare an income from their daily
work OF much more than that amount
ftjsa little unreasonable. therefore.
10 expect i man TO give mp position
In private Eife for a public posi- ton
paving q salary with which as q pri-
yate citizen he would never shinl OF
being contented.
The policy Of paying small salaries
invariably results in keeping good,
men out OF t,iIice. II the salary at
tachod to public Office Is insignificant
only rich mon can afford 10 accept the
Office, and rich men 40 not always
have the best qualifications for dis
charging public duties faithfully and
veil Every man is worthy OF his
hire, and II congressional labors are
well paid for. there woiild be no reason
Why men splendidly equipped for leg
islatiye work should refuse 10 remain
Il. congress on the ground that they
cannot afford to do IL.
Many Of the senators OF the present
congress, while in sympathy with the
movement for an increase uf salaries,
hesitate about coming out boldly, for
fear of provoking repetition of the
censure visited on congress In 1878.
when the so-caiied salary grab" bill
was passed. Others, however. believe
that there Ii no casss..zse= ssof hesitation in
expressing their honest convictions
and frankly. fairly aud honestly say
the salary IS too small and that they
believe In raising IL Senator Platt OF
Connecticut Is one OF the latter and
recently in course OF debate he said;
Mr.. President: When the proper com
mitfee shalt consider the matters which
have been spoken OF hero this morning,
think that committee ought % SO further.
! think II ought TO consider the question A.
70 whether senators ARE fairly paid for tho
work which they do, and whether the sal
AIRY Of : senator Of the United states ought
not 10 be raised. ! knew IL e. charged that
the senate OF the United states Il composed
largely of rich men 20 whom the salary is
no object To some extent II may be trfse
that there are senators 10 whom the salary
IL very little object. bat there are senator's
here who have nething 90 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 occu.
patton Of lie for similar services. aud very
much less la addition TO that, senators
heE n i 81
position necessarily entails, and the result
is that those senators who have no Income
behind their salaries are obliged 10 live in
. pineiaed aud very unpleasant way Ia
Washington