St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-12
EXFRAVAGANCEIN CONGRESS.

Mr.. DUNNELL goes at it rather mod
estlY. yet quite effectively, in his en-
deavor to contribute his share In devils
ing plans for Squandering the surplus.
His particular plan Is to allow each of
the S25 representatives in the lower
house a private secretary. whose salary
is to be paid OutOf tine national treasury.
Ten dollars a day is the allowance for a
committee clerk. and a private secre-
tary would be expected to earn as
much. On this basis it would require
an additional expense of S32,500 a day,
or $4,000 a month. If o yress. how
ever, should be stricken with all eXcep-
tiOnal touch of economy aud decide to
reduce the private secretary's salary to
800 per month, it would still require
an expenditure of S325. 900 a month, and
in a long session of congress would run
up to something over S},099,00J a year.
Nj. DUNNELL bases his demand for
clerical help on the ground that
tors are provided with private s~ecreta-
ries at public eXpe nse and that MEM
berS of the lower house are entitled 60
NVhN1 SOiiciONtottObs LII ONdttitfh iClC-
TO, he asserts that a representatives du-
ties are more OnerOuS than a senator's.
and consequently there is more real ne
cessity for the assistance of a secretary.
Mr.. DUNNELL'S argument is sound
enough, but his premises are faulty.
1t is undeniable that a congressman's
life is a Slayish one, and under the
present system of congressional service
a congressman'S career amounts to lit
tie more than that CT a claim agent, who
draws a 5000 salary for ~ransacking the
departments every day, looking up old
claims and new ones for impecu-
NOUS constituents. The congressman
themselves are to blame for this
state of affairs. The constitution
did not contemplate degrading the
house OF representatives into a claim
agency bureau, nor is it now according
to the spirit of the organic law. But in
their anxiety to make themselves solid
with their constituencies at the same time
looking forward 10 the chances of re-
election, our congressman have adopted
the system of negleeting their legiSla-
tive duties and spend most of their time
i'll looking after private interests. 1t is
an Ubiquitous system. which ought to be
repressed instead of encouraged.
And, this idea of providing congress
men with domestic help at pub
lie expense once started, there is
no telling where the limit will
be. 1t is something of a strain
on a cOngressman'S dignity to have to
split kindling wood, so it will come to
pass in time that the government will
be called upon to furnish each men,
Der with a house boy. And then the
senators will imagine that the dignity of
the upper house will require the free
services of fOOtmen and buffers and car
riage drivers, and the full retinue Of an
a%riStOcratic establishment. In fact,
there is no telling where the eXtraya-
gance will end if once iuaugurated.
If Mr.. DUNNELL wants to perform a
public service, let him endeavor to veer
congress around to the economic condi-
tons which reigned in the early period of
the republic-when President WASHING
TON hired a private secretary at $500 4
year and paid him out of his own peck
ct. Other and better uses for the sur
plus can be found than to waste it on
congressional outfits. If the members
stay at their desks each and every day.
and perform the duties pertaining
strictly to Legislation, there will be no
growing on the part of the people be-
cause the daily department run is neg
lected.