New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-29
CONGRESSIONAL SALARIES.
WHY SENATOR oHAcE THINKS THEY ARE
INADEQUATE.

rro,, ,.fsa North American Review for April
IN. history the legislation ~ regard sH ae e w sss
salaries Of Members Is curious , AZ 600 10 ~ 500
per annum. The law was retroaStvtsi s thas nsa
SSser pess an ovor the land SET up universal howl
bsy after day, and week after weeh, s,oo
ese s 1osr who Would have spufod The plague
an unworthy motive, who had led spotless lives ana
E1SsS s found %frs fe%ssves ssse and So y
in the daily papers as eyes 81 ors T abrep n public
men new and startling evidence Of the growing
ereed for pe which had At last invaded the temple q
SSton For accepting the back pay, Members were
relegated to private life in disgrace In Psroxysn
sbee ear S9n ssr a psy % z S per
That shoIld never have been done. IL was case OF
'f9 T6eRs ss pSt6ns about this .erSsStyS
q q, the S momSs q coness IN every instance
those laws retroactive, varying from few days TO
Tbose ben have excellent company since 1879,
all tho wsy down, great good and distinguishes men
salary gfabbes.s II Il be now pronounced crime,
Nstiosai roll OF honor must be sadly blotied bns
| vote an increase for the next. tho 1 I,Ts
d that would ha 70 been honests The Pckwicklan1
idea seems 20 possess these critics that men must
in that Congress who were already elected another,
| and the senate, which Is a continuing bodyf Upon
Of the setators always hold over from one Congress
people IFS members are the sole judges Of what
ensaon they shall pay themselves and the people SO
understarf It, the only Limitation being the law oi
Tue contry IS rich and prosperous, and the people
SEEING, az men who represent them enabled to live In
manipulating the important position which tney
Is IS oooa reasonable salary for the service and the
conditions surrounding it, MY Judgment Is that, 4
Congress gould be arrived at Il would DO found to be
ovcTwhelhlngly that the pay should DO largely In
arc nearly unanimous The honest judgment OF
members still IN service apart from feeling OF
seshnes Is that the present pay Is very nadoquare
Members q Congress receive 5000
The secreeLy of the Senate receives S900
T Tss sseSaT Of Ne Iicuse receives SSS0
Foreign minister's receive from. ST. 500 70 lI90Q
Judges Of ihe Supreme Court receive 10000
tThe Judge Of the supreme Circuit and District
Csurs nay. under certain conditions retire
IntSrstsss Commerce Commissioners rsceive.... 1900
AS ena rae S q he Army
(neudng y sxtytwo With three;aparters pnyl ooo
Wee; Admiral receives S0 0oo
Win proyi VA for retiring under tGiesq1sTteis
Tho solIeitorgeneral fSecives. 1000
TIE Vice; President receives .66 S00
Tho PressdeH receives. OVVVu
A erea; many presidents Of bslts and Insurance
companies receive salaries Of from 30 600 TO els COO
The president Of an insurance company IN EowIoTs
nom 10000 20 saSo6o. Railroad supernsondents
paid from 81 900 to $4,000, and the MANAGERS
similar salaf@. Men eminent 10 law and medicine.
without numasr. earn much larger sums. AdsGe
soner rellnqpshed his salary OF 81 500 1t Is said
% take the cbairnanshlp Of tho interstate Railroad
in either Of tAe positions enumerated above bearing
those high salaries which calls for broader previous
charge successfully tho duties than is necessary for
useful Senator or Member Of the House; Tho Judges
sssy s Be- So from either House nor are their dutc:
the personal demands OF their constituents wear out
their energies, and prevent the Necessary attention
ment and tSe study Of National questions.
Long serce Is necessary to Q, the lest s, eg1lpmsn
ilto. When ever, he is TO make the necessary pro
vision FOR he declining and for his family alter
n either house Of strong physique and tough mental
abrs breat down from excessive oyergorh Some
within rrsishsbie bounds to say that most Congress-
spend 6nreoen out Of wonfy four hours IN active
sbarsesg EYeTy one Of them needs paid assistant
capable o. rendering such services ~ cannot DC pro
what IL there In the service Of Cabinet Oflcer.
! Cirrult Judgc q Commerce Commissioner, second
nlral or solIcifor.OsnerAl which calls for higher
| qualifications or larger compensation than senator
What In connection with the Presidential oice calls
| for times tho OF scnatOfI inc unueh W
obligations Official or social. arc not ten times IS
great Is Il matter Of National dIgnifIi The 91lee
Of Senator Is second emily 70 that OF the President
He shares the Senator'S legislative perogAtve through
| tho veto power thoy shnro with him tho appoint
| mcnts and the trNaty -rAhng power, {;
DO you say the sakry has been Increased TWO
and haH finest This eyactiOns OF society, OF pol'-
ties of charity arc tenba. With the great Iicreaso
| II population In tie edIuiry has also come great
| ncrsase Of individual Htlvity. The growth OF COM
| merrial mechanical nd business activities, with
| Inc wonderful facility communities alton, causes tho
constituent 10 impinge nth increased force upon his
| Representative The ITO Senators nom New. tork,
ma dnnbt represent mots people to-day than did tho
whole Of the first sonar, and the city OF New-fOrk
probably does moro buaness than the whole country
IA then; and when tbs known that each member
millions Of people. II Il readily seen how greatly his
responsibilities arc multiplied. Tho senate has been
| characterized "uilfOnaIro clnb." Fully one
| half AFo mnn Of small or means. large pro
portion OF the rest inen OF moderate fortune.
few ace rich ard there Are three four great estates
Tho wealth IS nearly eVnly divided between the two
Sides OF the chamber In tho Touso the only great
cratic aldo. The argpnGnt that small means or
panclty OF mo salary lays members open 20 tcmpta-
lion Is not Justified by the facts rapudlate that.
Many years Of careful observation lad pe 10 tho con
cluglon that lew menbefs AFRO, could DO with saey,
approached Ly corrupt ofers. They arc, as body.
not only aUpg thu ahest but tho best, men In tho
Nation and have be9H so Congress after Congress.
OF hs hest talent tho stanchsst Integrity IN the land
Is found among men Of small means.
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REASOY WHY MAJOR ARalBs WAS "B0UNOBD."
Harrisburg Penn, Mardh % OspeciaD.- The House