Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-09
THE PAY OF CONGRESSMAN.
What Legislators Received for their
Services In Years Gone by.

II the shades Of the members Of the first Con-
gress and its immediate successors could read
ex-senator Chace's strong appeal for better
pay Tor members Of Congress they would surely
smile, II shades ever smile. The salary of
$4,000 year and mileage now paid to a Sena-
tor or Representative. with the additional, in
the Senator's case. for the pay Of private Sec
rotary. wonld have seemed to these dead and
gone Congressman an allowance fit for king
The first members of Congress were paid Sc a
day for actual attendance at the session of Con-
gress. Sometimes a member had to make a
journey on horseback of 500 miles in order to
attend the session. He was allowed mileage
OF 20 Tor every 20 miles he had 10 travel in going
TO or returning from a session. Taking delays
on account of bad weather and bad roads into
consideration, 20 miles was about an average
Gay s journey, so he was paid. practically. 80 a
day from the time he left home until he re-
turned. member of Congress now receives
mileage of 20 cents mile. but as he can
travel at the rate of 40 miles hour, the time
he loses on the road is paid for at a very far
ngure. The first Congress. too. had a very eff
fectlve provision against absenteeism. No
member could draw his sc day unless the
record showed that he was present. An excep-
non TO the rule was made only in case of
detention by sickness. After March 4.
1875, it appears that Senators received 81
. day, but members of the lower house
continued to draw but sc. In 1916
the first move in the direction of an annual
salary without regard to attendance was made
and Congress voted its members 81 500 year.
Congress evidently received some sharp rebuke
for this extravaganza. for the law was6epealed
the next year and shortly afterwards the COM
pensation was fixed at eight dollars per diem.
These statesmen of the new republic received
their pay in much deprecated currency, but
the style of living then prevailing at the ma
tsOnal capital was simple and eight dollars a
day even with discount off was enough to
provide a member with the ordinary comforts
of the time. In 1856 the pay raised to
$4,000 for service in one Congress or $4,000
year. At the close of the war the advance was
made to $1,000 year. In 1874 further adj
vance was made to $500 year. and Congress
made itself ridiculous by voting itself back pay
at that rate from the beginning of the Congress
sional term and then hastily repeating the law
increasing the congressional salaries under
stress of popular condemnation. Some men,
bers, however, kept their back pay. 1t is not
safe for any man in Congress to begin an
agitation for increase of pay, but a
man who has resigned his seat as Mr.. Chace
has. and returned to private life can. without
rendering himself open to criticism. begin the
campaign In every new Congress some men
are missed who have declined reelection be-
cause they cannot afford to serve. Some busy
members pay out yearly to their clerks az much
As they receive in salary. 1t is said sometimes
as a reprOach. that only rich men can get into
the Senate. II might be said with equal truth
that only rich men can afford to go to the
Senate