St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-29
Senators and Representatives
Who Boast a Pile of
Coin.
The Two Houses Said to Rep
resent Thirteen Million
Dollars.
Opposition to the Union Of
Ramsey County and st.
Paul.
Veterinary Bill Which
Smells of Large Ro-
dents.

At the end of the legislative session
of 1887 an almost universal comment
made was that in the enactment Of
careless legislation it had surpassed any
previous session on record. 1t is part
of the history of that session that ap-
preparation bills of great Importance
were passed without ever receiving the
SCRUTINY of a committee; that laws were
enacted which the house had been ex-
plicitly told were unconstitutional: that
bills which aimed to tax certain corpor-
atiOns for the increase of the states
revenues were never passed, but slowed
away in the pockets of certain members
and thus killed; that the eapportionment
bill suffered a similar fate. and that
House File No. 157, taking from the
state treasury nearly $1.000,O00 worth OF
taxes, was passed without any public
protest. The excuse in the first case
that these lands were worth but 81 an
acre. washed very thin, since the state,
no matter what their value was, might
have materially increased its revenues
by the defeat of the bill. A record like
this made by one legislative session is
very hard to excel. If the present ses-
sion does surpass it the prayer of the
chaplain may we'll go on high. "Lord.
preserve US from well-meaning friends!"
-
No railroad bills have yet been intro
duced. The senate committee on rail-
roads has not yet determined to intro
duce general bill. Its efforts are being
devoted to preparing amendmen to
the present law, which the experience
of the past two years has suggested.
These amendments it is the intention OF
the committee not to present until GER
tain decisions in the courts on test cases
have ben had. Radical changes are not
proposed, and the temper of both
branches is to go slow in the matter OF
the amendments.
The railroad commissioners, in call
ing upon the governor last week to con-
suit with him as to certain changes in
the operation of their department, rec
commended that new office be erected,
that of grain register, a recording clerk
ship to be attached to the grain depart
ment. This work has heretofore been
done by the assistant to the secretary of
the commission. The salary will pr0ba-
bly, be between 81, 200 and 81 500 if the
office is created and TamS BiXby, OF
Red Wing, is named as the probable ap
pointmept, Mr.. TieSberg, late assistant
secretary of the commission, becoming
secretary. E. III. Dearth, the LIE Sueur
editor and good fellow generally, and
who was candidate for assistant secre-
tary, it is understood, will become as
Sistant insurance commissioner.
49,
The private wealth of the members Of
the senate and house has been compiled
by the GLOBE statistician from data fur
nished him by posted members. The
list is arranged in groups for effect.
The sum before each group represents
what the members of it represent to-
gether:
$1,000, 000-Seymour, Flynn, Comstock.
FL. F. Stevens. Bickel, Barr.
$500, 0OO-Morgan. McKusick, Capser,
stebbins, Fleming, Searle, Elmquist,
Alderman, Benson. F. G. Stevens.
,0O0-Flathers, Diment. Hoyt, Ell
ingson, Sumner, Keyes, Lossaw. Dun
ham. Forbes, Hay. Heidemann, Low,
Taft, G. Ii. Davis, G. r. Davis.
0,000-Hompe. Perrin, Sevatson,
Dunn, Eastmann, Estes, Sinclair, Nc
Grath, Underwood, Davenport, Morris.
Buell..
The remainder average about $1,000
each, making the total wealth of the
members of the house in the neighbor
hood of 81 150, 600, or an average wealth
for each of about $4,000.
SENATE.
$4,000, GOLDSMITH, Scheffer, White
man, Holmes, Oswald, Compton, Dan
iels, M. Johnson Swenson, WEIGH,
Rice.
$1,000, ooo-Hall. Buchanan, Burk-
hardt, Clough. Durant, Kellar.
$500 0O0-Edwards, Finseth, Hayden,
Hoard, Ives, l. johnson TruaX, Ward.
The balance are estimated at $4,000
average wealth, making the total wealth
of the senate 81, 900, or for both
branches grand total of s13,900,000.
~
The senators are chary as tC giving
estimates of their wealth, although they
claim tn t the above sum is too large,
and that they are On the average poor
men. But when one takes into account
the varied financial interests either
wholly or partially controlled by ma
jority of them, it does not seem out OF
the way. The estimates on r. A.
Smiths wealth range from $750.000 to
$5,000.000. J. e. Oswald is marked down
for 50, 100000: Albert Scheffer for $780,,
600, although he claims to be worth only
100000; Whiteman, S150,000; Rice,
100000: Hall, 100000; Marcus John
son, 100000: Durant, 100000; Burk-
hardt, 100000. This of course, does
not mean worth above their debts.
Speculation varies as to the wealtheSt
member of the house, ranging from
Comstock to Bickel and Seymour. 1t
is but quite true that but few OF the
members find it necessary to apply
their per diem to their personal sup
port, and that most of them, if they did
have to, would fly very low this win
ter. a members daily expenses, if he
be not a prOhibitionist nor recluse,
will fairly average this:
Board and lodging. ....-.... ......S2 90
Theater, book agents, solicitors, money
loaned, ETC.. ................... w
Sundries. covering tips street cars, etc. 1 10
Total. ........... so oO
If he be well-to-do member the sum
total will be nearer $40, while the mi
nority, who bury themselves in out-of-
the-way boarding places, manage to
squeeze through on from So to 81. 1t is
not to be wondered at that the lobby
finds impecunious members quite will
ing to have their expenses paid at any
time.
r..
The reporters failed to catch one scene
in the bribery investigation that is
worth the telling. When the charge
was read at the executive session of the
senate that Senator Buchanan had
offered money to a member of the house
for a vote. Buckman's prompt and man
ly reply touched every heart. Senator
Scheffer rose to pay tribute to him,
but just at the close Of his words his
voice broke, and he sat down scarcely
able to control himself. The tears were
streaming down the face of Senator
Burkhardt; Buckman's eyes were sus-
piciously wet, and there was hardly