Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-01
SENATOR'S SECRETARIES.
Their Positions Not sinecures by Any Means
Some Clerks Have an Easy Time.
Others Have TO Run Errands-Senator
Stnnford's Generosity.

Their Positions mol SinecureD Dy ANY MEANS
Some Clerks Have an Easy Time,
Others Have to Run Errands-Senator
Stnnford's Generosity.
1FRoM A STAFF coRREsPoNDENrl
JLTAsHINGroN, June 30.-The Senate Of the
United States contains gentlemen and
others. No better proof of this fact is needed
than to watch from the press gallery the ways
in which some of the Senators make use of
their secretaries. Each Senator who is not the
chairman OF a committee, has clerk who Is
paid So per day during the session for the pur-
pose of aiding the Senator in his work. The
chairman OF committee exacts this duty from
the committee clerk in addition to the latter's
work for the committee. Some of the commit
Tee clerkships are annual but most of them are
per diem as to salary. The duties of clerk TO
senator depend very much upon the kind of
Senator he is working for. Some are princes
and some are hogs. Foremost in the former
class stands Senator Stanford, who, besides
being rich in pocket, is also rich in many good
Qualities which make up big-hearted man
When he first came to the Senate he was OF
course accorded clerk. To this position he
called poor but hard-working newspaper man
in the person of Mr.. John Mccarthy. then rep
resenting the San Francisco Chronicle. he at
first gave Mr.. Mccarthy only the usual salary
paid by the Government Finding his useful-
ness worth more, Mr.. Stanford said to him one
day:
well. John, we have been together for some
time, and don't like the way things are run
ming That is. don't like your salary. guess
you don't either You just draw my salary as
Senator. and as am about to have q chairman
ship and clerk at $4,000, you just take that
too This will be little better than Sc per
day."
Generous Christmas Gift.
THIS is q sample of one kind of Senator, of
which, however the class is not large. As
another instance of Senator Stanfords gen.
erosity. it may be mentioned that the
pages are remembered by him every
Christmas with gift of SO
each. He also gives them an annual dinner at
his own residence, which is greatly enjoyed by
the little Ganymedes At the last dinner each
page was presented with pair of gold sleeve
buttons by Mrs Stanford.
Then there is another variety in this political
club (tor the Senate Is nothing more than a
club), and to this class belong the men who
iook upon secretary as wage worker. whose
duties extend from the writing of tariff
speech to making calls with the ladies of the
Senator'S family. know of many cases where
these clerks have been called upon to do ab-
solutely manual labor, and also of several in
ritice his manhood, and was discharged. 1t
was only OF recent occurrence that the secre-
tary OF Cabinet officer resigned his position
Deeaase MS d time was largely taken up with
=.
ners and receptions at the home of bis chief.
Asked to Run Errnnds.
# is common occurrence for Senator to
send his secretary to the railroad office to
secure sleeping car accommodations or pur-
chase railroad tickets. Another favorite pas
time which the secretary is allowed to indulge
in, is the keeping of a personal account with
the Senator, which covers the purchase of the
Senator's wardrobe, or an article Of daily use,
like tooth brush. Often there is a squabble
between the Senator and the secretary as to
the amount paid for articles, and the clerk is
virtually accused of petty theft.
Another duty of the secretary after his legiti-
mate woTk IS performed in transcribiDg die
tated letters and attending to the chores
IN the various departments Is to sit
for hours on the sofas or in the
CLOAK rooms, TO await the summons OF his
chief, who, in many instances, desires moth
ing but to know that his lackey (for by many
Senators he is considered nothing more. is near
at hand and subject to his call OF course the
man who accepts this position must take it
with all its disagreeable features. and they are
numerous, but why is it necessary for
decency, and at least some consideration for
others, to have his clerk ION tap to do some
little service which a page is paid to perform,
Is certainly peculiar.
Senatorial Indlgnify.
A SENATOR is not such a mighty and Iordly
being chat it is necessary to consider his
secretary menial. If the Senators suppose that
this method of treating the secretaries enhances
their own position in the minds of the public,
they are greatly mistaken. We hear much Of
Senatorial dignity, but we hear very little of
Senatorial indignty, and the facts given here
sufficiently prove thatthis upper class possesses
considerable of the latter trait, AS rule
the secretaries of Senators are well born and
well bred. and among them are men of more
than ordinary ability and intelligence. As
men they should be treated as such, and while
they are not obliged to accept the office, yet
while they hold it, the duties imposed upon
them should be of public and not Of private
character.
The Government does not appropriate money
for the hiring of the servants of Senator; IL
does not even pay the servants of the White
House, except the doorkeepers and the stew
ards, and just why the Senators have conceived
the idea that the terms secretary and lackey
are synonymous does not appear, and the sooner
they learn the distinction, which is certainly
wide one, the more will be thought of them by
their secretaries and by the people. A secre-
tary is a public officer under the rulings of the
Senate. Under those rulings he is allowed the
privileges of the floor and is subject to the rules
prescribed by the Senate for its own proceed
ure and il he is not fit to be treated as an equal
it would seem that he Is not fit to be secretary