The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-01
r1rHAIAeANcs OF TIE SENATE.
Constantly Increasing the Number mud
Salaries of Its Omciuls.

officials. These charges nre usually pre'erred
by the House against the Senate in the discus
sion OF amendments made to appropriation
bills by the latter body. 1t Ia not often that
any Senator has tho tcmerity 10 offer any crit
icsm on the subject However,. in the recent
debate on the Legislative Appropriation bill,
Senator Plumb boldly asserted that there were
too many useless officials connected with tho
Senate, and suggested that II pruning knife
vigorously used would reduce the cApcnses OF
tho Senate $780, 900 each year. He also said
that the extravaganza OF the Senate had grown
to such an alarming extent that tho time
would como when 1t would be made national
Issue, and that men would be elected to The
Senate for tho purpose OF efTectinR rcforma-
ton In the management OF its domestic affairs.
This statement, following so closely upon the
removal OF the rnGe charged tn Senator Quay,
caused Senator EdmundS to Introduce re>o-
ton creating committee to inquire into the ed
minlstrative service OF this mot favored hcdy.
Senator Allison was named rs Chair nan. but
the oncrous POSITION is lll-suitcd TO ono OF his
trimming procivities, and Senate" Piualb was
named in his place. Ho will now have an op-
portunity Of showing tho country whether he
was earnest or whether he was talking for
home consumption" rs 1t is alleged.
In the latter part OF tho Foity-nlnth Congress
Senator Plumb INDUCED in II simi ar til ade
upon the top.heavy character OF the Senate
iorco. The opportunity was given in an
amendment asking for an incroaso Of salary Of
tho Assistant Postmaster of the Senate Scna-
tor Plumb, in burst Of confidence. said that
tho whole Office was rotten, and thai with
$4,000 he could 40 out in Kansas and get five
men who would moro efficiently manage the
Post OfIlco than tho present forco OF ten men.
This sporadic assault led TO an inquiry iden-
teal In its object to the one recently in
stltnted. The result was that the Assistant
salary wns raised and another man appointed
to assist him NJ s.. 500 yer year.
Senate that are not f1iled by nersnna Who has
been active In politics and who owe their
places to the influence OF individual Senators
OF course there is Capt. BaSsc.t the assistant
doorkeeper who is finishing his lfty-nnth
year of continuous service Mt the present rate
pointed a nngo ny Daniel Webster. and lives
more In the na5t than i'll the present. in poll
pnrc sn o. .e not 5te rb s te
passive serenity. Then there is X. b. Nixon.
The financial ce X. lie has handled millions
oees II Sene lie Ts eSn ana IN st
same oce Tor over 4 quarter Of aG"ntnry, aud
problems OF making tho cash balance when tho
genial senator was his assistant in 1868 and
AMI Smith the s E Of It'll the docu.
ment room. Is another one who l. exempt from
political buckinr. lieisuown on the pay rolls "f
tho only person In the omnlov Of tho Govern
ment whose name r,m is Officially printed IA IN
by any happy chance b. selected 10, represent
In rart tho State of New York III tho Senate,
A1 M1n ID pT6Shy nrbsns
with information, There IS not n Government
publication Issued during the past twenty-flye
will not bo touched by the committed
There are a number OF others on the pay roll
who have been in the employ OF the Senate
fifteen
orally pt owed them-e ewes to be fai ,hlul and rf
ncent oflccr*., However. there is one "i;cal
whose political affiliations never have been
discovered. Republicans come and Democrats
e.? but this man stays on forever. II the com
succeed in discovering the functions Of his
Office, II may well ieel rewarded tor it5 labors
greater portion Of the force OF the Senate is re-
tanned by political influence. The force Is na'e
up Of men who act as Clerks 70 Senators. and
political servltors who bave had moro or less
close personal rclnt ions with the Senators who
had them appointed. should the committee in
its Investigation deem that the interests OF
the Senate demanded the removal Of any par
hacker OF the individual would be appealed to.
and tho chances are that no change would be
made in that direction.
is not on basis OF strict Immortality. 1t is
greatly 9ut Of nroportI"n. 1871; distribution
would give To oGch Republican state places
worth $4,000.
lum6a fainshe e' @ tG SFHs who
manage one way and another TO draw he COM
Portable, sum Of $S3,259 each year. This does
very well tor the District, which is supposed TO
have no repi csc ntation in this honorable body.
Next in rromtnence comes the civil ser:
whose Senators said in debate short time !
ago that he nevor Ind asked for political |
9Ge ,b "f n 99e IN S e d 1T b s CSpry Dos
but tho numLer Of persons on tho nay roll |
charged to Massachusetts belle the fact. She
q hriff IL. ON Tc n wan 4 4
Pennsylvania's Senators arc silent but their |
silence is golden 10 those on tho pay roll |
nnG s amonmt
does not include the pay Of the page of Senator
Quay. who was SO summariy dismissed Il
short time ago
Senator Hale is one of the able representa-
tives Of the state OF Maine. lie is also an en-
tinng. and In this capacity strongly seconded |
Mr.. Plumb in the attack on tho extensive pay |
way deep down in his heart. that the Postmas-
tor the assistant Sergeant t-arms three clerks.
NH e6 be eafa 1 IL the Sae
ee which he so earnestly urged should lie ap- |
Donlei. Maine touches the Till OF the Senate |
Ohio, with one Republican Senator. carries of |
ba.lUn. which is DEVOTED 10 the divine principle |
possibly obtain tho Garth. Vermont IL /, Myth !
II time has the two Oldest Senators. but II tho |
pay ro!l Is accurate she has not proNtel mIch
BY thor long continuous service. She Is |
charged with salaries aEgregatin2 the demure |
sum OF S6.I6O. But these Senators OF long
experience have way Of evndinG tho criticism
II tho public. md WHOM u man Is wanted as an
assistant clerk or messenger no is not charged
o Vermont. y strong Repnhlican state. but 10 |
he donbtiully weak Democrat!c States OF
North CAROLINA or West Virginia. winding up
with Now York.
Rhode Island. so far ms salaries 60. Is larger
With Its TWO Republican Senators than tho
,tate Of Ohio. with its one Republican Senar or
She has several soft billets and draws regu-
arly 1910 per annum. Iowa the nome Of SrIlu-
or Allison, has ,.9.72O, but would like more.
Kansas is alleged TO have but $7.32U but II
senator Plumb, in bis eapacty as Chairman Of
Jiogenos, the public will lind that tho great
md grassy state nf Kansas has not boon left so
much in the lurch as II might at first blush
suppose.
The wild and woolly West Inns n good OK
'mplar in South Dakota. With that enor.y
mn push which Is characteristic OF tho new
states She obtained mt one fell swODp five
IlaceS which yield au annual income of ~ OJD.
n this matter she got ahead oil her sister
'tates, born under the same circumstances as
ierseli, and 1t is said that The demand for
ia es made by Montana. Washington. and
torth Dakota was the groundwOrk Tor tho on
,aught made by Senators Halo and Plumb.
The Senate In that eNubernnra of spirits
md OVERLOOKING generosity which is haracter-
site OF 1t. amended the Legislative lii in q
cry beueiiCont way. Under the prODosed |