Telegram-herald., 1890-09-28
WASHINGTON ECHOES
The Mistake Made by Young Men
In the Country.
THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
They are Pail of Graz h~irea Mes who
Have Be~s IA service Ter the hsss
leArs ef Their Lisss-The ~keaso-
srss Of Other Days

cbtttA correspondents 70 AAetohAs -h~h@tfh
WAsHINGIoN, sept. PA dead Con-
gresham is very frequently more eI-
pensiye object 70 his constituents and
the country Al large than he is when
drawing bis salary for alleged legisls-
tive duties. IL costs q good round sum
10 bury one of Uncle Sans legislators,
who may take il into his head 10 de
while in Office. AS soon a. his death
has been officially oommunics ted - the
Speaker, II a Member of the House, or
20 the N.ce-Presdent, If a Member OF
the senate, the sergeant-at-srms OF the
body 10 which he belongs. is instructed
10 confer with his family aud, II agree
able 10 them. 10 take charge Of tie
funeral arrangements. The sergeant
alarms hires the undertaken AID. as
the latter knows that he will, in all
probability, have 10 wait some time for
his money, he takes care 10 add enough
To hs bill 10 pay him Tor his time.
Everything which be supplies Is Of the
very best, both Ia regard TO price and
quality. If the deceased is OF sufficient
prominence. and the family request il,
Congress may pay him the honor of
public funeral at the Capitol, and IN
that case there will be good-sized ball
for draping the wing in which he for
merry sat. The pail bearers AID the
memoers of the Congressional com
mlttee are supplied with broad sashes
and gloves, and these mortuary sym
bols are never used more than once.
As soon as the death IS announced 10
the House OF which ne was member
a representative of the State To which
the deceased belonged moves for the
appointment of a committee composed
of both Houses 10 accompany the re-
mains 10 the cemetery. The committee
consists generally of seven members
and Senators and special car is always
chartered for the occasion. Sometimes
an entire train is considered necessary,
and that adds enormously to the ex-
psnse. If the late lamented should
hail from one OF the far Western States
the blll for transportation Will be
large one, and ia addition there will be
cost of meals while cn-ruute, and BOARD
! for the committee while IN the city
where the interment takes place. A
deputy sergeant-at-arms and messen-
| ger or two IS taken along to look after
| the creature comforts OF the committee,
aud the party includes the widow and
| other relatives oil the deceased states
man. From first 10 last I will be seen
that the expenses amount TO a pretty
| penny.
~.
But this is not all. The salary Of the
| member for hls uuexpIred term ls paid
| to his family together with Whatever
| balance was due him tor stationery and
! other allowances winch renamed 70 ms
| credit. And then there IS one other
! item which adds 10 the cost of Con-
| gressiOnal funeral. A few weeks after
the death il IS the custom for both
| House 10 set apart dsy when eulogies
are 70 be pronounced on the dead. AS
general thing the eulOgies arc either
/ fulSome laudsuons or commonplace
| expressions. but whatever they are they
are please nj reading Il the dead man's 5
! family. After the culogIes have heen
| delivered, resolution IS adopted TO
1 PRINT them, the number never being bc-
| low 10, 900. and very frequently being
more than double that. In the case OF
the late samuel J. Randall, oi Pennsyl-
vania, 25.000 copies are TO be printed
and bound IN cloth, ffty copies Of
1 which VIII be bound IN full morocco FOR
the use OF the family of the dccea scd.
The printing and binding of these cnlo-
ciCs viii cost sl0,375, r larger sum than
SIR. Randall was able % save from his
sslsry during all the long years lac WAS
/ il Congress, and more tnsn he left e
his family. These cuiocles are very
frequently used sc \ canpa IN docu
meni, and although a great many mer
recognize that the whole affair IS good
deal of q farce, AID have tried 90 stor
it, 10 Is likely that the custom Will con
tinue to prevail.
Lying east OF tic Capitol is q large
and somewhat Gesolate buTying ground
OF forty acres, known as the CouCross
sional Cemetery. n is net. ss r mann
implies. owned by the Government. ~
many persons hsve lots here, hot vheF
the cemetery was fret lad out q wa
the custom OF Congress r. erect there
| ccnotaphs 0t every Congressman Nh'
dlcd in Office, End 300 Of these range
IN long parallel TONS. make the ceme
terry q modern Nsihslis. IN the car,'
DAYS If the Republic whcn $ Congrf -
man died while Congress wss in sess or
i was the most natural fbng that h'
should b. buried Ia Washington. as 3
vas difficult and expensive tax {.
transport h.s BODY 20 h.s former home
bat now when 80 few Con grsss'nen ST
buried in THIS CITY. toe custom la
fallen into drsgse. and soce the WaE o
the Rebellion but one cenotsph na
been added 30 the collection. Tbos
cenotsphs are very UCiv affairs. aud
- perhaps Just ss vel that the C8sfor
of add ng - them as the legislators r,ss
over ~ the silent majority - not ksp
up. To TIE un.nltate8 they look uofh
t ING so much Ike = couple q dry good
, boxes piled one on tip of ths Other
anl az TREY are mostly huit - ssnr
stone. Hh.ca 10 a great macy instsnce
ia crumbhng swsv. TIE Impress.
/ Which they convey = not . plessaI
one.
! We Americans sre - intensely pra'
t.cal. tarre = 10 ooubt abouf tbs
) ( Few people. even in fals city. seem {
he assre taaf the onlv h0uss vhcn tn
immortal George Has6inE3ou eet
J fgat n t8is cts s EEL stsr8.nz snd
a reasons good sfats - rrestrvstsoT
. it ssfaafs1 rear tae Capri gro1n3'
? rot 4sr from fhs Baltimore a or
depot, on Ncrta Csp.foi S. TIE hess
vas or e1sllT - t7fss-ssoT. -. t'af sri
F Hgsrea - srproverasnt cs8sed th
sfTset on shlch rt sssr8s - - grade