The sun., 1891-05-03
OUR LUXURIOUS SENATORS

OUR LUXURIOUS SENATORS
AVID TEE PNRoUIsrfEs THEY kxyox
Nearly Every senator HAS Lsxurieusiy
Furnished Coo~ittse Room ssa O.e or
More CItrks-Twe AAaitisnsl Buiiainss
Purchased 20 Give Then More Rooms
Bathsa, shaved. asa shern Free OF Ex-
penss D. the sensts Barber shop.
WASHINGTON May a-ooneress just before
adjournment appropriated large sums Of
money for the purchase OF two additional
buildings The big. white marble palace on
the hill 10 becoming 90 cramped that It IL din
cult now to nnd sufhclent room for the states
men to luxnriats In. This 10 not because OF
the recent additions to the membership OF the
Senate caused BY tho admission OF the new
States, or by the increase In tho House NOM
bership under the new apportion ment. It Ia
due solely to the fact that United States Sena-
tors have within the past few years grown so
accustomed TO catering to their tasts for
luxuries at the expense OF the Government
that they insist on having their desires grati-
fed. Members OF the House. being directly
answersble to their constituents, dare not con-
bout W eu0 oAUouutuTo VI kuo PUBIC mOn0y
for their personal comfort a. Senators do. and
that 10 why they do not enjoy large GLASS Of
PRIVILEGES that fall to the lot Of the members Of
the upper House.
Tho TWO buildings purchased by Congress
are the big granite mansion erected By Ben
Butler about twelve years ago at the south
edge OF the Capitol grounds. and the great
brick structure ut the north edge known as
tho Maltby House. This was erected afswiyesrs
ago by the late Maltby G. Lane Of New York.
and was intended to be . fashionable apartment
house. For some eunaccountable reason It was
failure from the start. and has remained un-
occupied almost continuously since II was com.
pleted. When Gen. Butler erected his stone
mansion he thought it would result In convert
ing the common on which II stands into an
nristocratio locality. He was disappointed.
Goats and COWS roam about rs freely % they
did before. and the big house has been dead
weight on the owners hands. He was paid
s285 900 for II, but that probably does not rep
resent all that he laid out However. the Gov
ernment was probably much more liberal with
its cash than any private purchaser would
have been.
Congress intends to utilize both Of these
additional buildings chiefly for tho purposes Of
committee rooms. although 1t Il probable that
some OF the department bureaus that are now
occupying rented quarters will be lodged In
them. Tho demand for committee rooms BY
Congressman. especially the members OF tho
sennte. ia perfectly overwhelming. and. a. Q
Senator is never allowed to wish In vain for
ANYTHING that tho money OF tho people can
buy. 1t taxes the ingenuity OF the executive
officers to crafty them all. When the broad
marble terraces were constructed around the
north. south. and west sides OF the Capitol
provision was mado for very large number Of
committee rooms. many Of which have been
occupied for q year or two. Much mora room
will be available IN . few years whom tho Con-
Rressional Library moves out to take possess
sion of the massive granite building now being
constructed for its accommodation on Capitol
Hill. There are only etghty-eiRht Senators all
told. and yet new buildings are being secured
for their accommodation. Before the purchase
OF tho Maltby and Butler buildings was &C.
complished several houses were rented for the
use OF tho al.important Senate committees.
There was Q time, not many years ago. when
a room was assigned only to each regularly Or
ganized committee. nearly every one OF which
was under tho control OF the majority Of
body. Gradually and quietly select commit
mittees were authorized. the minority were. as
. matter Of courtesy. allowed to have tho con-
troll OF some Of them. conference rooms for
both the majority and the minority were set
apart, and some Senators actually had the
control OF two or three rooms. About tho time
that Senators not Charmen OF committees Sc
cured the services OF clerks at the expense of
the Government they became possessed Of tho
idea that they should have rooms in the Cap;
%akne tSs% Of eem%ist.ss
81 tnS pa !,
AithAr b0na ud0 Otl0FWiao. and hRvA l.
large proror!on Of Of these com%ttees are IL,
%ss. n f' g eoss.dsr @ them II I shsy bad rhsy
clerk. however. and as that is the real reason
Of their, existence. no fault is found By any.
are completed and the two additi NAL houses
purchased there Is no doubt that when the
sss Sss
Senators do not mean to stop at private
thai aproposition has been more Or lees seri:;
iSotins 10 The sreS!cn Of Drisa,e residsnse
cr each q The s!sas idHs g SS haze Tss
Mhen snf IN oee This Es az via dss
but y Is 'ns. @ what s coming :. the G GrspSesy Il
anisi!ss now snoysd tS,t ~ Senator's which
known as the contingent fund Of the Stn.
nte. are astounding In their number and
which is compelied to furnish the money to re-
plsnish the fund, has been for several years
coming Democratic House should Wish to stir
up lively mares nest 4 would need Only to
and the senntss con,insent iund II It did
lieans iuxuIiatIng at the expense o. their cYn-
The crime is not altogether poiti-
cal but il Is strictly Senatorial.
II the constituents OF some OF the Senators
who have been long enough In service to get
hold OF all the good thiags that ARE 10 be had
by q Senator who Is up 10 snun could catch u
glimpse Of some o the new COMMITTEES rooms
down under the marble lel traces they would DO
no matter whether they came from
the rural districts or from one OF the large
cities 1t was not many years ago when coun-
try visitors to the Capitol were taken by the
guides inl0 the rooms of The Committees on
Affairs. Naval AfYaIrs. and others Of that kind
to give them an idea OF Senatorial msgniti-
ns they are with their oil-panted walls. mas