The Portland daily press., 1892-12-13

The constant tendency in Washington
is toward finer houses, more costly mode
of life, greater luxury and style. 1t is
all very we'll to talk of republican SIM
plicity and plainness-that may have
been done in the days Of jefferson, when
Washington was village in the mud
and the country was poor. The same
salaries that were paid in the times of
simplicity and plainness are paid now.
So many rich men have of late entered
public life that the poor men find it the
more difi&hlt to get along.
I went along the other day with a
congressman who was looking for 8
place to live during the winter. He has
little besides his salary to go on. His
family consists of his wife and himself.
Last winter they lived in one Of the
humber hotels for $175 a month. Hav-
ing been reelected, and his political
prospects now being very bright, his
wife insists that they live more in keep
ing with their position. In the first
hotel we called at two small but pretty
rooms were shown, with bath. 1"F'1ve
hundred dollars month"; said the
clerk. At the second hotel three rooms
and bath were shown at 't$4O0 a month. "
So it went-some little cheaper,
others still more costly. My friend want
ed to spend no more than $3.50 a month
and wanted three rooms, and in order to
get what he wanted at that price had to
go to hotel which is not considered
first class, though comfortable.
OF course one may keep house in Wash
ington about as cheaply as in any large
city. But congressman who have their
own homes in the states, and who have
to be here only part of the year, do not
care to fit up another domestic estab-
lishment. Nor is there any economy in
SO doing. Even if one gives up the old
home and keeps house in Washington,
congressman salary is barely sufficient
to make, both ends meet. From $75 to
500 month must go for house, $40
for servants, and if one wants to live IN
anything like comfort $50 for a carriage.
A salary of $4i7 month disappears like
a snowdrift in April.
Every cabinet minister in Washing
ton spends more money each year than
his salary brings him. Attorney Cen
eral Miller will leave Washington $685.
600 poorer than when he came, hear.
Secretary Noble told me he has spent
two dollars in Washington for every one
the government has paid him. ssThis
| thing will have to come to an end some
| time,'' he added. 81 am often surprised
| that our go, eminent is administered as
honestly as it is, considering the cost Of
| living in Washington and the small sal
aries paid by the government.
ssThe truth of it is, official life in this
city is no place for poor man. Temp
tation is thrown in his way at every
turn, and the wonder is that SO few sue
cumb to it. Unless we change our ways
and pay decent salaries the day will soon
come when we shall have either cor
rupt government or a government to
which none but rich men will dare as
| pire to place in. Neither is desirable"
It is time already that in forming a
new cabinet q president elect be confined
| to rich or well to do men. President
| Cleveland, for instance, would like to
have WI Wilson, of West Virginia,
in his cabinet as secretary of the treas
ury. Mr.. Wilson cannot afford to take
the place. Service as congressman keeps
him poor enough, and to be cabinet
minister would mean ruin Mr.. Cleve-
| land would like to have Don Dickinson
in his cabinet again, but MIR. Dickinson
has had one taste of official life in this
city, and he says he is not rich enough
| to afford the luxury again. III
There is no man in this country for
whom Mr. Cleveland has greater adj
miration than General Patrick Collins,
of Boston. Mr.. Collins is too poor to
take place in the new presidents min
istry, and some years ago deliberately
retired from public life in order that he
might make some money for himself
and family. After he gets rich, and he
is making rapid progress in that direc-
ton, he may conclude to re.enter poll
tics. The same thing is true of ex-Gov-
ernor Campbell, of Ohio. hear that
Mr.. Cleveland would like to have Mr..
Campbell in the new ministry, but the
governor has been in the slough Of de-
spond financially, and now, having a
chance to make some money, proposes
to put ambition behind him and makeit.
These men are not hungry for money.
They are not cage TO be rich. They do
not love wealth wealth's sake. But
they know the vs.-ue, the necessity, of
being independent financially. There
fore Mr.. Cleveland has, to consider in Sc
Electing men to help him manage the af-
fairs of the government during the next
four years not only their, brains and
character. but their financial, standing.
t All have to say is that in pursuing q line
of policy which gradually freezes poor
men out of public life and turns the Of
fetal posts over to men who are rich
enough to be able to take them this
government is making frightful mis-
| take.
What is true of seats in the cabinet
and in congress is more than true of
minor posts in the government employ
at Washington. There is to be change
of administration soon, and many thou
sands of Democrats are ambitious to win
some appointment under the govern