The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-10


So many rich men have of late entered
public life that the poor men find it the
more difficult to get along.
l went along the other day with Il
congressman who was looking for II
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 $l7j 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 wc called at two small but pretty
rooms were shown, with bath. Give
hundred dollars month";" said the
clerk. At the second hotel three rooms
and bath We're shown Mt $500 Il month.
So it went-some IL little cheaper,
Others still more costly. My friend want
ed to spend no more than $3.50 month
and wanted three rooms, and i'll order 10
get what he wanted at that price had to
go to hotel which is not considered
first class, though comfortable.
Ofcourse one may keep house in Wash
ington about as cheaply as i'll any large
city. But congressman who have their
own homes III the states, and who have
to be here only a 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, Il
congressman salary is barely sufficient
to make both ends meet From $50 TO
500 Il month must go for house, $40
for servants, and if one wants to live in
anything like comfort $50 for carriage.
a salary of SILT Il month disappears like
a snowdrift i'll April.
Every cabinet minister i'll Washing
ton spends more money each year than
his salary brings him. Attorney Gen
eral Miller will leave Washington S25,-
600 poorer than when he came, hear.
Secretary Noble told me he has spent
two dollars i'll Washington for every one
the government has paid him. "This
thing will have to come to an end some
time," he added Il am often surprised
that our government is administered as
honestly as it is, considering the cost of
living in Washington and the small sal
aries paid by the government.
The truth of it is, official life in this
city is no place for poor man. Temp
'tttioL 10 lIIOMu III Ills WAY I'LL every
turn, and the wonder is that so few sue
cumb to 1T. Unless we change our WAYS
and pay decent salaries the day will soon
come when we shall have either Il cor
rupt government or Il government to
which none but rich men will dare as
pire to place in. Neither is desirable"
1t is time already that in forming
new cabinet president elect be confined
to rich or we'll to do men. President
Cleveland, for instance, would like to
have w. L. 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.
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 i'll 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 poli-
tics The same thing is true of ex-G Coy
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 n
chance to make some money, proposes
to put ambition behind him and make il
These men are not hungry for money.
They are not eager to be rich They do
not love wealth for wealths sake. But
they know the value, the necessity, of
being independent financially There
fore Mr.. Cleveland has to consider in Sc
Letting 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.
All have TO say is that i'll pursuing line
OF policy which gradually freezes poor
men out of public life and turns the Of
hclal posts over to men who are rich
enough to be able to take them this
government is making frightful mis-
lake.
What is true of seats in the cabinet
and III 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
ment. They hear or read of the assist
ant secrctaryships, the auditorships, tho
commissionerships the chief clerkships
and all that class of offices in Washing
ton III which the salary is from 50, 900 to
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