St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-02
LIVES OF COHGRESSMEN.
SOME OF THEN MANAGE TO SAVE
MONEY OUT OF THEIR SALARIES.
AS a RULE THEY DON'T DO II,

MONEY OUT OF THEIR SALARfES.
AS a RULE TEEEY DON'T DO H,
But There Are Exceptions to This
as to All Other Ruies-1he Eco
nomicaI PopuIist Sets an Ex-
ample of Frugal Living-A Con-
gresham Who Brought His
Luncheon to the Capitol.
Every time congress is called together
and congressman begin to come 10
Washington the country hears a great
deal of the inadeQuacy of congressional
salaries. The average congressman
tells a pitiful tale of the sacrifices which
he makes to serve his constituents. Ac-
cOrding to his story, it takes all of his
salary, and sometimes great deal
more. to pay his legitimate expenses at
Washington. SAYS writer in the New
Orleans IimeS-Democrat. In the mean
time his business at home is going to
the dogs rapidly, and the probability is
will retire him from public life aI the
end of his term.
1t is true that great many congress
men find it hard to live within their
congressional incomes. 1t is also true
thai many congressman make no effort
TO live within these incomes. but spend
two and three times their salaries every
year. But it is also true that there are
congressman who save a great deal Of
money cut of the 5000 year which
the law allows them.
The Populists in congress have shown
their feliow-mcmbers how 10 save money
at Washington. Very few of these
farmer statesmen ever saw as much as
$1,000 before they came to Washington.
They have been accustomed to an hum
bic style of living all their lives, and
they would find it very hard TO spend
$1,000 IN one year. even at Washington.
W hen the POpuliStS began to swarm in
the Kansas legislature a few years ago
the story was circulated OF a farmer
member of the lower house who went
10 the diobursing officer 10 request an
advance Oh his salary, and WHO asked. In
Tear and trembling, Ii he would be al
lowed to draw 'aS much as SO" The
PopullSt members OF the house at Wash
lngJ0n do rot draw their salaries ahead
be cause they are not permitted to DO so;
but they never leave 4 cent in the hands
OF tile sergeant at-armS after pay day.
The rich members of congress are the
ones who leave their salaries undraWn
until the end Of the session.
LEe Blew Gut the Gas.
''AIartin of Texas famous as the
man who blew out tie gas in a Wash
ingtOii hotel during his first term IN con-
gress, was not P0pulist, but he was
just as much Of "hayseed" as any
member Of the third party. Martin was
here for ionr years. In that time be
drew $4,000 salary. $500 stationery al
'IoWancc, and IaOrc than 81, 600 mileage.
He lived for time at one of the hotels.
but later he went to cheap boarding
house. lie was possessed Of certain
Shrewdness and a limited sense OF
humOr, and he is quoted lis having said
near lie end Of his term: well, may
have blown out the gas, but l didn't
blow III any OF my money" MI. Martin
certainly did not ''blow in'' any more
than was absolutely necessary for
his frugal expenses here; and those who
knew him we'll say that he took away
$1,000 when he left WASHINGTON. This
Is quite enough to make him a rich man
III his own country. Martin is very proud
OF his mOney-savlng. At the time the
cashier Of the house, SilcOtt, ran away
with ZOO of money belonging 10 mem
bers Of the house, Martin crnWed great
deal because lie was not one Of the los
erS. There Is Roger q. Mills" he said.
who got up enc of the greatest tariff
bills this country has ever seen. had
s., 800 in Sllcott'S safe; and there were
- and -" Cnaming prominent MEM
" lffl J,
the sergeant-at-arms) ''who had this and
that amount on deposit. And there was
Martha, who blew out The gas. with his
salary four days 0verdraWn."
IEinnesota's Ai;tel.
A Populist in the last congress who
made no pretense of spending his salary
was kittel HaIyorsen, OF Minnesota.
HalvcrseE's election was most eXtraor-
binary. The Democratic candidate,
AlouZO j. Whiteman. offered to pay
Halv0rsen's expenses if lie would ac-
cept the nomination, which had been
rendered to him by the third party.
Whiteman believed that HaIvorsen
would take votes away from the Repub-
lean candidate. To the surprise Of ev-
erybOdy Halyorsen was elected, recely-
Ing ., loo votes more than the Republican
candidate. That 5000 salary looked al
most as big as the side of a house to
him. He Gould not have spent it if he
had tried. A cheap bOardin ghouse not
far from the capitol sheltered him and
provided his meals at the rate of about
$3.50 a week. His other expenses we're
very few. He was the envy of all the
other PopulistS in Minnesota. They
longed for a share of his $1,000 SO,
after consultation, they determined to
offer HalvOrsen the nomination for
lieutenant governor in the hope that
he would. 'come down" literally. But
Mir. Halvorseu knew a good thing when
he saw it. He declined to be the candi-
date for lieutenant governor, and very
likely he took away with him from
Washington $1,000 OF the $4,000 salary
which he drew i'll the two years of his
term.
Judge Robert S. HeAn. who served in
the Forty-fouIth and Forty-ffth coll
gresS, saved almost the whole of his
salary, and he is now living in compare
tive atfiuence in the mountains OF his
native state. Judge Helm was not a