St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-23
CONGRESSIONAL EXPENSES
SOME MEMBERS RUN IN DEBT AND
FEW SAVE MONEY.
SALARY NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

A Mistaken Way Into Which
Some Fall-Rare Experience
ola Western Man Who Saved
$6,OOO-Art at the Capitol
The Threatened Peace Monu-
ment-Busts ofVice Presidents
The yearly salary of a senator or
representative in congress is $1,000. He
receives. in addition, a sum represent
ing The cost of railroad fare from his
home to the capital, "by the nearest
railroad route" and is credited with
sl25 for stationery. most of which sum he
takesln cash, says the New York Times.
Is this yearly revenue sufficient for his
needs?
The personal habits and the eviron-
ment or the congressman figures largely
In this question, as a correspondent of
the New York Times discovered while
seeking information. Il can't save a
cent out of my salary and am apt to be
heavily in debt at the close of the
session" said one member of the lower
mouse. This man halls from New York
City, and is accustomed to luxurious
living. He is capable of earning much
more each year than the government
pays him for mis- services, but the
glamor of politics surrounds him and
ne has not awakened to the fact that he
Is JeopardlZlng his future by remaining
10 congress. Perhaps he may not awake
IN Time to escape the fate of many
political hacks whose faces are familiar
here.
While this class is we'll represented in
w dS1lnQG0n- rhPTR vuhiah
affords All interesting study. 1t is com
posed OF men whose habits before their
entry upon congressional life were COM
paratlVeIy frugal. They have made &C.
qualntanceS whose normal pace is fast,
ana as consequence they have adopted
a daily programme which not only in.
wolves the expenditure of much money,
put much physical wear and tear. The
downward course of this class is natu.
rally rapid. Every community in the
country has its ''played-out" ex-cou-
gressman. Visit the swell" resorts of
washington any Dlght in the week and
you VIII see men whose ultimate fate it
VIII oe TO join this unhappy contingent.
FOR Inc time being they are bons vivants
and "all-around good fellows" with not
a thought of the day when they will be
classed among the ''have beens."
Ihere is still another class of congress
men. Let New York man who sat
next to Kansas representative in the
last house describe man who tvpifies
IL: My attention." the New Yorker
SAID, was attracted to my Kansas
nelgnbor early in the session. He had
nothing to say, except OH one occasion,
and then he asked leave to print some
remarks concerning silver. Out of Gu
rIoslty examined the Congressional
record next day. and discovered an
alleged speech by my neighbOr which
started out with this declaration: If nv
friends OIL the other side of the chamber
VIII mold on to their skins for moment
will show Them etc.
After this wonderful exhibition of
nerve l watched the Kansan with re-
newed interest. Day after day he oc,
cupled his seat ana paid close attention
to the proceedings. l never met him IN
the restaurant, never saw him take a
drink, never saw him with a cigar be-
tween his lips. He wore the same suit
from the beginning to the end of the
session. On the day of final adjourn
meDt L saw him packing up some papers
preparatory to going away. | cOulu not
restrain my curiosity to know the i'm
presslons Of the session just ended.
Well said l, how have you en-
Joyed being in cOngreSs?'
"'Well enough was the reply. I've
saved S6,000.'"