The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-04-27
CONGRESSMAN GRADY
REPLIES TO Or. THOMPSON AND *.
PLANS HIS VOTE
lie Says that lie Knows Salaries are Now
Too High. but the Man who Tries Ia
Lower Them ''w III find Himself Dart
Ing Straus at the North Wind
~EXCI~E EoRTHI> WRONG II THAT
OTHERS ARE DOING WRONG.


! EDITOR OF THE CAUCA>iAS:-I
was much surprised at an article
IN your paper of this week, written
! by DR.. Cyrus Thompson, criticIsing
my vote for the resolution allowing
ALL the members Of the House OF
Representatives clerical assistance,
especially since DR.. Thompson is
under an Obligation ''to construe
words and deeds in their most favor
abe light, granting honesty of pur-
pose and good intentions 10 other
and | trust you will do me the JUS
tice TO let me be heard.
| have been in Congress long
enough to know that the members
who have no clerks, are prevented
from giving proper attention to the
duties for which they are supposed
to have been elected. The calls on
them, in person and by letters, for
offices, new mail routs, new post Off
ces, books, seeds, loans Of money, in
formation an almost every magma
bic subject; for visits to the White
House, to the Departments; for in
vestigation of pension claims, for
inquiries about patents, the standing
of patent attorneys, pension attor-
neys, dealers in country produce, and
the provisions of the civil service
law; and for news and interviews by
the array of correspondence in the
city and particularly in the capitol
while the two Houses are supposed
to be at work, not only render it
impossible for them to study and
understand and intelligently discuss
the measures the people are SO much
interested in, but are fruitful cause
of what SO often blocks legislation
''no quorum" One result, | may
say right here, is that every Congress
takes the extravagant appropriation
bills of its predecessor as its models
and basis of legislation, being I'M
able to make original Investigations,
and often afraid to make reduc-
tions the results of which cannot be
foreseen. DR.. Thompson would
have been offended if | had refused
to answer his letters-he would have
charged Inc with demonstrating the
hire of Washington City Democracy"
Equally offended would the people
have been who sent me from five to
twenty letters per day, if | had 1e-
fused to notice them; so would the
gentleman for whom | spent time in
trips to the Patent Office to as err
tain if certain things had been pat
ented; so would the parties who asked
me to go to the Post Office Depart
ment and learn whether certain
lawyer in Washington was trying
to deceive them about sumo allow
ance which he said had been with
held from them about rs years ago
| endeavored to serve my people as
best | could in all these matters,
without inquiring as to their politics
or their color; generally they had no
one else to 60 to. Nor were applica-
lions for services and favors confined
to the 3rd District, nor even to
North Carolina; letters came to me
from South Carolina, Virginia, Geor-
gia, Texas, and even from New Mex
leo and Oklahoma. This was the
condition Of things during the long
session beginning the first Monday
in December 1892, and the burden
was increased after it was known
that Mr.. Cleveland was elected; from
that day to this | have not averaged
thirty minutes per day when could
attend to public or private business,
although I spent three months of
the time Ill Congress.
Seeing the difficulties in the way
and knowing that well-considered
legislation is next to impossible I'M
less some of them are removed, I
voted to allow the members clerks,
so that they may serve their consti-
tuents more efficiently and save the
public money by shortening the
sessions of Congress. Each days
session cost very large sum, and a
small reduction in the number of
DAYS Will save more than the clerks
will cost.
But DR.. Thompson may ask why |
do not pay my clerks salary out of
my own pocket. | did do this dur
ing the two sessions of the SIND
Congress when found it impossi-
BILE to do all my work myself, and |
am willing to continue doing so if
all other Congressman were required
to do it. But SO Senators and
about 40 Representatives-cbair
men of do-nothing committees
are allowed clerks at public expense,
and the man who undertakes to re-
peal the laws making this allowance,
although as wise and patriotic as
DIR. Thompson, will find himself
darling straws against the north
wind.
| agree with the Doctor that sala-
ries are two large all along the line,
but corruption, extravagant living,
aplng the manners and customs of
royalty, and the strong tendency
towards grand and glorious gov
ernment-all inaugurated and fas-
tened On the country by the Re-
publican party-make large salaries
necessary if you live in Washington.
The fellow who lmplored his land
lady not to raise the price of his
board from eight to ten dollars be-
cause it almost killed him to eat
eight dollars worth, had never stop
ped at Washington hotel.
The actual cost of clerk during
the two sessions of the 52nd congress
would have been exactly five hum
bred and fifty dollars $3.50 per an
,,,x, ,,cfooI of fuyalra h,,p1rod