The dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1894-1894, 1894-08-04
now CONGRESS SPENDS YOUR
NJ 0NEY.
BY HON. TuU>. l.. WATSON,
AILAA.pA, Ga.

i.anc ol m.nd to examine into the conduct
Of their rulers. Party tyranny has been
rudely shaken by Its own errors.
Party bosses have presumed too far, and
the people who were blinded 10y dassiOn In
1892, row realize that the keeping of IL GER
tain set of professional politicians in office is
aot necessarily synonymous with the saliva
ton OF the Republic. Believing that .the
time has come when the honest citizen,
whether democrat or not, would like to
know his taxes are being spent, have been
ook.ny !1toj the official reports Of the dis
bursiny officers Of tue House and Senate,
with i. view to tcllin. the. Taxpayer some
,hipg, which his party bosses and their
hireIing newspapers never tel! him.
These reports give an itcmZed account of
She moneys spent by Congress in salaries,
supplies, incidental expenses, etc.
az course most OF the expenditures are
authorized 10y law and are free from crili-
xi>m. But the people nave been so negl-
gent about these matters and the temptation
10 be liberal with somebody clse's money is
10 strong, tha: many an iiemn, invoking
many thousands of dollars, has crept into
these accounts to the utter violation OF law
and to the disgust Of all the better class Of
congressman.
Remembering that every dollav thrs
s4!,andered, without authority OF law,
comes ont of your pocket, let us examine
Abe account.
First, we will take the report Of Mr.. Kerr,
Clerk of the Democratic House over which
Mr.. Crisp presided.
1t appears that he paid out $425 for 4 COT
TN and fixtures for Gen. Spinola, u wealthy
New Yorker, who died while serving Il term
in Congress. For silk gloves, carriages,
kilograms, embalming, ETC., connected with
same funeral be paid out $l27.75.
For other kilograms connected with same
funeral. for Pullman ears to New York for
the funeral party, ect., he paid further,
1924. The widow, it appears, stopped at
she Westminster Hotel, in New York three
days, and the Government p,it the board
bill Of $4,000. Paid it out Of your money.
The same Hotel was paid ;62 40 for the
fsoard Of the funeral committee, also.
The Government also paid the. New York
andertakers $685.. 20 for their services. Paid
It out of your money. All this you will find
all page IA of Mr.. Kerr's official report.
Now turn to page 3o2 of the Statutes at
Large OF the United States for 1891 to 1898,
Ind YOU will find that Gen. Spinoa's widow
received an additional sum Of $1,000! paid
~ Congress: A whole years. salary was
given the widow Of this wealthy New York
sr who died before he served YOU q single
stay Of his term. Gen. Spinola was a demo-
syat, antl the House concurrence was neces-
s'cy TO the passage Of this appropriation,
vas overwhelmingly democratic.
On page 9S Of the official report of the 5Oth
UOngresf there is statement of the funeral
s1.penses charged up to you for the burial
o: the Hon. Sam. j. Randall. The coffin and
s.xtures cost you 1925, the embalming $50;
the black silk sashes 1854; the white silk
sashes $104 black silk gloves $3.50; draping
the church 1925; and a few other items
which run that part of the bill up to 81 ,039.
90. Then came the expense Of carrying Mr..
Randal's family to the funeral and back; al
the expense Of the committee to Philadel-
phia and back. Total cost going to the flt-
neral and coming back $S77.1G.
Eighty one persons, including the family
and committee, were carried to Mr.. Ran
Aall's fl.neraa at your expense.
The porters on Pullman cars always ex-
pect ttips" from travellers; that is, little
presen9s Of disc or a quarter. On this tu-
neral train this custom was strictly adhered
to. The porters got $500 In "tips. Your
money. See page 81 Of the report.
Remember, also, that Mrs. Randall got an
appropriation from Congress similar to that
Of Mrs. Spinols. On page ao1 Of the Statutes
at Large you will find appropriations Of S.,
900 each for the widows Of Messrs. Ford