The morning times., 1895-12-29
PROFueATE use OF Cash
Congressional Funerals and the
Nations Hospitality.
SENATOR PEFFER'S CRUSADE
Senatorial Burials Cost from $3.50
to $2I ,OOO-The Average Expendi-
ture Equals the Cost of an Average
Kansas Farm-SenatOrs Who Have
Died IN Office Number IOs.

government cash, and las inaugurated his
campaign with lengthy exposition OF
things that bristles with figures and facts.
1t is a prolific source OF interesting data
that the Senator has opened up for explor
alton, and as one result 1t has been demon
strated that an average burial und er
Congressionalauspices cost asmuch as would
be demanded for an ordinary Kansas farm.
Beginning with william Grayson, whose
decease occurred March IL, 1890, one
hundred and seven Senators are shown to
have died while in office. Sevcnty-three
OF the 107 funerals were a Charge TO d
greater or less extent upon the public
treasury, the aggregate of the expense
being 500, ,2S4.S0, or an average of a
little over 81 1913. 1t is also a fact worthy
to be noted that the average OF deaths
OF Senators in office since 1880 has been
one for each year, ending with March II
1896
The largest sum ever expended for any
one funeral was sci ,323.5o. II was the cost
of transportation of the remains OF the late
Senator Hearst aud the expenses OF the es-
cort from Washington To the place Of inter-
ment. The lowest charge, made IN each OF
three cases, was for $3.50, attending the
obseQuies of Senator Thomas j. Rusk of
Texas, Senator Andrew p. Butler of South
Carolina, and Senator James Bell of New
Hampshire. The first occurred July 20,
ON May 26, 1857.
CHARGED TO CONTINGENT FUND.
Twenty-Five Senators died prior to the
year 1896, and in that year three others
passed away. The total public expenditure
on account of these three deaths was
SS77.41, the second instance of draft
upon the contingent fund from that source.
The third case was when Senator James
Noble OF Indiana was buried, February 26,
1881.
Eleven out of forty Senators who
died in the first rifty-siX years after the Sen
ate was orgapiZedc were given public burial
al the charge OF the pu bic treasury, and fif-
teen OF those who have died since S4s were
buried without the iDcurrcnce of such ex-
pense, among them being Leland Stanford.
The list of Representatives whose fune-
raj expenses were paid from the pu bile rev.
enues is not as complete as that given OF the
Senat ors, but the individual amounts range
from S452.70, in the case OF Congressman
f. Reman, to So, 30S. 40. the cost incurred
in the burial of congressman j. l. ChipInan.
AmonT the distinguished dead whose
names ap,lear in the list OF Senators with the
several sums paid out in each case, are these:
John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, S3.-
LOG. AZ; Henry Clay OF X Kentucky, So, Az o 2;
ChariesSuninerofN of Ma sachusetts, ~, ,6S7 "a;
George $. Houston OF Alabama, 81 ,064.6T:
Alfred II. Colquitt of Georgia, S2,s52.9s;
Zebulon H. Vance OF North Carolina, 81,
1856.
The last ten natorial funerals held are
shown by the records to have averaged in
cost the sum of 81 ,542.O2, and the last thir-
teen cost more in the aggregate than did the
previous sixty.
ITEMS THAT LOOK QUEER.
There are many curious items charged up
to the account of Congressional funerals
and some extravagant notions are elab-
GRATED on such occa sions. In one statement
which is formally entered OF record, there
appears the unexplained item OF "one-halr
dozen glasses, SIS" Another is for ''solo-
ist and male quartet, S35,' and still an
other. -four clergymen's fees, $40" A
''surpliced choir and oTganist' were also
called into requisition in one instance, at a
cost OF $40. Among the earlier items found
charged against the contingent fund for
expense incurred ON funeral occasion ire
"16 pounds of crackers, So, and III Ii
pounds OF cheese, S2.S1."
Primitive and simple charges they We're.
and certainly more moderate than might
have been expected in these days. but the
rigorous economy which seems to have pre-
vailed at the time demanded a sacrifice,
and the auditing committee disallowed the
cheese. The public conscience must have
been very much less elastic than later, when
ut one demand ii approved and authorized
Iit VI Il sfHSit TIT. tbtIi OIL WHICH
was nearly half as much as the Presiden-
tial salary for a whole year aud almost
equal in amount to the pay of the highest
grade department clerk for twelve years.
II cost five times as much TO escort the re-
mains of 4 Senator TO California in 1891
than for similar service for another sent
to the same State in 1854.
In another instance the same services for
the body of q Senator transported ], 400
miles cost less by $34.75 than was incurred
for transportation of the remains in an
other case 300 miles, and the two funerals
together cost $3,079.55.
NAUGHTY YsUBTERFUGEs CITED.
But these are not the only occasions when
extravaganza of expenditures in public
money isalleged. Laid away in tiiearchives
are very many vouchers that cover a mui-
dtude of naughty subterfuges for private
gain. In the early period when our grand
fathers held the key to the treasure vaults,
they provided themselves with a Con-
gressional contingent fund. an innocent little
device for guaranteeing the stationery
supply. The fund was liberal enough, as it
appears, and the old boysnever went destitute
of the materials for carrying on correspond
ence. 1t included all sorts of stationery
of the very best quality--rare old Wine,
Cognac that was mellow with age pure
old Kentucky bourbon and kindred well
calendared, hot pressed stationery
Favored with almonds, raisins, sirup soda
water and similar requisites. 1t included
pearl-haDdled pocketknives, shaving ma
terials, gold tOoth-picks, and lead pencils
galore. Seals, pencil cases, memorandum
books, wafer boxes and all similar essentials
to the proper discharge of the public
functions were at the disposal of the solon
SODA WATER AND COGNAC.
The contingent fund, safe disguise of de-
cidedly elastic tendency, was gradually
Increased until in 1881 1t reached an ag-
gregate of SIPS, $50 for the two branches
of Congress, and at that time cigarettes
and chewing gum had not been thought Of
1t Is reasonable to suppose that the laundry
fees were trifle excessive in those days.
and that when n man left off drinking
soda water and cognac temporarily it
was to squeeze in a lot of clean shirts
and haDdkerchlefs aud a reasonably good
supply of flrewood.
The itemiZed statement of what 1t cost
the government to entertain Louis KOS
suth and suite in S52, for the period that
he remained as the guest OF the Republic,
was also discovered among the records,
and 1t discloses some marvellous charges.
The distinguished party consisted of twen
ty-three persons, and occupied ten parlors
and twenty-five chambers for thirteen days.
The cost per capita for their entertain
ment was $156, board alone. The ''cham-
payne, sherry, Madeira, postage, cigars,
lemonade, bar bill, washing, medicine, post
~ 81