The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-02

gance of congressional funerals has al
ready caused widespread attention and
comment. The bill is short and simple.
1t provides that when a congressman
dies in Districtof Columbia while congress
is in session that the house of which he
was member appoint a committee to
take charge of the remains. That the
members of the committee see to it that
the body is properly encased and shipped
in charge of the sergeant at arms to the
members home or to his friends or
family. That is all there is to it but
such an arrangement would save the
government thousands of dollars and do
away with some of the junketing trips
which have at times been disgrace and
debauch.
In connection with this bill Senator
PETER has prepared statistics to show the
need of such a reform. These figures
are in some cases SO large as to almost
startle even Senator PETER who thinks
nue., Topeka, as a regular thing. The
evil has grown and grown rapidly of late
years as the figures will show, which are
now given out by Senator Peffer for the
first time. The data which are yet pre-
pared relate only to senators.
During the first thirty-seven years of
the senate's existence" said Sc nator PEI
fer, twenty-five senators died and nine
were buried at public expense but in the
next twenty two years, from 1926 to 1847,
twenty seven died and eleven were
buried at public expense. The average
cost of these was $61S.S0. From 1S4S to
1867 twenty eight senators died and
eighteen were buried at public expense
at an average cost of $1,398.46. You see
how it grows. The first death to exceed
$1,000 in expenses was that of John
Fairfield of Maine in 1847, which the
government paid 81, ,072.25 for.
"Now here's an interesting thing" said
the senator. "From 1859 to 1894 twenty
five of the thirty deaths in the senate
were the occasion of public funerals and
cost in the aggregate $6S, 855.57 or 81
75422 apiece. The last ten of these cost
$45, 5,420.27 or $4,54202 each"
Senator PETER is very conscientious in
the matter of figures aud even the extra
two cents goes when it comes to striking
an average.
"To make a more striking comparison"
said the senator, 'the cost of public
funerals for senators from 1885 to 1894
was more than one half the entire ex-
pense for such occasions during the
whole existence of the senate, and
$4,139.20 more than all the rest from
1890 to 1884. Or to put it in other
words, the last Is funerals cost $4, 1922
more than the other sixty senate burlals,
the total number of senate burials at
public expense being 70"
Some of the senators, it appears, did
not need much assistance from the
government in getting over the river.
The funerals of Thomas Rush, of Texas.
who died in 1856, James Bell, who ex-
pired in 1857, and Andrew P. But
Ter, of South Carolina, who passed
away in the same year only made Uncle
Sam go down in his pocket for $4 80 for
each. But perhaps ferry tolls were
cheaper in those days OF the congression-
al attendants were not educated up to
champagne and two for quarter cigars.
In strong contrast with these three
cheap funerals was that of Senator
George Hurst of California, who died in
February 1891 To give him decent"
burial the United States footed bills to
the amount of $21. 1926. Distance
doesn't appear to have made the differ
ence in expense in this case because
Senator ]. F. Miller, of the same state,
who died in 1886 hadkto be contented
with only $3,532 funeral.
ut is curious" Senator PETER pointed
out, THAT distance has not made any
difference in the cost. Take the cases
here of Alex. Barrow of Louisiana, dying
IN 1O4O duO 1SddC 16QQy packer OF V IT.
ginia dying in 1S47. The formers burial
cost $791.65, the latter's $772 80, al
most as much, though not a tenth as far
away.
The truth of the matter is that much of
these expenditures is covered by that in
elusive word 'miscellaneous.' 'Commis-
sary supplies covers multitude of
sins"
Interesting figures concerning the fu-
nerals OF noted men are brought out by
Senator PETERS research.
J. G. Calhoun's funeral in 1850 cost the
government $3 10647.
Henry Clay's funeral in 1850 cost $5,-
447.O2
Preston B. Plumb's in 1891 cost $3 .
08275.
The most recent senatorial funeral,
that of Senator J. E. Kenna of West Vir-
ginia, in 1893, was a public expense of
$3, 1880 The ''commissary supplies"
were $432 4S. NJ. F. M.