The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-12-31
CRUSADE
THE PROFllGATE USE OF CASH
Senatorial Burlals Cost AItho Way from
81 90 uptp ssI, OOO-somo Items Of ES-
PoHse that LuoIs Queer Naughty Sab
trr!ugss.

WAsHINGToN,D. C., Dec. so-Cost-
ly congressional funerals and eXtrava-
ganee in public expenditures Is theme
upon which Senator PETER Of Kansas,
Is expanding the midnight OIL lie has
begun a crusade against proAlgate use
OF the government cash, and has innu-
gurated his campaign with lengthy
exposition Of things that brlslles with
figures and facts.
II is a prolific source Of interesting
data that the senator mas opened up for
exploration, and as one result 1t has
been demonstrated that an average
burial under congressional auspices
cost as much MS would be demanded for
an ordinary Kansas farm,
Beginning with William Grayson,
whose dcccase occurred March u, 1880,
one hundred and seven senator's are
shown TO have died while In office. Sew
unty-three 0r the l07 funerals We're Il
charge 10 greater or less extent upon
the public treasury, the aggregate OF
the expense being 800, 1894 so, or an av-
eragc OF q littlc over $3.50 II Is also n
fact worthy to be noted that the aver
age OF deaths OF senators In office since
1890 has been one for each year, ending
with March n, 1896,
The largest sum ever expended for
any one funeral was Sel,j2a 3d. II was
the cost OF transportation % the re-
mains OF the late Senator Hearst and
the expenses Of the escort from wash
Ingtop 10 the place OF lntermcnt. The
lowest charge. made In each of three
cases, was for 81 80, attending the OBJ
seQuiea Of Senator Thomas j. Rusk, OF
Texas, Senator Andrew =. Butler. OF
South Carolina, and Senator James Bell,
OF New Hampshire. The first occurred
July 20. 1856: the second May %, 1851,
and the last on May 90, 1857.
Charged TO Contingent Fund.
Twenty-Five senator's died prior to the
year 1896, and In that year three others
passed away. The total public expendl-
ture on account ,of these three deaths
was SST7 Il, the second Instance OF n
draft upon the contingent fund from
that source. The third case was when
Senator James Noble. OF Indiana, was
buried, February &c, 1881.
Eleven out OF fOrty-nlne senator's who
died In the first ilfty-slN years after the
senate was organized were given public
burial at the charge OF the public treas
ury, and fifteen OF those who have died
since 1877 were buried without the In
curTGnce OF such expense. among them
being Leland Stanford,
The list Of representatives whose fu-
neral expenses We're paid from the pub
lie revenue is not rs complete as that
given ri the senators. but the individu-
oil amounts range from Nj2 70, in the
case Of Congressman +, Reman, 10
| s., S0S 40, the cost incurred In the burial
| OF Congressman ]. l.. Chapman.
Among the distinguished dead whose
names appear In the list Of senators
| with the several sums paid out In each
casc are these. John G, Calhoun, OF
South Carolina, $s.l0G II: Henry Clay
OF Kentucky. Sj,4i7 o.; Charles Sumner,
| OF Massachusetts, A.GS7 o.: George $.
Houston. OF Alabama, Sl,06i 81; Alfred
| II. Colquitt. OF Georgia, t2.S52 9S; Zebu-
Ion II. Vance. OF North Carolina,
| A,43S &C.
The last ten senatorial funerals held
are shown by the records TO have aver.
aged In cost the sum OF A,5i2 o.. and
the last thirteen cost more In the ag-
gregate than did the previous sixty.
itsms That Look Queer.
There are many curious items charg-
ed up to the account OF congressional
funerals, and some extravagant notions
are elaborated on such occasions. In one
statement which is formally entered of
record. there appears to the uncx-
| nlained item OF "One-half dozen glasses,
| Sls." Another Is for "sololst and male
| quartet. 1885," and stlll another, -four
| olergymen's fees. $40" A supplied
choir and orgunlst" were also called in
| TO redulstion In one instance, at cost
| OF $40 Among the earlier itOms found
| charged against the contingent fund"
| for expense Incurred on a funeral oc-
casIun are 10 pounds Of crackers, s"
and TX pounds of cheese, 50 81.
Primitive and simple charges they
were, and certainly more moderate
| than might have been expected in these
days but the rigorous economy which
seems 10 have prevailed NJ the time
demanded a sacrifice. and the auditing
committee dlsallowed the cheese. The
| public conscience must have been very
much less elastic than later, when at
one demand It approved and authorized
| the payment OF n single bill the total
Of which was nearly half us much rs
the Presidential salary for whole
year and almost equal In amount TO the
| pay Of the highest department clerk for
| twelve years II cost five times as much
to escort the remains Of senator to
| California In 1891 than for n similar SER
Vice for another sent 10 the same state
In 1884.
In another Instance the same services
for the body OF senator transported
400 miles cost less by SA 10 than was
Incurred for transportation Of the re-
mains in another case 800 miles. and the
two funerals together cost 5000 So.
Naughty sabtcrfigts cited.
But these nre not only occasions when
extravagancc OF expenditures In public
money is alleged. Laid away in the mr..
chlyes are very many vouchers that
cover n multitude OF naughty subter-
fugcs for private gain. In the carly
period when our Erlndfnthers held the
| key to the treasure vaults they provi.
| dr1 themselves with n congressional
contingent fund, an Innocent little de-
vice for guaranteeing the stationery
supply. Tho fund was liberal enough,
| as il appears, and the old boys never
went destitute Of the materials for car.
rying on correspondence. II included
| all sorts OF Stationery" OF the very
best Qunllty--rare old wine, CoEnac
| that was mellow with age, pure old
Kentucky bourbon and kindred well
cnlendnrcl. hot prcsscd Stationery"
favored with almonds rnislns, slrup,
soda .wntcr and similar requisites. II
included pearl handled pocket knives,