The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-25
CHANCE FOR ASCANDAL
CONGRESSMEN AFTER EXTRA MONEY
FOR ALLEGED CLERK HIRE.
Opportunity to Make an Expose
Income Tax Case.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March 24.-One OF the
acts of the last Congress not yet gener-
ally known places many members of the
House in an embarrassing position. The
law allowing members clerks excludes
chairmen of committees from it's benefits;
that is, that chairman of committee
is not permitted to employ clerk. This
was based on the ground that the chair
man had the use and benefit of the COM
mittee clerk. All members not holding
chairmanships entitled to employ cler-
ical assistance at cost not to exceed $10e
per month. The member gets the money
direct in his own hands, on solemnly GER
tifying that he has paid out the amount
named for clerical service. Hence, it is
within the power of a member to draw
the sum of 500 per month and put it in his
pocket if he please. The last session passed
an act in connection with one of the ap-
preparation bills providing that all mem
bers might extend the pay of their clerks
for thirty days beyond the date of ad-
journment. When the disbursing clerk. of
the House undertook to make this extra
months payment he was confronted with
problem Did it mean that he should
months compensation? Many Of these
clerks are borne on the annual role, that
iis they are paid SO much per year. while
the clerks of members We're only entitled
to pay during the sessions of Congress.
In this connection it should be kept in
mind that the chafrnien OF commit tees
having annual clerks are still in control
of those committees and clerks, even though
they are no longer members Of Congress.
For instance, Mr. Holman, who was de-
feated for reelection. continues to control
the committee on Indian affairs and Its
clerk. He will retain that power until
the organization of the next Congress.
The disbursing clerk of the House was
unwilling to decide the question of the
pay, so he referred it to Judge Bowler,
Controller of the Treasury. To-day the Con-
troller rendered his decision, which is to
the effect that all the clerks, including
those borne on the annual roll, en-
titled to the extra compensation To put
the decision more accurately, 1T is that
the member of the House is entitled to
draw months additional pay for clerk
nre ne t ing clerk nao OF the me house hsnS
of the member demanding it a sum equal
to the monthly compensation of his clerk.
The clerk cannot appear in person and
draw this extra money; it must be deliv-
cred to the member employing the clerk
and on the certificate of the member that
he has paid this additional compensation
for clerical services, and upon the MEM
Der giving his receipt to the disbursing
the decision of the Controller. must pay
the money to the Congressman. Some of
the ex-memberS, who held chairmanShipS in
the last Congress, but who will not have
seats in the next Congress, are sorely en-
barrassed as to whether they ought to
take this money not. There is danger
of the course pursued in the premises
reaching the public in the future. The dis
bursting clerk is required to keep all his
official papers and documents secret but
with Republican Congress coming into
power soon, some members while they
feel the present need of this money, just
thrown at them, it were, by the Con-
troller apprehensive that this rule of
secrecy might be changed for the purpose
of exposure As all the chairmen of COM
mittees were Democrats there is no chance
for Republicans to reap any benefit from
this decision. One ex-member, who pre-
sided over a prominent committee and
who was not reelected, had an interview
with the Controller to-day and asked If he
were not entitled to draw the money. On
the legal proposition the reply was very
clear, but this ex-merlber endeavored to
put the question on moral plane. He
explained that there had been a great deal
OF sickness in his family during the last
three months and that he had been COM
PEELED to meet unusual expenses. He
wanted to know if such conditions would
not give him moral right to the money.
The response was that each member must
decide the moral phase of the question for
himself; that the department could only de-
termine legal questions.