The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-14
Jeffersonian simplici-
ty in the Senate
Needed Bracing.
LIE MONS AND SUGAR
Strange Items Appear in
the Printed Expense
Account.

Washington, May 13.-The charge
that the United States Senate is an ex-
travagant body applies as wen to its
private as its public expenditures. Dur
ing the past five years the Senate has
been a democrat populist body, and the
country has been treated to rare ex-
ample of rigid democratic economy and
stern simplicity. Most of the officers
of the Senate have been democratic,
land the expenditures have been made
with democratic hand. The Senate
is composed of ninety-two members,
and while-it-is expected that the fur
nishlngs and fittings of so high and au-
gust a body should be handsome and
fin keeping with its dignity, it seems a
little strange that, under this five years
rule of Jeffersonian. simplicity, the ne
cessity should have arisen to expend a
hundred thousand dollars for new fur
nitqre for these ninety two representa-
tives Of the people in their official ca
pactties something over a thousand
dollars a senator for mere office furni-
ture.
The annual reports of the secretary
of the Senate, printed public documents
which can be had upon application to
the document room at the capitol, state
the various expenditures of the Sem
ate year by year, furnishing itemiZed
accounts, and showing in detail that
during the past five years over one hun
dred thousand dollars have been ex-
pended by this economical body for Of
flee furniture.
The sergeant -at-arms of the Senate
is the officer who makes all such pur-
Lib IL. too
money therefor. Notwithstanding
that in 1894. when the Senate was re-
organized by. the democrats and popu-
lists, who had a combined majority,
all the committed rooms were fully
supplied with desks, chairs, ETC., the
Senate appropriated for the purchase
and repair OF furniture during this year
$15, 143.19. This expenditure should
certainly have placed the Senate cham
Der, it's committee rooms and offices on
a respectable basis so far as furniture
was concerned, and yet during the fol-
lowing year. 1895, there was expended
$11, 60 for furniture and repairs, and
in 1896 a further expenditure was made
of $23S rs for furniture and furniture
repairs. Still the number Of desks and
chairs was deemed insufficient and in
1897 the sum of S11. 1858 was spent for
this purpose. Last year, 1898. it was
found that the rooms and offices were
so bare of Office requirements as to ne
cessitate a further expenditure of $685.
131.67; and still the buying goes on in
1899, over $4,000, according to the print
ed report, having already been appro-
priated. The following statement shows
by years the amounts expended. These
expenditures are really confined to the
offices. halls and committee rooms, as
practically no expenditures for furni-
ture have been made in the Senate
chamber itself. The desks and chairs
there are never removed, the new men
occupying the seats and desks left by
retiring senators. The showing is ex-
elusive of all salaries of carpenters,
etc, and does not include writing ma
terials. books, newspapers, nor mate
rails for heating or lighting ETC.: