Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1899-02-08
.P[LING TAXES
ON THE PEOPLE.
Public Plumber for Political
Purposes in Missouri.
SENATE BAD AS THE HOUSE
Special to the Gst-Dispatch.

Special to the Post-Dispatch.
JEFFERSON CITY. Feb. q
Extravaganza with the peoples
money is not confined to the House.
,Rhe Senate Is in the same business.
1t is resorting to public plunder
for political purposes as energeti-
cally as the House.
The difference between the
House an.f Sen,te is that the plund-
er proceeds in the Senate without
disagreement while in the House it
is Il fruitful cause of quarrels.
The Senate is composed Of 81
members and the President, at s.
each a day or sl75 a day for the
lot. The clerical force, including
all employees Of the Senate from
secretary to spittoon-cleaners num-
bcrs 164, at a daily cost of S5a4 80.
Thus the employees of the Senate
cost more than three times the cost
of the Senators, and the cost of the
clerical force of the Senate, with its
81 members is not quite 5000 less
than the cost of the clerical force Of
the House with its 40 members.
This gives each Democratic Sen
ator six places to distribute among
his retainers, and II to spare. nine
Of which were generously given to
the nine Republican Senators. The
remaining five arc pages, who
are elected. 1t will be seen that
the majority of Senators divide the
spoils evenly among themselves, sc
that there is no possibility of undig-
nified discord.
As in the ease of the House, &
comparison with the revising ses-
sions of 1879 and 1889, in the mat
ter of clerical force is not out OF
place. The same rule holds good
with the Senate. as with the House,
that there is very little more work
to be done in this revising session
tnan there was in 1879 and 1850.
Yet many sinccures have been pro
vided by this Senate, sinecures
which pass under titles even more
Understanding than some under
which some employees of the House
labor.
All the employees Of the Senate
except 20 are known as clerks,
whether their work is of 4 clerical
nature arc not, in order that they
may draw $3.50 day.
In 1919, tile first revising session
the economy was, as nearly as cal
be ascertained, of the most rigit
kind. The whole Of Senate EN-
ployes numbered not more than :
score, and it is reasonable to sup
pose there were not many sinecurt
jobs.
| In 1889 the total force, inclusiv,
of the Secretary's and Doorkeeper'
forces was 50, just one-half of th'
force this year. The daily cost O
that force was about onc-half tn,
$594.50 which the present fore
costs. There are 81 revision clerk
each Senator having one. Their
are 25 committee clerks, one TO
each committee, whose appoint
Ment is confined to the Democrat
Senators. There are 90 enrollin,
clerks and 90 engrossing clerks.
On the doorkeeper's staff ther
are two library clerks whose sol
duty is to take care Of 4 3x6 boo
ease full of legal volumes, which
not opened oftener than once day
one absentee clerk, whose duty
) is to hunt up the absentees whc
there is call of the Senate, some
) tl.ing that happens as often as hal
a dozen times curing a session: tw
postal clerks who have charge {
the Senate mail after it is carrie
f to the Senate and two mail clerk
t who carry it there-these clerk
e really have something to do; on
= superintendent Of heating and ver
n tilation, and he is provided with
c clerk; one day and one night cust'
e dian, who are night watchma,
! yclept clerks for financial reason
. explained above; two cloakrool
G clerks, whose business it is to 81
$ that no thief tampers with the owe
$ coats and hats of august Senators
5 four typewriter clerks and fou
: stcnographic clerks, it being