Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-03-22

~ VV~ VI>
CONGRESSIONAL FUNERAL JUNKET.
neral committees. There ought to be
no more funds paid out of ''the con-
tingent fund" on such occasions for
champagne, whisky, cigars, gloves,
flowers, carriages, decorations, sumF
tuous breakfasts, elaborate dinners
and orgy suppers on the funeral
trains. Well-informed people have
long been shocked and Inundated by
knowledge of the preposterous pa.
geantry, the discreditable and vulgar
ostentation, the shameful junketing
on such occasions, and the extrava-
CANT expenditures incurred in these
and heartfelt grief
Mrs. Chickering deserves the adm1ra-
ton of the country, the gratitude of
women and the plaudits of the peopl,
for her firm stand against the con-
gressionalspree and vulgar demonstra.
tions of guttersnipes in high places.
She honored herself, and honored
her sex, in honoring the memory of her
husband by thus forbidding the pres
ence of a congressional committee at
the funeral.
It would require great deal Of time
to examine the books of the senate and
house of representatives, in order to
secure the statistics concerning the
cost of all congressional funerals. But
in a speech on this subject, delivered
in December, 1895, Senator PETER, of
Kansas, gave some statistics which had
been carefully compiled, and from that
official utterance the following facts
are gathered:
The first congressional funeral was
that of Senator Gaillard, of South Caro-
lima, which occurred February &c, 1926,
at an expense OF $S77.44. Twenty-four
senator's had previously died, and the
congress had not paid their expenses
of interment. Read how the expenses
increased from time to time in the fol-
lowing funerals of senator's:
John Fairfield. of Maine, December "a.
1S47, s., O72.25.
Chester Ashley, Arkansas, April %, 1s4s,
81. 50542
John C. Calhoun. South Carolina. March
81, 1850. s3,1O6.47.
Henry Clay, Kentucky, June g, 1852 S.
447.O2.
Solomon Foot. Vermont. March g. 1866,
$4,399.57.
Charles Sumner, Massachusetts,, March
II, 1874, $4,6S7.ss.
MatthewH. Carpenter. Wisconsin, Febru-
airy "a, 1881. s3.01234.
John F. Miller, California. March 8, 1856.
50, 1929
George Hearst, California, February %,
1891, $21, 32255.
Just look at the difference in the cost
of the funerals of the two California
senators. The funeral of Senator Mil
Ter cost $3,532.24. The funeral of Sen
ator Hearst cost $21,3 22.55. The same
distance was traversed, and the ex-
penses should not have been very Diff
ferent. Senator Hearst was a popular
man, and good man in many respects.
If he could have had anything to say
in the matter his funeral would not
have been three weeks junket for
senator's, representatives and favorite
in the course of which upwards of $751;
900 should be expended for champagne,
cigars and luxurious banqueting. He
was a proud man, and rich man, who
would rather have paid all expenses
himself, even thcagh they had been
twice as large, than to have had his
name recorded as it is in this manner.
Some of those who disgraced his mem
DRY in this manner still hold public
places.
This is but brief presentation of
facts; only partial culling of incl
dents from vast accumulation of in
cidents of this nature. The people do
not know, and it is just as well that
they do not know, the many ways in
which their moneys are wasted, under
various pretexts and devices. But the
disgraceful funeral junkets which have
occurred should be known, at least in
part, in order that the brave stand
taken by the wife of the late congress
man from New York may the better be
understood and the more fully appre-
ciated.
Without redundancy, but for the
sake of emphasis, the statement may
be repeated that this good woman has
honored herself, honored the memory
Of her husband, and honored her sex,
as well as rendered service to her coun-
try, by refusing to permit recurrence
of revolving scandal on the occasion
Of the closing Of the grave over the
body Of her beloved.
sAxITH n FRY