The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-15
ExpenCive to Live in Washington.

1 and everything is quiet and homelike | But few days ago Mir. Cannon's daugh- | ter suggested that it might not be bad | idea to try the new hotel, so Uncle Joe | said: Co ahead, see what their prices | are"
 We can give you suite of three | rooms and bath for $50 a week." said the clerk; but that does not include meals"
 'Jehosaphat" exclaimed the patre fam. | lis when he heard the price. "One hun | dred and fifty week. That's more than $500 a month, and no meals. My salary
 month. Why, we'd starve to death. Daughter, we'll go back to the old place, 1 That costs nearly all my salary while I'm in town, and we'll keep within 1t" Five thousand dollars a year is the pay of a United States Senator or a member of Congress It is enough for the aver age lawmaker to live on. although quite namber of them who have private more, Paints are often heard here about the inadequacy of this compensation, but 1t is princely in comparison with the stl- pend received in the early history of the country.
 Early Lawmakers Pay.
 When Congress was first organized in l1S9, it fixed the compensation of Sena- tors and Representatives q S6 a day dur ing sessions. During the usual recess be- tween sessions there were no pay days, ana whenever a IneHDeT WAS dDSeHl, tA- cept on account ot illness, he was "docked' There was on an average about l65 working days in session. so that a members annual compensation amounted to approximately $1.000 Tn those days. as in these. there was q mile age allowance. A Senator or Represent tative was granted 30 cents mile. com- ing and going to the seat of Government. He usually went to the capital on horse back or in a stage coach. The steam railroad was an invention of the future, and Robert Fulton had not yet built the first steamboat. It was no pleasure trip that a SoOn from GeorRi9 or the Caro- linas made when he went to New York or Philadelphia to attend a session of Congress.
 The law fixing the compensation at S a day expired by limitation in 1795, when it was increased to S. But a great out cry against this "unwarranted extrava- gance' was raised, and after two years the new law was repealed, and the fa- thers resumed work at the old stand for $6. It was a pittance. to be sure, but the country was poor, and they bore her burden of poverty with patience unh lSl9 when they passed another law glN- | ing themselves an annual salary of $ 5O, and thereby almost caused revolution. | The popular clamor which followed was something dreadful. Seven dollars
 a day was had enough. but S 800 year
 was lavishness unheard of. The lawmak- CTS were charged with being recrcant to | their trust. They were accused of en- deaVOring to wreck the Republic by fore | ing it into bankruptcy they were thieve and scoundrels, unworthy of public con- | fidence. So intense and widespread was l the national indignation that within two | years the great man whose memory is | now honored and revered. and whose de- | yotion to duty furnishes texts for les
 sons In patriotic duty today, went back | to a wage scale.
 Felt Aggrieved.
 | Tn December. 1916. a committee was ap- | pointed by the House. in recognition oi | the popular feelinP ito consider the ex- | pediency of repeating or modifying the 1 law passed at the last session relative | to the compensation of members of Con | gress." A month later, in January, 1877 | the committee made its report. It bris. | ties with the spirit of resentment and in. l dignation at the violence of the public
 condemnation. but suggests a substitute
 law to assuage it. Following is part oi
 the report:
 { The committee cannot perceive tn cause of excitement or alarm adequat
 to the effects which are understood {,
 have been produced. The addition to tho
 wrong, so clearly, and in such dangerous
 measure. as to furnish grounds for any
 degree of public inquietude. Any impu-
 tatiOn so gross as to impeach the conduct
 of the House of Representatives in re-
 spect to its public obligations a feeling ] of self-respect must compel the body to pass over in silence. and it's members must rely on their own known character, { as members of the Government and as members of the community. to disprove ! 1t. The House would not presume to judge whether its services have deserVen i any consideration or respect from the
 2uDhci but for those services. sucn-- aS