Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-03-12
CONGRESsMAN's LIFE
MEMBERS LIFE NOT ALL BEER
AND sKITTLEs.
Tale Of Woe Told by Retiring Mem
Der Of the House of
Representatives.

Washington, d. c.: To be a
member of congress, representative
of the people is, perhaps, worthy am
bition, but 1t is an expensive one. True
the salary is 5000 year, mileage to
and from each session and some incl
dental perquisites, but the demands
made upon congressman are so great
tina twice that salary would hardly
suffice 10 enable one to meet them and
lay by something for a rainy day.
A representative whose term expires
In March, tells a tale of woe in this
connection that may point a moral.
Five years ago this gentleman was
prosperous lawyer in small town his
income netted him about $4,000 a year
and on this he lived comfortably with
his family in one of the incest houses
in the place and had saved quite tidy
sum of money. AS leading attorney in
the county he naturally took quite an
interest in politics. and as a reward for
services to his party he was nominated
and elected to congress.
He and his wife thought their for
tunes mace, for with $4,000 year they
estimated they would be able to save
at least $4,000 and still live in excel
lent style; besides there was the OPP
portunity for him to blossom out into
position of political note If not into
fame as a statesman, while for his
wife then arose the dream of becoming
one of the queens of Washington So
ciety. There was also young daugh-
ter to be launched upon career of So
cial success in the capital of the nation
and the parents had unexpressed hopes
of catching a millionaire, foreign dip
lomat, or an army officer for son-in-
law.
Vain dreams! Not one of these things
happened. When they first arrived in
Washington they took apartments at a
fashionable hotel, but in less than a
month discovered that congressman's
salary would not be enough to pay even
the hotel bills They decide to take a
house for the season, and while look
ing for q suitable one, took up their
abode In a smaller and less pretentious
hosiery.
They wished to entertain, they
thought their dignity required hand
some residence in the fashionable quar-
ter of the city and they had no trouble
in finding a suitable house but the rent
al alone was SO 900 year. BY this time
they had learned that clothes, house
hold expenditures, servants and the
like could not be paid for out Of the
$1,000 which would be left to them, and
they wisely determined to remain in
their little hotel.
Farewell to the social ambitions Of
the wife, farewell to the hospitable In
clinations of the congressman they
must settle down to receives UGH social
favors as come to representatives by
virtue OF this Office without hope OF
ever being able to return the same.
This particular representative has
now served two terms. During all this
time he and his family have lived as
economically as possible in their sta
ton, and so far from saving money out
of his salary he has actually been obllg-
ed to draw the little fund he had saved
up in the bank at home. The home peo-
pie, bless them, never failed to call up
on him to contribute to every charity,
for was he not in receipt of the prince
ly salary of $4,000 to which they had
elected him?
And in the same way he saw his
hopes of political preferment gradual
" melt into thin air. He could not get
recognition from the speaker to deliver
his thoughts upon any measure unless
he first explained his position, and even
in that case the chances were that one
of the leader of the house had al
ready announced his intention to speak
upon the same subject and his time
must be limited, even if he could get
the floor. In the end he drifted into the
condition of the vast majority of con-
gressmen, mere machines to carry out
the policy OF the party leaders, men
with a vote but with almost no voice
in national affairs. This gentleman has
refused a further term and feels a GER
tain pity for his successor.