The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-14
A Congressman's Salary.

The agitation of the question Of in
creasing the salaries of members of con-
gress has already begun. 1t Is suggested
that not less than $4,000 be added to the
present stipend Of $1,000. very strong
argument can be constructed for such
an increase. OF course, the more the or
binary man has the more careless he Is
about expenditures, but it will be a wise
economy on the part Of the nation to pay
its congressman so well that the careful
spenders among them can live we'll in
Washington and not be perpetually wor-
rted by the little agonies Of making a
small income fit large demands upon it.
1t ought to be possible to increase the
salaries Of congressman without going
thru the spasm that has marked every
increase In such salaries from the earliest
days Of the republic. Five thousand dol
lars looks like a big salary to the average
Minnesota constituent, and he thinks his
congressman ought to grow rich on It, In
their home towns they probably could
and would save money on $4,000 a year,
but In Washington it is different. Some
congressman find 1t cheaper to leave their
tngton; indeed, that is the only way, they
find, in which their families can live COM
fortably and they can live in Washington
in manner fitting their position and pro-
noting their usefulness to their con-
stituents.
The nation gains nothing by reducing
its lawmakers to shabby gentility. It
would take only $1,115,O0o, or about a
fortnight's revenue surplus, at the pres
emit rate, to raise the salaries of repre-
sentatives and senators to $1,000 a year.
The money can easily be spared, and it
looks as If the time had come when to
keep the real wages Of congressman at
what they were when the present rate
of%pay was agreed upon they should be
increased about 80 per cent. With con-
gressmen las with other wage earners, it
is not the number Of dollars in the in
come that counts, but how much can be
bought with the dollars.
1t may be suggested that the congress-
man Is not working at his job all Of the
time that congress is really in session
less than half the year. In some lines
of business, doubtless, a man can be a
congressman without interfering seriously
with the prosecution of his occupation at
home, but these are the exceptions. The
public is entitled to all Of a congressman s
time that may be found necessary for the
faithful discharge of his duties to his con-
stituency, and that which he does in the
house Of representatives during the ses-
sion ia generally the smallest part Of 1t.
In fact, the usefulness Of a congressman
is often demonstrated most effectually by
the way In which he employs his time dur
ing congressional vacations in studying
public questions, as we'll as local interests,
and making himself acquainted with the
duties and responsibilities of his office.
At the present rate of compensation a
poor man who is fit for the office and
who conscientiously devotes the time to 1t
which it should have, cannot afford to
take it. He must make a sacrifice in the
way Of business or professional success,
possible to him in private life, which the
public has no right to demand on the pres
ent basis Of compensation. Moreover, the
public Is not asking its public servants
to work for nothing or for less than a fair
compensation for the talent and ability
employed.
We are not looking for chances to spend
public money, but If congress should de-
eide to raise the compensation Of sena-
tors and members, we can see no reason
for protest, provided it is made in the
right way, without any back-pay grabs.