Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-01-06
POOR PAY IN CONGRESS.
The stipend Is Wholly Inadequate to
Meet Expenses OF q Rep.
resentative.

Whfie there is no OlSpOSllOn 10 pass
4 bill raising the salaries of congress
men, it is growing more apparent each
year that the existing stipend is wholly
Inadequate, and that few men without
private fortunes will consent to remain
In public life, says the Boston, Tran
script. With every congress not rev
Useful men quietly drop out on this &C
count A New England representative
used to say, facetiously, that there were
two classes Of men, speaking from the
financial point Of view, who should
come to congress: Those who were so
rich that no amount Of appeal for money
could affect them adversely, and those
so poor that the worst hanger on would
not waste his time in hunting them up
AS this member said he belonged to
aeither class congress was no place for
him.
81 have reached a conclusion as to
how much it costs a man to be In con-
gress, even on the most economical
basis" remarked a representative or
moderate means the other day in dis
cussing this subject whatever it is
costing a man to live at home, it will
cost him that amount to live here. plus
IS. 000-the congressional salary. pay
At hotel here $240 month for accom-
nodations for my wife and myself,
which is four dollars day per capita,
With no reduction for absences from the
ity.
"a congressman must live at hotel.
The moment he buys house it gets tele-
yraphed to his district that he thinks
he has life claim on his seat, and the
chances are that the caucuses will go
against him the next time. A senator,
elected for six years, may sometimes
build a house, but even with them the
experiment has not always proved safe.
abhor hotel life, but feel that for po-
itical reasons I must submit to it.
ga man must also allow 20 per cent.
of his salary, at the least calculation, for
subscription to political and charitable
enterprises in his district, good, bad and
Indifferent. I think few persons will
take exception to my formula that the
man at home who wants to come to con-
gress must bring his present living ex-
penses with him, in addition to what
Uncle Sam purposes to pay him"
There was a time 20 years or more
ago when by common consent this was
not the case. A congressman could live
in reasonable comfort on his salary.
But standards of entertainment are con-
stantly rising here as elsewhere. and few
men can afford wholly to omit social
obligations. The striker" for aid has
| become recognized as distinct type OF
congressional parasite, but one which
cannot wholly be ignored.
| A rich Pennsylvania representative
and the tendency is now strong in that
state to send only rich men to congress
was accosted by well-dressed man in
the lobby recently, who began to tell
plain tale of travel, but he had not
gone through two sentences before the
discerning Keystone statesman inter-
rupted: What, are you strapped"
THAT, Mr.. -, is just what Twas get
ting around to say" and with another
mouthful of explanation and apology
occupied the time while the M. G. was
drawing f1ve-dollar bill from his
pocket. Not infrequently professional
striker comes to town who sees every
man in the delegation Of the state, often
netting substantial sum in this way.