The National tribune., 1906-12-27

a salary increase for them comes up.
They stand to the rack on a rising vote,
but on roll call, which will be scanned
by their Intelligent constituents, they
all fall down again, and SO the salary
stands at $1,000, but they proceed to
raise the salary of Congressional
clerk, and to beat the devil around the
stump in other ways, to exc out their
own meager stipends, for it is true
that $1,000 n year is not enough for
Member of the House, even with per-
quisiteS. 1t is out of the question for
any Member of Congress to live in this
town, support family and do the
courtesieS necessary for visiting con-
stituents on $4,000 a year. 1t was inn
possible when a Member got his rail-
way passes, all of which are now cut
off: his telegraph franks, all of which
are now cut off, and the right % frank
ing even his desks, his laundry and his
trunks thru the mails. all of which is
now cut off This adds at least $1,000
a year to expenses of Congressional
life.
This country is big enough and rich
enough to pay its National legislators
for the work they do. The country
should not complain if the United
States Senate is classed as a million
aires club when it is so stingy with
salaries that poor men who have to
look out for the future of themselves
and a growing family cannot afford 10
accept election to the House of
Lords" The country, the people of
the country are alone responsible for
this condition in the United States SEN
ate where it is said a dozen men OF
unlimited means control the railways.
the telegraph. the express companies,
the manufacturing interests of the
aN-C-
that it costs him twice his salary to-
live in Washington. Speaker Cannon
gets $4,000 a year, and according to
his own story pays $4,000 year to-
live in Washington. Yet Speaker Can
non lives modestiy in a not very large
house, and entertains in the most SIM
pie manner and not SO very often He
is bluff, hearty man, who likes his
friends to come in to dinner in:ormal-
1y and he hates the flap doodle OF
social life. but, of course, his position
demands that he pay some attention
to it. Miss Helen Cannon, his charms
ing daughter, acts as chatelaine OF ms
establishment. and presides over his
hospitable board.
Once upon a time a certain red
headed President of the United States
decided that he would not do the So
ciety act in the White House, and that
the social problem should be elimInat-
ed He churlishly announced this fact,
and on the day that the Presidential
levee had usually been held he went
horseback riding over in the Virginia
hills. When he got back to the White
House. all splashed with mud and
looking like a farmer just in from the
cornfield, he found the East Room OF
the White House filled with handsome
fy-gowned women and SprinklnS OF
rvhn declared that theN would
come to the White House on certain
DAYS. whether or no. Jefferson, for he
was the President, wilted. and after
that submitted to the social demands
of his exalted position. There are GER
tain things that position in the world
demands 1t is useless to try to avoid
this, unless one desires Members of
Congress to become only errand boys
for their constituents, and to turn Con-
gress into a school debating society.
To support the dignity of a Member
of Congress he should have sufficient
salary to give him a house to live in,
clerks to do his work properly and to
pay the extra heavy expenses of living
here Then the people should see to
It that they send to Congress men who
have backbone enough to vote honestly
on a stand-up, as they do on roll call.
The Members of the House are expect
higher salary will be inserted again.
Then, in the House a roll call is never
demanded on agreement on a confer
ence. and Members of Congress viii
get their raised salaries "by order of
the Senate" practically, and their con-
stituents will never know just how
they voted on the conference. for IT
does not have to go upon record. That
Members of Congress should have the
raise nearly everybody believes, but we
also believe that they should be honest
enough to say so.
Representative Foster, of Vermont,
introduced bill which, if passed, will
reyolutioniZe our foreign service. He
wants all our representatives to be
"Embassadors' Mr. Fosters bill abol-
ishes the grade of Minister and Minis
ter-Resident in the Diplomatic Service
of the United States, and provides that
hereafter all representatives of the Re-
public abroad shall bear the title of
Embassador.
4 step in the direction os uniformity,
said Mr.. Foster. was taken by The
Hague Conference, which declared that
for the purpose of that body all coun-
tries should stand on an equal footing.
If other Governments would abolish
the Embassadorial rank, Mr.. Foster
would be better pleased than 10 have
ambassadors. and said he was inclined
to think that for the United States to
take the action suggested by his bill
would really tend to hasten the ulti
mate extinction of the ambassadors.
John r. Alternately, United States
Marshal for the District of Oklahoma
was I'm Washington last week, on his
way to New York. and saw the Presi-
dent Mr.. Abernathy, whose home Is
at Guthrie. was the Presidents COM
panion two years ago, when he went
on his Western hunting expedition, and
II was due TO the friendship formed at
that time that the young Oklahomian
received his appointment as Marshal.
He and his friends received hearty
greeting when they entered the office
of President Roosevelt, and they spent
some time there talking over the events
Of the hunting trip.
Representative Roberts, of Massa.
chusetts has introduced a bill which
Is intended to relieve the soldiers of
the 25th Regiment of Infantry. recent
" discharged from the service by order
of President Roosevelt, from the puni-
tive features of the order. The dill
practically restores TO the men all the
rights lost by them under the order OF
discharge, provides that they shall be
eligible to employment in the Civil Ser
vice. and that no forfeiture of pay