Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-24
SHALL WEALTH ALONE RULE?
EIaotionI Of Cfioitl Life in Washington
Far Beyond the Salary.
eAEsH SOCIAL DISPLAY OF RICHES
Senator BeveridEe Pictures Existing
Conditions and Pleads for re-
turn TO the simple Life
of ByEone Days.

When the congress recently voted TO in
crease the salaries Of members. the argu-
increased cost Of living in Washington
Along the same line with supporting do
tails il the paper OF Senator A. J. Beveridge
Of Indiana in Appletons Magazine.
Shall None But Mlionaires Run the
Government" the senator asks and dis
cusses the question, in part, as follows:
Surprising that the ever-sweling num-
Der OF the greatly rich, who are now
crowdlng into American public life, get
their offices without improper use OF
dollar; conceding that they are able,
patriotic, and would run the govern
ment we'll: agreeing that everything good
that could be said Of any public man
could also be said Of the rich public man
the question still is whether the gov
eminent Of. by and for the people is TO be
conducted solely by the wealthy class.
Tho question sim remains whether the
American people are ready deliberately
10 shut out from the conduct OF their
government that great body OF fine legis-
lative and executive ability constantly
developing among the masses. For. ex-
GLIDING every other reason. one plain
practical cause is producing Z. II result;
and that cause, 20 little thought Of and
seldom noticed, Is the simple one OF the
extravagant cost Of living in washing
ton.
what Senator Honr said.
II was my rare good fortune to be tho
seatmate Of Senator Hoar at our daily
luncheon In the senate restaurant Speak
ing Of the extravagant plane 20 which liv-
ing had been raised in the national capital,
this great man said to me one day;
when I came to Washington I had ac-
cumulated about $4,000 from my practice
Of the law. II complete another term II
win practically all be gone. II has been
used up, in addition TO my senatorial salary,
in the common expenses Of daily living"
And yet II was we'll known that this
most learned as we'll as one OF the most
| useful Of men In American public life
lived in extreme simplicity. He and his
wife occupied two rooms in a modest hotel
whose prices are very far below those OF
the great Washington hostelries. He sell
dom II ever gave a dinner, seldom II ever
entertained" in any way, seldom II ever
made campaign contributions. II was
plain living and high thinking with sena-
/ tor Hoar from start 10 last. He rode 10
the capitol in the street cars and once
| rebuked the extravaganza q fellow
| senator because he paid single fares in
| stead OF buying tickets. Nevertheless. this
| splendid specimen Of American statesman
ship whom the whole nation loved and
honored, and whom his state most properly
adored. found himself in his old age. with
out the money he had earned before he
went into public life and without cent
OF the salary that had been paid 70 him
during his thirty years Of invaluable pub
/ lie service.
Can't Live on His Salary.
There Is another senator well known 10
the whole country who lives in two small
rooms on the top floor OF an apartment
house. These two little rooms cost him
nearly 1900 a year, unfurnished. So this
senator must spend one-ffth of his salary
each year before he has a place 20 lay his
head Like Senator Hoar, this senator
never gives dinners. never entertains sell
| dom goes TO the theater. and lives in e
I seif-deniai that would not be believed by
the people OF his own state. He has ne
family whatever, and there are no ex
traordinsry drains on his pocket Yet
am credibly informed that II costs him a.
least 1900 year more than his salary
to pay the absolutely necessary expenses
Of existence and travel And I could giv'
several other illustrations as striking a.
this. For example, one Of the oldest, mos
useful and most honored men in the senat
lives in a simple room in one Of the cheap
est hotels
It would be quite out Of the question
for any Of these men to live at any Of tn
great Washington hotels Here are som
Of the prices Of the best of the nation
capitals caravansaries: Willard hotel. on
room without board, $3.50 per day and up
ward-no reduction made for renting b
, the month. The prices at the Arlingto
hotel are substantially the same tn
! Willard for rooms. Meals are not quite 8
expensive Raleigh hotel, g per day an
upward for one room without board.
And, mind you too, these prices are 70
I the room itself without meals-and thes
the cheapest, least comfortable and Sci
viceable rooms in the hotel. The meals ar
more expensive than the rooms, becaus
friends are constantly dropping in" an
the public man cannot be niggardly wit
his constituents visiting Washington. An
this Is but the actual bed and board
expenses-the outlay at the lowest possibl
: estimate for merely keeping alive.
Causes and Changes.
None Of these things is known to tn
, American people. All OF them should b
, known by the American people. They al
causes which are working an inhnitel
: doubt whether any practical situation 81
lists more serious than this or fraught wit
=, more profound consequences TO the Amei
lean people. The government is passin
into the hands Of the rich; the poor ma
, or man OF moderate means Is bein
= crowded out Of the peoples service.
You will say at once that such sea
OF living is absurd. and l say so, too tht
II is fagrantly wrong, and l say so. to-
And Il Is 70 call the attention OF the M
ton to this concrete, immediate GROWN
and critical evil that / writing thei
words. Let me repeat again that 1t is b
coming every day more dificult for ar
but a rich man, and very rich man at tina
to live in comparative decency in Wasl
ington.
repeat that the lifting OF the scale
prices In Washington is directly traceab
TO the extremely wealthy men who a
crowding into public life and the perfect
natural desire of their families to live
a scale justified by their means This d
sire is by no means reprehensible. But 4
result OF It is a very serious matter TO 1
of US.
|