The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-17
GOOD PUBLIC MEN DRIVEN
 FROM OFFICE BY POOR PAY
Retirement of Senator Spooner Brings Up Talk of Higher Salaries for Nations Lawmakers. .
 Morgan and Pettus.

associate and adversary for over sixty years. When he came into the Sem. ate his income was something in the neighborhood of s15,0oo year. He was in moderate circumstances. He had acquired some property. He owned he owned good plantation. He has been here thirty years now. Had he worked at his profession have no doubt that on the average his income during this time would have been at least s2o.00o a year. His estate is worth only about as much today as 1t was. when he came here, and to tell the truth our people are proud that he is worth no more. It may be sin- gular thing. but they are proud of him because he has not become rich.
 T merely picked out that instance by way of illustration. I do not mean to say that there are not various osher senators in the same situation, but mean to say that here is one of the hardest working lawyers in the Uni ted States, who might have been mill lionaire if he had stuck to his profess sion. There are other. Instances of the same sort. I speak of this instance, because know the facts. and am not so familiar with the lives of other senators as I am with his.''
 Some Other Examples. There are many other cases of men who have sacrificed opportunities Aof wealth for the countrys service and meagre salary. There was Senator Hoar. of Massachusetts, and Orville IT. Platt, of Connecticut. Of Hoar, Senator Lodge. his colleague, said in the Sem ate debate:
 He gave his entire life to the ser- vices of his country. He laid aside a great practice at the bar in order to continue in that service. never knew
 man who cared less about money
 than. he did. and yet know that in sure living even as simply as he did In this city, to get along with the salary that was allowed.s
 In his autobiography Senator Hoar discussed the subject, He wrote; The salaries of senators and repre- sentatives Is shamefully small. This Is not only a great injustice to members of the two Houses, but it Is a great public injury. because the country can not command the service of able men in the prime of life unless they have already acquired large fortunes. It cannot be expected that lawyer mak ing from S26,O00 to $50000 a year. or a man engaged in business whose an nual income perhaps far exceeds that amount, will leave it for $5,000 e year In that way he Is compelled not only to live frugally himself but what Is more disagreeabie still, to subject his household to live in the humblest style in costly and fashionable city. Into which wealthy pefsons are coming from all parts of the country.
 "The English aristocracy understand this pretty well. They give no salary at all to the members of the House of Commons. The result is that the poor people, the working people. and people in, ordinary life. cannot get persons to represent them from their own class. That will soon be true in this country, if we dc not make q change
 Drain on Public Men.
 The drain on the pocketbooks of pub ho men Is heavy. Many of them con- tribute large part of their salaries to their political parties at home, Sew eral members Of the Senate contri- means half of their salary for a term. Senator Gallinger has this In mind when he said:
 The expenses which members must necessarily meet are not to be meas ured by hotel bills. or by the cost of travel, or by any of the ordinary ex- penses of life. There are political ex- penditures which we cannot escape. It would be of interest, think. to some people outside who are crfticizing this proposed legislation (the salary in- crease bill), if they could examine the checkbooks or some senator's and see what expenditures they have been called upon to meet, and which they could not refuse"
 If a senator takes a prominent part in the social activities of Washing ton. the expense Is great and the re- suit is that all except the men with Independent fortunes live quiet, modest lives. Several senators maintain hand some establishments and give their families thousands for living expenses but they do not rely upon their sala- ries; neither will they go down in his- tory as energetic or valuable servants of the people.
 Senators as rule do not believe in increasing their incomes by engaging in private business. Notable excep- tions to this rule are Senators Depew and Platt of NewYork but their infIu- ence in the Senate and at home, or rather lack of influence, Is well known.
 It is said of Senator Spooner that he