The San Francisco call., 1907-02-24

want he was and is.
This grand old man has not been to
thettl1eater or any other place of en-
tertainment for the last two sessions.
He seldom attends the endless round
OF dinners which so distract the at
teution. consume the time and impair
the health of the peoples servants in
Washington. In short. he is giving hie
life and consecrating his large abilitiea
10 his country. Yet it was and is all
that this admirable type of American
statesman could do to make both ends
meet.
There Is another Senator well known
to the whole country who lives in two
small rooms on the top floor of an
apartment house. These two little
rooms cost him nearly a Thousand dol
lars year unfurirIshed. so this SEN
ator must spend one-fifth of his salary
each year before he has a place to lay
his head. Like Senator Hoar and the
other notable example just given, this
Senator never gives dinners. never en-
terteiDs, seldom goes to the theater
and lives in a self-denial that would
not be believed by the people of his
own State. He has no family whatever
and there are no extraordinary drains
on his pocket, yet I am credibly in
formed that IL costs him at least $4,000
year more than his salary to pay the
absolutely necessary expenses of ex-
istence and travel And>1 could give
several other illustrations as striking
as this. For example, one OF the old
est, most useful and most honored mer
in the Senate lives IN a simple single
room In one of the cheapest hotels.
1t would be quite out of the Ques-
tion for any OF these poor men to live
at any of the great Washington hotels.
Here are some of the prices of the best
of the national capitals caravansaries:
Willard Hotel, one room without board.
$3.50 per day and upward; no reduc-
tion made for renting by the month.
The prices at the Arlington Hotel are
substantially the same as at the VIII
lard for rooms. Meals are not quite
SO expensive. Raleigh Hotel, So per
day snd upward for one room without
board.
And mind yovs too, tbsse prices are
for the room itself, without meals
and these the cheapest, least comfort
able and seryfckabla reanas In the ho-
tex sTns meals are more expensfve
than the rooms. because friends are
constantly dropping In" and the pub
lie man cannot be nigsardly with his
constituents visiting Washington. And
expense, the outlay at the lowest pos
sfble estimate for merely keeping alive.
None of these things is known to the
American people. AIl'-of them should
be known by the AWRerican people.
They are causes which Are working an
Infinitely important change in our
Government. doubt whether any prac-
teal situation exists more serious than
this or fraught with more profound
consequences TO the American people.
The Government Is passing into the
hands of the rich; the poor man or man
of moderate means is being crowded
cut of the peoples service.
You will say at once that such a
scale Of living IS absurd, and / say so
too; that it is fagrantly wrong. And
it is to call the attention of the ma
tion to this concrete, immediate, grow
ing and critical evil that I am writing
these words. Let me repeat again that
81 Is becoming every day more difficult
for any but a rich man, and very rich
man at that, to live in comparative de-
cency in Washington.
What is the reason for this alarm
ingIy extravagant rate of living at the
nations capital which is rapidly maxi
ing it impossible for poor men to have
any part In this Government 1t is
that q constantly increasing number
OF vastly wealthy men are entering
public life and living at startling ex-
pense. The simplicity of the old time
living has wholly disappeared. This
regime OF almost Roman luxury and
splendor began with Secretary Whitnev
when he became a member of Presi-
dent Cleveland's Cabinet. l remember
very well the numerous accounts in the
public press of the n1agnificence of his
public entertainments; and numberless
conversations with public men who
what the newspapers then printed.
This riot of the millions was in
creased when Calvin S. Brice became
Senator from Ohio and took the fa-
nous Corcoran mansion. facing La
fayette square, directly across from
the white House. Since then this high
rate of living has been maintained and
even elevated by the ever-swelling
numbers of multi -Tnillionaires in SEN
ate, Congress and Cabinet. 1t is said
that Vice President Morton kept up
the pace" set by Whitney and Brice.
And Vice President Hobart lived mag
nif1cenffy and was sumptuous in his
generous and beautiful hospitality.
Thirty thousand dollars a year is a
very ordinary outlay for the mainte-
nance Of one Of these establishments
Forty thousand dollars a year is by no
means rare. There are some who spend
as high as $4,000 annually. ] was
told by one individual that mis- expenses
are $4,000 every year; and IN that es-
tab1ishment there is only husband and
wife--no children
interrupted serbs OF sumptuous and
elegant taiibrnents--dinners, recep-
tions. dances. theater parties, and what
not! Gradusllys-nol rapidly--the re-.
suit OF all this has been to cause ex-
treueiy wealthy people not In public
life, but devote6 to society" to build
palatiai winter homes in Washington
and make the nation's capital the scene
of costly gayet5. In the train OF these
devotees of pleasure stream OF fairly
rich people has set in toward WASH
ington-people who do not want to
build homes. btrt who are quite willing
to rent apartments and pay a price for
them which, to- the public man depend-,
ing upon his salary. Is absolutely pro-
hibitive.
Think now, 10 contrast, OF the cost OF
living in Webst ten's time and even down
20 the period or Sumner and Conkling
Senator Conklhng, concededly one OF