The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-01-28

: OUR WASHINGTON LETTER. .
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washington. u. T., Jan. 20 Sen
ator Bailey addressed the senate on
Monday, for the first time this SEES
sion, at any length, in opposition to
the proposed increase In certain Off
cial salaries. Ne spoke with his old
time eloquence and ease. and was
heard with pleasure by a full senate
and attentive galleries. Senator Bal
ley is one of the few members of
either house of congress who Is al
ways sure of an audience, and men
| listen gladly to the charm of his ora
tory, even though they may refuse to
accompany him TO his conclusions.
| His speech was strong protest
against extravagauce in public life
and the reckless expenditure of pub
| lie money, the protest being especial
| ly directed against the increase of
| the presidents salary from $4,000
| to 100000 and of federal district
| Judges from $4,000 TO $4,000 Here
are some extracts from his remarks:
"a great government like this
ought not to expect its citizens to
serve it at great sacrifice of per
sonal interests, and the salary attach
! ed to every Office ought to be suffi-
cient to support the incumbent in de-
| cency and comfort and enable him to
| educate his children. But it ought
not to be more than that. 1t ought
not to happen in a country like ours
that the salary of an office IS made
so large as to induce men to seek it
Every position within the gift OF
this republic ought to be sought for
the distinction, and not for the
emoluments.
ut is said in many places that the
present salaries are inadequate to
provide for the entertainments which
high officials are expected to give. II
would be a fortunate thing to re-
duce the salaries, if that would re
duce the entertainments, for | have
found that the men who entertain
the most are not the men who do the
public work the best; and they
ought not to be permitted to spend
the peoples money in that way.
There is no phase of the Ameri-
can life today, either official or pri-
vate, more calculated to alarm the
thoughtful man than this tendency
toward extravaganza which is mani
fest everywhere among us.
"a nation that spends more thar
| IL can ldlIIy cain DiuSt III tlliiN w
come a nation of bankrupts, or TO
CUES, or gamblers.
at would be infinitely better fol
the peace and happiness of the PEG
pie and for the perpetuity of the re
public if we could go back to the oil
der and better time when it was bu
three generations from shirt sleeves
to shirt sleeves; when one genera
ton earned a fortune, another spen
it and the third went to work K
earn another.
"If the president is not rict
enough to give a great banquet, le
him have a modest one, and invite
men to it for what they know, in
stead of what they own.
Il regret that the capital of thu
republic has ever become city.
wish it were still a village.
Il would have less entertaining
and more studying by the men VIII
are to make or execute this country
laws.
Lord Coke's advice to the guar
dian of two boys who hoped to MAXI
great lawyers of them was TO teacl
tteln to scorn delights and live la
boz .o us days. He did not advise tina
they attend entertainments WHERE
the men dress like head-waiters anj
the ladies hardly dress at all.
II prefer public in which al
of us, when the congress sits, shall
be here to work faithfully and dill
gently and then, when the congress
adiourns, that we go home and Worl
there and through our own efforts
and exertions provide for that rain,
day which must come to al of us.
Il would not want a senator wh'
did not have some business, becaus,
I never want to see this republic of
ficered by a set of professional politl
clans who have no business, who
could not attend to it if they had it
and who seek Office because of the
salary attached.
"The ability to work is wortl
more than the salary for which W.
work. and the compulsion to dt
something is the greatest inflictiol
that could be visited upon an ACTIVE
and intelligent mind.
81 would make it crime to us'
these automobiles on the pubic
highways, because no man has
right to use a vehicle on pubh
highway that is dangerous to the
safety and lives of other people, ant
an automobile is dangerous
There has not been vlce-pres
ident in twenty years who has no
left that Office poorer than when NJ
assumed it, but there has not beer
a president in twenty years who dc
not retire with more than he possess
ed when he entered upon ina
office"
Senator Bailey's illusions to IN
vice president as piece OF oiacta
bric-a-brac, and his declaration ira
If Il public mans pay should b
guaged by the entertainments h'
gives, Senator Tillman, who beside
him. should receive no pay ut an
created hearty laughs; and his trip
lutte to the horse, in opposition TO IN
automobile, was worthy of a Texan
II may be remarked, in leavin'
the subject, that the cost of support
ing the president and maihtalhili'
the White House for the present MS
cal year reaches the sum OF SE29,
430, of which s75,000 is for TN
presidents salary and travelling eX
penses, $69,920 for clerk hire ani
$4,000 for maintaining the Whlu