The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-29
LUXURY IN oFFICIALDoM.

LUXURY IN OFFIClALDOM.
y good many Of the members OF
Congress. coming from districts in
which simplicity of living prevails, AMI
where even in public life the extremes
Of luxury are unknown. arc ustounded
at the richness and gorgeousness with
which the official departments aud the
Congressional Houses arc furnished.
Thus, Representative j. 7. Hcflm o'
Alabama. who * = Democrat OF .Ieffcr
sonian simplicity. declares his discon-
tent with the luxuries in the different
public offices in thc cnpitaI city lie
says that he cannot enter Il depart
ment in Washington without getting
his feet mired in "A costly Oriental
rug, He contrasts tho splendor OF
furnishings and of general appearance
with the difficulties of IN already
oyertaNcd people who have as much as
thcy can do 10 live simply aud pay rue
cNtortionate prices for the necessities
Of llfe which have been imposed by the
speculative combines. He declares that
this contrast gets on his nerves, and
that he is not willing to be party TO
such luxurious appointments any fur
ther.
There is good deal of Justice IN
what Representative Heflin says. There
Is altogether TOO much Of tendency
toward piling luxury upon luxury and
providing Iavishly and needlessly for
the furnishings and the equipments for
transaCting the public business. There
is duplication and even triplication Of
offlcialdom. and each must be com
pletely and luXuriously established so
as to present no invidous contrasts AS
between one office and another. All
must be furnished on substantially the
same style Of luxury and magnificcnce,
and all must be Of the highest and
most extravagant order, rs the report
is. it costs six dollars to give a Senator
bath. Commenting upon this matter,
the Boston Traveller makes this shrewd
comment:
The experience OF Congressman Henin
Is only that OF other people IT is won
deriul how eXtrayagant the ideas OF some
men become when they get into office.
Take an ordinary man whose highest
idea OF office luxury IN his private af-
FAIRS is o moderate-pri rolltop desk
and cheap chair; both set upon a bare
floor. or at the best little piece OF
linoleum. the whole combination with an
earning capacity of about $1,000 a year.
and install him In an. official State or
is change IN his manner OF living.
Where oak was good enough before now
nothing will do but mahogany: his plain
office chair gives way TO one luXuriously
nj hnl lgfD lgat lnr ,t.til
fling In It that he sinks into IT with a
sigh Of content, and rests his elbows upon
Its broad arms while he puffs his after
dinner cigar and surveys the world su-
His little piece of iInoleum
remains with him no longer. II has given
way TO beautiful and expensive oriental
rug. Into which. as the Alabama Con-
gresham says. ones feet sink as II they
were TO be mired..
This is Inevitably the evolution OF the
man as he grows into public office And
the people settle the bills.
That is not only true as regards the
National Capital. it is true also as re-
CARDS State capitals; nay, it extends
even further vet; it gets right down
to the county capitals. to city halls,
and to all forms Of public equipment
and adornment. Men who, in their or
drnary business, never dream of lux
urious furnishings, all at once must
have the most ornate and lavish equip
ment in order TO do the public bust
ness, without much fitness therefor.
They require things that they may not
even know the use of. and insist upon
silver where they have had crockery,
or gold where they have had silver
1t is a weakness of the time, bad
sign for the perpetuity Of the Republic
and for the welfare of those who pay
to keep up this pomp and display.