Evening star., 1924-03-10
Early Days and Ways in
Washington.

remind ono of Roman senator He
was answered in a very forcible and
eloquent manner by Mr. Barbour. for
merry Governor of Virginia. While
lhe senate was debating the ven
sraoie patriot and soldier, Gen. st.
CAR (Gen. Arthur st. Clair), came in.
he is l should suppose upward Of
eIshty years old, very infirm, and is
one OF the oldest veterans now Iiv-
ing or those who achieved the inde-
per penoence or our happy. country. The
old general. l am told. is here in
order to present a claim of eighteen
hundred dollars due from the United
states. Shame on a nation that will
suHer a citizen to whom she owes so
much, to sue at her feet for the paltry
sum OF a few hundred dollars! You
seemed to express some fear that /
old not do right in voting for nine dollars
a day on the compensation bill. 7 was
not aware that any of my constituents
would be dissatisfied with nv vote
on this occasion. I will state the mo-
no objection to their being published
to the world. If the COMMITTEES had
reported bill for ten dollars / Should
have voted for it, because 1 do not think
1t more than an adequate compen-
sation; The sacrifice of property and
or feeiing which almost any member
OF Congress suffers is immense and
nine dollars day would not more than
support him decenuy covering all in
cidental expenses. No member can
brlng his wife here and live upon
the present allowance without fhe
str1ctest economy. But ! think thai
we ought to receive enough to sun
port ourselves here and our families
at home during our absence.
is a truth universally conceded
that nine dollars now is not as good as
six dollars was when that sum was first
received, and II SO, why should II be oh
tected to? But you will see that voted
for eight dollars on the final passage of
the bill, not feeling at all anxious on
the subject. ] should have voted for
the voice of the House, though I
think 1t would have been unjust both
to ourselves and our families. Re-
lfeving that I voted conscientiousIv
without asking myself whether my
opinion would be approved or dis.
approved by any constituents am
satisfied. I will never seek nopu-
lar1ty at the expense of truth, Justice
ana every generous sentiment of the
heart. It is thought, however. that
either eight or nine dollars would have
been acceptable to the American peopIe
and, as see no remarks in any of the
papers, / am inclined to think thew
are ashamed of their violent oppo-
sition to the late salary bill and
wisely resolve to say no more about
The weather is now intensely cold
with a slight fall of snow. You need
not be afraid of my changing INV
politics tho think we'll Of the
Connecticut, I can never approye
their policies and T believe they
themselves now see the error of their
ways and are anxious to renounce it.
but the truth is we have no party
politics here. Mr.. Jefrerson's axiom
that I'VE are all federalists and ali
republicans" Is now the cant of the
day. Quarrels have ceased as if by
one consent, and harmony reigns in
all of our legislative proceedings.
To-day Mr.. Speaker Clay froze his
ears while walking a half a mile from
his own house to the Hall of Con-
gress. You therefore can judge of
the weather just now"