American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-22
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THE DEPARTMENTS AT WASHINGTON.


A fruitful cause of dissatisfaction among the
officers in the employ of the Government in the
Executive Departments, and of consequent in
Jury to the public service, is to be found in the
UNEQUAL AND UNJUST DISTRIBUTION OF THE
SALARIES.
The same prerogative of which we spoke in
our last article upon this subject is made the
instrument of evil in another form to rob merit
of its due, to minister to favortes, and to pros
trate in measure the energies and impair the
usefulness of the worthy and efficient.
That neither position nor salary is based upon
capacity or the services rendered by the officers,
is fact notorious and beyond dispute That
there is no rule indeed in fixing or apportion-
ing the salaries, except favortism on the part Of
the dispenser, cannot be denied. Go into any
of the Departments, and you will find engaged
in the same identical duties clerks of every
grade in salary, from ST 900 to ST 800; and in
q majority of instances the most competent and
faithful are those who receive the smaller sala-
ries, from the simple reason that double-f's and
old fogies are cared for first, which classes are
neither able nor willing to do the labor, but
always ready to receive the salaries and assume
full share of dignity
Again, you will find what are termed posi-
tons in the Departments filled by officers
whose salaries have been raced and given to
favorites, not capable of performing the duties
devolving upon the desks to which they legally
attach, while those doing the labor, and incur
ring the responsibility, receive lower grade
of salary.
Can any thing but murmuring and discon-
tent, with their attendant injury result from SO
fragrant an evil 1t is not new, but q grow
ing evil-such an evil as must exist, so long as
uncontrolled prerogative is allowed to rest in
the hands of the appointing power; and one
which is not confined to party, nor to few in
dividuals. Hence the necessity for legislative
interference.
AS remedy we propose, first that no man,
whether he belong to the first, second, third, or
fourth family, shall hereafter be appointed to a
clerkship in any of the Departments, unless he
is fully competent to discharge the duties of
such post as may be assigned him, both with
credit to the Department and honor to himself,
and unless he also possesses habits of industry
and sobriety. In the second place, we propos
removing the cause of pickering, envy, jeal
ousy, and strife often existing, by making tn
salaries of all the clerks below the chief clerk
equal; which will destroy all motive that may
now exist in lower grades to malign, misrepre-
sent, and attempt to supersede those who have
been preferred before them.
To us this proposition seems to require nc
argument; yet we will indulge in few re-
marks in relation to it. 1t presupposes thai
all the clerks are competent for the duties al
lotted them; as matter Of justice then, al
should be remunerated alike. If there is any
truth in the maxim, that "any thing that il
worth doing is worth doing we'll" it is emphati
cally true in regard to the duties of the office,
Of the Departments, where the interests O
twenty millions Of freemen are concerned, ane
where even the simplest details in business
transactions often have controlling influence
in fixing the estimation in which an admins
tration or the Government itself is held by the
world. In this view of the subject many of the
Fictitious distinctions in the grade of duties dis
appear, and they all seem, as they really are,
of equal Importance.
But this is not all. Another strong reason
why the salaries of clerks should all be equal is
derived from the fact that they are all subject
to the same restrictions, are all required to
labor the same number of hours, and to incur
the same expenses Of living. They are all
Government officers; and for the honor of the
Government, as well as for their own self
respect, they are equally liable to all the re-
sponsibilities, as well as privileged with all the
immunities with which their offices invest them
They patronize the same merchants and me-
chanics; they purchase their bread, and meat,
and vegetables at the same market they 90 to
the same churches the same places of amuse-
ment and recreation. The only distinctions be-
tween their several conditions are indeed created
and chosen by themselves; and we maintain,
that the Government, which benefits by their
services, should be just to all, without respect
to persons.
The Government should furnish sinecures for
none but should, on the other hand, literally
compensate all who serve her. Acting upon this
principle, Congress has fixed the salaries of all
the clerks of the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives at $1,500--the only clerks under
their immediate supervision Many of the
clerks in the Departments get 81, 600 and
81, 300, while many others, even more compe-
tent, get but 81 900, which in Washington is o
bare support for a family of ordinary size, with
the most rigid economy. Would it not be just
in Congress to treat all alike, by reducing the
salaries Of those above, and increasing the pay
OF those below, to this standard Justice
would thus be done to avery large and respect
able class Of public officers; their efficiency
would De greatly promoted; and in dollars and
cents the Government would be gamer.
This seems to us to be the only alternative