The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1851-07-23
The secretarH Of the TreasurY.

Inc oecreCary OF the treasury.
The notable Ton CORwIN. says the Pitts
burgh Post, who was so distinguished in
Ohio for his buFoOnery, during the cam
paigns of 1910 and '4s.-who was elevated
ia i849 to the post of Secretary of the Trea-
sury,-and who is about as well qualified
for this station as pig is for dancing mas
ter,-spends much of his time in Ohio, late
"; and is no less G1aasing than he was ten
or twelve years ago. The following is one
Of his latest "yarns," designed to convince
the people of his efficiency as a public officer
The statement is from the Dayton CO., Ga
zette, the editor of which is one of Corwin's
warmest admirers
To friend of ours who saw him the other
day in Lebanon, he gave most amusing,
and we doubt not truthful account of the
condition of things in the Treasury Depart
ment, when he entered upon the duties of
Secretary. The clerks, he estimates, were
sick, on an average, about half the time
but it struck him as somewhat remarkable
that, much as they were sick, none of them
died. The fact was apparent at glance
that they did very little work for the public,
and the interference was irresistible, that
something must be done for them. Accor-
dinghy, the Secretary turned physician, and
began to prescribe for the invalids.
He issued an order that all clerks who
were absent from their desks certain num-
Der of days. say two, on account of sickness,
should submit to aproportionate deduction
from their respective salaries; and all that
were absent longer, say one week, would be
required either to die or resign.
The prescription worked like charm,
and in short time there was not sick
clerk in the whole Department. A healthier
set of men than they are now, Mr. Corwin
declares, cannot be found anywhere
AS Mr.. Corwin has proved himself to be
SO good hand at "shirking," we should be
disposed to believe that he would readily de.
tect anything of the kind on the part of the
clerks placed under him, even without his
being called ON to hlazen the act to the
world. But, then, how title sounds this
story (even supposng it to be true, under
the circumstance! A great government of
fetal finds that portion of those in the en-
ploy of the government are required, by
sickness or other causes, to be occasionally
absent from their places for day; they get
from $1,000 to $1400 year, or on an aver
age of $1,000 year: every day lost would
be a loss to the government of about 1926
for each clerk. This would of course be a
material loss to the Government, if the prac-
tice could have prevailed toany considerable
extent; but this is scarcely presumable: for,
| if the matter was true as stated, there was
a much greater number Of clerks than ncces-
sary to do the public business, which Mr.
Corwin still retains in the public pay.
But there is another view to be taken OF
this matter. 1t is fair to presume that a
clerk i'll the public employ would need day
for recreation, once in while, as well as his
master--the public; and he ought to be pre-
sumed to be. as much entitled to it as those
who do less and get more pay. If he should
lose two days in every month, the sum would
be comparatively small one; and if some
brother clerk, as is almost always the case,
should take a portion of his own time in
which to do his brothers duty, the public
would have no right and no cause to com
plain. But how is it with the more pamper-
ed officials, whose days of absence from duty
are never noted? They,-,such as Mr.. Cor
win, who manifests true Wing philanthropy
in this characteristic" relation, get their
$4,000 year; and every day of their alb
sence is, upon the principle laid down by
Mr.. Corwin, a loss to the Government of a
bout sepenteen Dollars! and vet snch man
as he, who can be "sick" for months togeth-
er, and all the time absent from his post,
can tell with great gusto how he has pounc-
ed down upon some of the poor clerks, tell
ing them that all who might be absent q
acbole aceek might as well die, or resign, even
though his absence were the result of sickness!
Most noble Tom CoRwIN! Most diguiGed
and honorable recipient of high and i'm.
portant trust
! ENoRMoIrs HEAD-On the 4tb inst we