The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-25
CLERKsHIPs IN WASHINGTON,

With every new Congress, adventures warm
here in quest of clerkships. What Their is in
| a Government clerkship 80 attractive, can.
not understand, unless it be little wo, and
sure pay. AS general rule, no bra; 8 are
matchmaking bat tolerably fair p@ man
six hours. For these high attributes, man
may receive ten or fifteen hundred ,llars.
This is something for lazy man, witho t am
bition but what an occupation for OF who
has any thought beyond the animal. \
We presume every member of Cong sss is
beset with applicants from the "ruffi dis
tricts'-his precious constituents have ,ever.
ending claims upon him. Let bat a D litical
association be started here, and if there any
petty pay Office attached to it, every n ,mber
has his special candidate, whose claims ,re at
least equal to anybody's.
People wonder sometimes that so m ny of
the Standing Committees in Congress hould
need clerks. 1t is not always the Com nittee
that needs clerk, but the constituent o, friend
of member that needs clerkshin The
wants of the Public Service are sometin % de-
l. SI.
Not long since, member from the Y est in
troduced bill proposing to equalize th Fed.
eral patronage in relation to clerkships, ~ ap.
Forthcoming it according to the Federal repre-.
sentation among the several States. To IS, In.
diana should be entitled to furnish Gle IS for
the bureaus in Washington, according o her
Federal population, and 30 the other ,tates
The great object was, to give all the St. es an
equal share. So every year, each Dem. cratic
representative (supposing the Admins ration
to be Democratic) was to carry to the W, ,hing.
ton market so many of his dear constitu nts in
his train, to be initiated in the sublime nyste.
ries of Government clerking and, wheR dis
trict CHANGED to send an opposition m mber,
then we suppose the orthodox were to hoose
the requisite number from smong the ( ,thful,
and send them Cd. =.
The general proposition met with ia. ,r, we
believe, and, if we mistake not, it was r. erred.
1t will be observed that the business. ,f the
Government is regarded simply as m. ter of
patronage. The trifing considerations econ.
omy, fitness, and efficiency, are left ,ut of
sight.
Now, to parents in the S.stes. who haN sons
to dispose of, we would say, keep them at ,ome,
ard give them an honest trade or profess. On, in
which they can earn an Independent wing
produce something of value. and develo, what
powers God has given them Washing, N is
poor place for young man of ent@pris Just
starting in life. In any of the States or Terri.
tories. you have wider aud safer 6eld f, your
energies than you can find here. What. 70 You
want with clerkship? 1t may yield n ten
or fifteen hundred year-whas eIset You
have no chance of rising. A clerkship is not
the road to political preferment, nor ~ you
calculate on permanent employment. Every
change of Administration is full of peril o you,
so that you can have no settled plans Of life.
Nor can you find full and satisfactory t,pploy-
ment for soul and body. In the disch rye of
your duties, you act as machine; at lie end
of your six hours task, you have neithe ideas
nor taste for them, and, in your va, ity of
mind, and longing for excitement, shot d you
escape the gaming table or drunkard's aloop.
give special thanks to your Maker for a extra
ordinary deliverance.
Holding your appointment as a m, tier of
party favor, that may at any moment / with
drawn. The merchant employs you ecause
he needs you, because you can render 20 ser.
vice he requires. You are independe, t-you
give value for value-the tie between you il
that, not of patronage, but interest. Ya may
hold what opinions you please, and vocate
them too, provided you do faithfully at you
nave agreed to do. But, clerk under e Gov
ernment' you are dependant-not en- ,loyed
because you are fitted for your work, or scqxss