New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-10

I tie average earnings of every joorpeymsn mechaaf
md manufacturer working or seeking work In oui
CITY at $500 per annum.
In the same streets with these worksrs-often in
the IA ue b0uses-liss tho Fifteen Hundred oft zens
who are employed by the public as Inspectors Of
Customs. as Policemen, &c. The Police have
$500 per vDum; the inspectors of Customs ,O95,
with little o. DO deduction for sickness or holidays,
and no lo4s than dearth " employment. II the
mater mecbanie has no work, bis journeyme stand
idle and get no psy; bat, though the Custom House
offcer's work be evtr 80 slack, his pay runs on.
He served no apprenticeship to bic trade; it did not
require any; he has been paid from the hour he fret
found employment at it, it requires no more gen.
eral intelligence or ability than it does to be good
mechanic or artisan and the work on the average
il lighter. Then Why should not every capable
aspiring mechanc-eyery poor man who aspires to
rise, and finds his wages rather tight ut for the
support of those dependent on hir--seek and
struggle for a chance to livs by Office 7
Such at all events, is the fact. Thet Feate1 num-
Der of oar better class of workers for living are
chronic officeseekers They adhere TO tbs or that
party not so much through conviction ofthe sound
ness of its principles from hope that their per-
severing devotion to its fortunes will, sooner or
later, be rewarded by an Office. If they read
speech by Gov. Seward, Mr.. Douglas, Mr. Lincoln,
Gen. Davis, they do 50, not 30 much that theymay
discern what is true just, benefcent, as to Judge
whether their party is or is not likely to winthe
next Presidential Election. In other words, their
convictions are held suspended, their consciences
are eouded, by the sordId hope of personal ed
vantage, the fear of personal loss, from the sway
ing of the political balance one way or the other.
They are not patriotic truth loving citizens voting
with this party or that, as their unprfrdiced Judg
meBts mpel they are the mere Janizaries of party,
fighting for personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and "tne
spoiIs of victory"
If the pay of Policemen and Inspectors OF Gus
toms were this day cut down to twelve dollars per
week, with other salaries and official emoaments IN
proportion, and this reform were extended through
every department of our Federal, State, md local
administrations, the resulting benefits would be in
calculaby great. There would still be found good
men in abundance to fill every posts but there would
not be such regiments of gayenOus oficeseekers
rushing to Washington ard to every State capital en-
each change of administration, each opportunity for
" spols," as now. Good mechanics would still be
willing to exchange their tools of trade for the po
liceman's baton or the inspectors easy life; but |
there would not be thousands eager to sell their
souls for such translation. Reduce the emou- |
ments of Office vigorously to the average compensa
ton of similar service in private establishments,
and nne-tenths of the corruption and fraud now
inheriDg in our current politics would disappear
Is not the experiment worth trying