New-York tribune., 1866-12-25
STRnNG MEN STRUGGLING.


STRONG MEN STRUGGLING.
Iisnt only the young feminine scribes in the Wash
ington public Offices who are in the distress oil DOUBT
and under the shadow Of apprehension AS the season
of semannual settlement with tradesmen approaches,
the sterner tribes of tho desk agated by the eternal
impossibity of making one dollar do the work OF TWO;
and seeing no remedy whatever for impending lmpe-
curiosity ey ept generous enlargement OF their SUI
pends, they have memOriazed Congress- stating that
in consequence Of insufficient income "many OF
'their number have been compelled to resign ana
&" seek other channels Of business for hyeli-
"hood" In respect Of the resgning gentlemen
we: beg leave to observe that we glory IN their
spunk. and we hope they find the new "cbannes'
upon which they are now floating, shining rivers oil
plenty and prosperity The gentlemen who have not
vet concluded to 60 out into this wilderness OF world
in pursuit Of advanced wages, but to remain IN wash
ingon and try little longer tussle with the wolf at
the door, are backed up in their petition by numerous
officials moro or less dignifed, controllers and
auditors registers and secretaries commissioners and
quartermasters, paymasters and judgeadvocates'
who are unanimous in the opinion that the
present salaries are rdiculOusly inconsistent with the
present price Of beef and butter. But this is
NN---'-'NN'
Washington There is not a housekeeper in the land
who is not martyr to initiation, and tortured By the
inexorable results Of an iredeemable paper currency
The remedy is not to be found in raising salaries but
in making the Governments promise to pay one
dollar worth one dollar, instead of sixty cents
to-day, fifty cents tomorrow, and nobody knows how
much next week. Whether anything would be gained
by increasing the clerks wages in Washington, at
least before tho hopeful dawn Of the day Of specie
payments is grave question. The natural tendency
of prices is TO keep little in advance Of wages
and it by no means follows, because men
have more money to spend, that they will get
any more for il than for the less before at their
command This, however is point which we do
not raise at present TO discuss. When man cannot
get living in one way he must try another Quar-
termaster.Gen Meigs eerfos that "pubIc servants
"are daily embarrassed by actual want OF means to
purchase tho necessities Of respectable house
suited to their avocations and education" We have
already said that this is kind Of embarrassment very
generally experienced throughout the length and
breadth Of the land by men of all trades and proes
sions by the learned and by the Ignorant. We know
of but one resource which make it toerable, and
that ,is rigid selfdeuying and intelligent economy
The people yho pay these clerks aud who, by reason OF
perpetual ponderous and all.peryadng taxation, are
obliged to old coats eat spare meals, and forego
hundred little indulgences have right to ask on the
part Of the Government reasonable degree ofeconomy
We know of no "ayocations" which should be per-
sisted in when they compel a man to sTWld two
dollars for every dollar which he earns and the sooner
such business is abandoned tho better. The work
Of the nation we believe would still go on. There
are plenty of candidates, perfectly well qualified,
who will be enraptured to take these places which
tho incumbents find so improbable, and to do
this work which is said to be so inadequately re-
Quilted, and 10 do it. too, at the old rates,
There are thousands who will be bound to under
take these duties and maintain respectable houses
without tormenting Congress with petitions. They
might not be able to live in a style of Oriental mag
nifcence, but we warrant they would manage to rub
along All the dguitaries who certify to the present
state of clerical penury in Washington have great
deal to say about "respectaby." Mr.. Tabor, Fourth
Auditor, wants the clerks paid respectfully" Gen.
Aegs is ardeny alive to the necessity Of ga respect
" able house" Gen. Dyer thinks the clerks with
present salaries cannot maintain respectable posi-
"tions." Mr.. Welles is quite wide-awake, however
somuolent on other subjects, to the difficulty clerks
experience in living in "a manner becoming their
"poston." Ono would think, to read these oertif-
Gates, that the poor clerks were living in oil the
squaor and degradation of pauperism, with made
quate food, insufficient clothing dubious shelter, and
every one Of them bowling with Monk Lewiss
Maniac:
"Codl-biitcr cold no warmth mo lghtl
Life all thy comforts once had"
We have not heard that any of these unfortunates
has yet been subjected to the hard aud historical
fate of Ugolino; but it is horrible thing no doubt,
to lose ones Responsibility" Before submitting to
this degradation We advise these clerical sufferers to
try the "other channels Of business aforesaid. We
once knew theological student who had visions, and
was mracuously directed to "go to Rome" He stated
this to hardheaded old Doctor of Divinity in this
city who, at once suspectng dyspepsia, exclaimed:
"Go to Rome Nonsense, my son! Go Dig" This
an excellent gospel for the dissatisfied clerks in Wash
ington. The Secretaries we are told, have deter
mined not to oust the female clerks; and the more
generally men now engaged in writing for Govern
ment take up the noble shovel and the respectable"
hoe the more room there will be in the Departments
for the widows and daughters Of the dead soldiers.
Able-bodied laborers, We arc informed. are in
great demand everywhere, and especially at the West
Wherefore we beseech these distracted petitioners,
driven well nigh todesperation by the impossibity Of
maintaining their "respeotability" in Washington, to
let the "respectability" aforesaid "go TO the bow
"wows." The game isn't worth the candle. With two
good arms, an equal number Of legs, and the usual
supply of dOrsal muscles, man ought to be ashamed
to lose his "respectabty" by cGngng to business
which does not support him and his family; and the
ho haa-li QlpaDpr