Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-28
The Tempest about the Treasury Tea.

Mrs Ingersoll, a Washington correspondent
OF the Boston Advertiser and a clerk in the
Treasury department, writes 10 thai paper as
follows on the much discussed So bject OF "the
teapots IN the Treasury
"ir the first place, those 5UhO i7aolO best are
sure that the Threatened dismissal arose from
the pressure Of applications for the places, and
the Secretary has said that he was ObIi0ed to
do sometbing z TO relieve himself of thern-some-
thing that should let 'ail the world know
that n was useless 10 seek the places La the
next place, about the teapot l will "a round
unvaTnIshed tale deliver IL one Of the best
bureaus, iTOm one or the best heads "a gem
tl.man, OF couTse,) there came a SUGGESTION
one day TO one Of the ladies thar she should get
Up a 'lea club, and sand suggestion was made
several times by the gentleman before the lady
carried it out; and after the club was formed.
there were more gentlemen belonging 10 il than
laoIes. One OF the gentlemen was the excel
lent John PIerpOnt, who Tor many months
made the lunch hour agreeable by his uniaii-
ing NlNaclty. ready wit, anecdOt-, ana Occa-
sIonal poetic Recitation he always seemed 70
Ieel under especial obligations TO the ladies
who MADE the tea-so acceptable where the
customs of business allow but two meals A
day-and apparently felt bound TO repay the
favor by bringing 10 the lunch table some
mentai iood seasoned with the Auto salt wan
which he " as so well SUI Piled.
NOW, do you think. MessTs. Editors. that
ladies should be Teproached for the .teapot an
the Treasury under these circumstances! Ii
is true thai II ladies were not here the gentle
men would not have their tea made for them
and IL rs true also that whenever aad wher
ever iaules 90 10 WORK 0y the side OF men some
modification, some feminine influence, will go
with them. think the carpet on the room 4
am sitting in, the dImin he'd tobacco iuice on
the focr, the respectable and decorous attitude
OF the gentlemen al their desks, the refined and
agreeable aspect OF the whole room, NAV be
largely due TO the fact that there are nations
and maidens sitting at desks at one end OF It;
and VIII venture to assert that not one OF
these ladies', for the two years they have been
here. could or would say that from the posi-.
ton OF CO. worker with men there had arisen
one hing TO wound the delicacy of the most
sensitive lady. nor would q careful mother
feel that her daug hter was not much shield
ed from harm here as she could be in the quiet
ness OF home. Across the hall, where clerks
have been coming and going for two years.
we do not even know them by sight. 1 went
TO the blue book one day for the address Of q
gentleman who had been at eur house. and
discovered thai he had been for more than a
wear IN the room opposite. At the further end
OF this room could not tell the names Of the
clerks sitting there, unless 1 went TO the rec.
ords Of the bureau Such is the state of things
in this much-abused and causeIessly-slan-
dered Treasury Department, a place where 4
have carefully watched the experiment of
woman's work for more than two years with
out witnessing the shadow of an indecerum,
and where venture to say there are more
really superior women together than can be
to-day.
The tendency of the nineteenth century is
to give women a fair share Of the work and
wages OF the world-not one halt, but fair
share; and wherever woman works by the
side OF man his work will be modified. Char.
tiles managed by men alone lack tenderness-
by women alone they lack strength All work,
too, shall gain by uniting the powers which
God designs to go together when he SENDS an
equal number OF both sexes into the world.
May He bless the experiment which our re-
publican Government has made Of giving to
women share Of It's work and its wages"