New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-02-12
enemies, because he is the uncomprOnn''"S
advocate of popular rights.
TILE CLERKS PAMPRLET

pamphlet TO prove, by formidable anu Dils'ilnS
array Of the nine digits, that you cannon puy
as much pork for a shilling in 1901 as YOU
could in 1860 and that bouse-rents III WISH
ington are abominably high. We beg ieaEe !"
assure these gentlemen that the same plieh-
omena have been noticed in other parts Oh Iile
country, and that they are by no means alone
in their serious doubts and anXeteS'
1t is the peculiar misfortune, however OF
other martyrs, dwelling far from the seat OF
legislative wisdom, that they are not able 10
bore and button hole Congress with that con-
venience, aacrity, and persistence when
these clerks are, by the circumstance OF 10
cality, enabled to exhibit. We know great
many persons Of fixed incomes who would De
delighted to receive enhanced stipends; but
they cannot petition Congress, and would get
no attention if they should spend their small
surplus in publishing pamphlets for gratuitous
distribution. Some time ago. we good
naturally called the attention of the clerks
to this plain fact, thinking that they would
like to have company in their misery upon
which they denOunce us as low, mean, ana
scurrillOus spelling the latter word with
one more "Ir than q rigid economist would he
likely to use. We are afraid that they exhibit
similar prodigality in buying their pork. At
any rate if they must have hams and saus-
ages, those edibles are cheaper at the west,
and able bodied laborers in demand there.
We know very well that Washington retail
ers and landlords are not specially reasonable
in their charges; but if salaries are to be raised
to meet their ideas of prices. we shall have an
oc oanf ly WI
make the clerks themselves penny worth bet
ter off, they may rest assured. The more they
have to pay with, the more they will be
obliged to pay while the poor Treasury
will be keep working night and day manu-
featuring paper money, until nobody will take
its assignats, and the explosion comes. How
much the 90 per cent which our friends are
praying for will buy them-in the form Of
paper-we leave their ready Teckoners to COM
pute.
In view of the impending crisis, everybody
else is practicing q rigid economy, and all wise
commercial men are taking in sail. The way
by which the Government is advised TO weather
the storm is sufficiently curious. 1t is to crowd
on more and more canvas-spread every rag
of sail, l. e., convert every rag in the country
into paper dollar grind out money by the
cord from its prolific mill; raise everybOdy's
salary then fresh issues of irredeemable cur
rency then sfresh elevations of the salaries !;
and 80 on, in delicious Abandonment, with a
plenty of pork for the crew, until the
leyanler Overtakes us, and we sink grace
fully on our beam-ends, with all the
comforts and exctemeDts of what is called q
'revulson." If the salaries should be raised
now, it is possible that the poor clerks might
be sory for it, when forced TO pay $50 for a
jobbing wagon in which to cart home a weeks
wages. With most OF our gold and of the
best class of our securities gone abroad to pay
for things which we do not need or might pro-
duce at home, it is barely possible that some
things which we do need may be unCOmmOnly
hard for the mass of our men and women to
get, when the weather has become little tenn
pestuous.
Two things are suggested in the pamphlet
before us. One is that Government clerks
should be allowed to purchase articles of pro-
vision of the cOmmisSariat on the same terms
"as do army officers" The other is that Gov.
eminent should Immediately build three humid
red cottages for the clerks to live in. We can
not say that we like the look of the scheme
for we have observed that when Government
goes into business, it generally gets cheated ;
and it has had such mOnstrous i'll luck in
other matters. that we shrink from seeing it
setting up in the grocery and building line.
Each of the three hundred cottages would
probably cost as much as Il small palace, and
be likely to fall down and bury some unfortn-
nate clerk in the ruins at the end of couple
of years. AS between the building business,
with public grocery, and reasonable advance
in the salaries, we should prefer the latter.
But We hope That these poor Babes in the
Wood will insist upon neither.
We certainly expect to see brighter
times, with pork cheaper and rents
lower even in Washington but we do not ex-
pect ever to see the time when any man draw
ing a salary from the public will be willing 10
have il reduced. If this 90 per cent should
now be added to the clerical stipends, it is
vastly more likely to be increased in the
future than to be taken off because the cost of
living has become lower. You will hear no
proposition of that kind. no matter how
the markets of Washington may rule
and if you begin to put up salaries there
for one class of the employed, you will have
no peace until yOr put ALL not merely in the
District of Columbia. but throughout the cOun-
try, upon an equal footing. IL may be low,
mean rabid. and sCurrillOuS with two Fs) to
desire to avoid this but we venture, in view of
all the consequences TO express such wish.