The national Republican., 1867-01-03
PROPOSED INCREASE OF THE
SALARIES OF CLERKS IN THE
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS.

" ullbI IL ID pUbSlDlOj uuu llluCCu piOba-
BILE, that some of the applicants for an in
crease Of the salaries Of clerks in the Depart
ments in their distress, have been too impor-
tunate in their demands, we trust that Con-
gress will excuse them under the circum-
stances and not allow their faults in this
respect to prejudice the just appeal of the
whole body Of clerks as class Different
persons have different ways Of arguing all
questions. Some applicants for Office put
their appeals on the ground Of necessity I;
some put them on the ground ofservices rem
dered and some put them on the ground
that the appointing power owes il in justice
to itself So in respect to the increase Of
compensations generally.
These appeals are too frequently answered
by the curt response that if the incumbents
cannot discharge their duties for the pay
allowed by law, enough others may be found
who can. But very little observation Of
the practical workings of the Departments
will show that the public service is not pro-
NOTED by the application Of any such rule.
Where, as it was found several years since,
the salaries Of the Cabinet officers were
wholly insufficient for their support here in
Washington in the moderate style Of living
they observed, it was very readily concluded
by Congress that they ought to be increased
and they tVere increased. So in respect to
the salaries Of some OF our foreign Ministers
During the war, when every energy Of the
Government was strained to save the life of
the nation, it was deemed untimely TO raise
salaries, although, by reason Of the high
prices Of the staples of life, various officers
in the Departments enjoying no perquisites
needed an increase very much. 1t is known
by every one at all familiar with the subject
that the most Of the heads of Departments
were obliged to draw largely from private
funds to support themselves here. But very
few Of the clerks had or have any private
funds to draw from; so that it was and is
harder for them than IL or Is for the
heads Of the Departments in which they are
employed. Hundreds Of them, with all the
economy they are able to practice, are now
suffering for the necessaries Of life. To dis
. miss them would be to send them out in the
world moneyless and shelterless, and bring
Others who should take their places into q
similar misery, besides bringing into a deli
cate service class Of inexperienced persons
to close up the business Of the recent war.
The act of the present Congress in and by
which that body increased the salaries of its
own members sixty-six and two.thirds per
cent was justified by those members on the
nrnnn1 pf tho iprraaual nf
the identical reason assigned by the clerks an
the DepdrtmentSfor asking for a similar in
crease Of their compensation. They desire to
appeal to the same body, by every considera-
ton Of justice as well as humanity, to afford
the same measure ofreliefto them. Equality
is generally considered equity in most Of our
political affairs. A refusal of Congress to do
by the clerks as they have done by them
selves will not fail, therefore, to be consid.
cred denial of equity in respect 20 com
pensation for official services.
But this is by no means {, ,ae highest ground
upon which this apple. .tion is based, or should
be granted. Thc. highest and best ground is
tna' our eat and exalted nation ought to
pay as public servants reasonable compen-
sation for their services. The dignity Of the
nation is not satisfied with stinting compen-
sations to the absolute daily needs Of its SER
wants it ought to pay those as much as they
could earn in other avocations, ahording them
the opportunity to lay up something for sup
port in their declining years. Regardless Of
the prayer Of the clerks, we put our appeal to
Congress in their behalf upon the higher
ground that the dignity Of the Government
requires it to be granted.
That the present salaries Of the clerks are not
reasonable compensation for the services re.
quired of them, in view Of the past, present
and prospective prices of living here, every
sensible person must admit. II they were
doubled it would not be excessive nor un-
just; because the cost of living has more
than doubled since the rates were fixed and
made payable in gold. Then it is to be re-
membered that up to the time OF the com.
mencement Of the war the clerks could pur-
chase with their salaries in gold more than
double of the amount Of the necessares Of
life they can purchase with them to-day;
and yet it is proyerbial that those having
families of any size to support could barely
live then. Hence IL those salaries were rea-
sonablc when they were fixed, they are very
inadequate now. Hence it would be just
for Congress to increase them to q reasona-
BILE amount.
This brings us to the question Of how much
they should be increased. We have said
that II they are made as good as they were
before the war, they ought to be doubled
But we can suppose that some Senators and
Representatives may deem it inexpedient to
make so great an increase at once, and hence
to obviate delay in consequence of differences
of opinion respecting the amount Of the in.
Orease to be made, 1t may be expedient for
them to add only sixty-six and twO-thirds per
cent. to them-the amount they added to
their own. And with that we presume most
of the clerks would be content. We make
that proposition.
IMPORTANT TO PURCHASERS
AND HOLDERS OF GOVERN