The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-01-17
strong Men Struggling.

and under the shadow Of apprehen-
sion As the season Of semi-annual set.
tlement with tradesmen approaches,
the sterner tribes of the desk are agi-
tated by the eternal .impossiblility of
making one dollar do the work Of two;
and seeing no remedy whatever for
impending impecunicsity except gen
erous enlargement of their stipends,
they have memorialized Congress, sta
ting that in consequence Of insufficient
income "many of their number have
been compelled to resign, and seek
other channels of business for livei-
hood" In respect Of the resigning
gentlemen. We beg leave to observe
that we glory in their spunk, and we
hope they find the new channels" up
on which they are now floating, shi-
ming rivers Of plenty and prosperity.
The gentlemen who have not yet con
cluded to 90 out into this wilderness of
world in pursuit of advanced wages,
but to remain in Washington and try
little longer tussle with the wolf at
the door, are backed up in their petit
tion by numerous officials more or less
dignifed, controllers and auditors,
registers and secretaries, commission
ers and quartermasters, paymasters
and Judge. advocates, who are unani
nous in the opinion that the present
salaries are ridiculously inconsistent
with the present price Of beef and but
ter.
But this is a state of things, we be-
lieve, by no means confined to Wash
ington. There is not a house keeper
in the laud who is not martyr TO in
flation, and tortured by the inexorable
results of an irredeemable paper cur
rency. The remedy is not 20 be found
in raising salaries, but in making the
Governments promise to pay one dol
lar worth one dollar, instead of sixty
cents to-day, fifty cents torpGrrow,
and nobody knows how much next
week. Whether anything would be
gained by increasing the clerk S
wages in Washington, at least before
the 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 it than for the less
sum before at their command. This,
however, is point which we co not
raise at present to discuss. When a
man cannot get a living IN one way he
must try another Quartermaster-
Gen. Meigs certifics that "public serv,
ants are daily embarrassed by actual
want of means to purchase the neces'
sities of respectable house suited to
their avocations and education"
We have already said that this is a
kind of embarrassment very general
ly experienced throughout the length
and breadth of the land by men Of all
trades and professions, by the learned
and by the ignorant. We know of but
one resource which can make it to!era'
bic, and that is rigid, seltdenying, and
intelligent economy. The people who
pay these clerks, and, who, by reason
of perpetual, ponderous, and all.per
vading taxation, are obliged to veal
old coats, eat spare meals, and forego
hundred little indulgencies, have q
right to ask on the part of the Gov
ernment q reasonable degree of econ
omy. We know Of no "avocations'
which should be persisted in wher
they compel a man to spend two dol
lars for every dollar which he earns
and the sooner such business is aban
doned the better. The work OF the
nation, we believe, would still go on
There are plenty Of candidates, per
fectly well qualified, who will be en-
raptured to take these places which tht
incumbents find so Improbable, anc
to do this work which is said to be sc
inadequately requited, and to do 1t
too, at the old rates,
There are thousands who will bt
bound to undertake these duties, anC
maintain respectable houses" withou
tormenting Congress with petitions
They might not be able to live in
style of Oriental magnifcence, but W.
warrant they would manage to rut
along. All the dignitaries who certi
fly to the present state of clerical pen
ury in Washington havea great dea
to say about "respectability." Mr.
Tabor Fourth Auditor, wants th'
clerks paid respectfully" Gen. Meig
is ardently alive TO the necessity OF "
respectable house" Gen. Dyar think
the clerks, with present salaries, can
not maintain respectable positions.
Mr.. Welles is quite wide.awake, how
ever somnelent on other subjects, tt
the difficulty clerks experience in liv
ing in manner becoming their posi-
ton" One would think, to read thes
certificates, that the poor clerks wer
living in all the squalor aad degrade
ton of pauperism, with inadequat
food, insufficient clothing, dubiou
shelter, and every one Of them howl
ing with Monk Lewis Maniac;
"coldl-bitter cold no warmth no lightt
Life all thy comforts once hadw
We have not heard that any of thes
unfortunates have yet been subjected 7
the hard and historical fate OF Ugolino
but it is a horrible thing, no doubt, t
lose ones "respectability." Befor
submitting to this degradation,,we ad
wise these clerical sufferers to try tn
"other channels of business" aforesaid
We once knew a theological studeD