Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-11
RAISING 4 rEa1PEsr.
Scene at the United states Treasury
Disehargins FsmaIa Clerks.

Il
DiseharsiBs Fsmals CLERKS.
: Correspondents of the PailadsIDhia Press.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-Very few per-
sons outside Of the Treasury Depart
ment realize the difficulty Of dischargiDg
. a hundred ladies, ali depending more or
: less upon their clerkships for daily sub
sistsnce. One can readily imagine the
revolving scenes. The majority are Ia
: dies IN birth. education and manners, too
refined and delicate for the roughsr pur-
suits OF manual labor, yet compelled to
maintain themselves in some respect
able way.
:. Recently it was found imperative 10
dispense with upwards Of hundred fe-
male employees in che Registers Bureau,
there beng no work for the superfnous
number, and no appropriation made by
congress to pay them if there was.
therefore 1t becomes incumbent on the
part OF the Secretary,of the Treasury to
Increase the old force nearly one third.
Inc unpleasant duty Of making out the
nst oil unfortunate ones was left to the
impartial decision Of the Register-Gsn-
eraI, n. Il. Jetfries. BE has devoted a
great deal Of time and labor to find who
lau the strongest claims on the govern
ment-a complicated and painful duty.
FOR instance, there Is a soldiers orphan
IN medium circumstances, and citizens
orphan IS utter destitute. re a.f
| Inc matter Of the latter case appeals
70 the strongest ofour feelings because til
the most needy. But it is a rule with those
arranging the matter to give the prefer
ence to the former, on the principle that
the soldiers child has the best claims on
tho patronage Of the government he died
to save. believe that the widows
soldiers (who have young children to
suPport) should be preferred to all othS
ers at least, this is the object aimed at,
unless the individual is a good efficient
CLERK, competent to do the work assigned.
After these come the mothers, sisters,
and childless widows Of dead soldiers
with their sad histories of bereavement
and deshtution, their substsntiaung pa
pers' letters and verbal variations, enough
to moss heart Of stone, and make one
wish that the entire treasury building vas
solld lump OF gold to be crushed into
inlnneSlmal atoms, every separate atom
10 De counted By those poor, dependent
women, to guarantee them emDloymsnt
hr at least thousand years. As the
case now IS, We fear that many of these
viii have TO go towards making out the
requisite number TO be dismissed. Hard
as 1t will be to do so there will be no al
Tentative. So far the majority removed
were comparatively Independent of the
government. possessing comfortable
homes IN different parts Of the country,
or relatives able and willing to maintain
them. The scenes which occur in the
Registers office during the diScharging
crisis are exceedingly varied, Astounding
IN the diversified peculiarities Of human
nature, especially female nature Tear
inspiring, mirth-prOyoking and temper
nslng exhibitions are continually trans
prI1g, freely .indulged By those Clamor~
ms Tor reinstatement.
Thus between tears, OPPORTUNITIES, and
auathemas, it is a perfec. pandemonium
for those who are so unfortunate as to be
the recipients Of their spontaneous, I'M
promptu opinions delivered in all sorts
Of voices, from the faint, hesitating whis-
per to the loud tones Of the angry strong
who expresses her views on the
discharge question generally, and herself
in no measured terms. Cry
ing, frOwning and sOrrowful they come
and go, rarely gaining their object. IL
IS useless to demonstrate or explain, IS it
only results in more persistent entresty.
The luckless Register is remorsely but
ton holed, wedged into corners, waylaid
IN the halls, besieged in his Office and At
home, dragged into confidential family
affairs, forced into listening to the weary
ing details Of some domestic affection
which he cannot alleviate in the least. In
vain he seizes pen-they talk. In vain
he walks the hOOF-they will follow. In
vain he seeks refuge by talking to friend
they will interrupt. In vain he init
mates that he is exceedingly busy, in
mediately turning to bis desk. It IS use
less; they will not take hint. he may
plunge his hands desperately into his
pockets, but they will thurst their letters,
Astounding in melancholy statements re-
gsrding theirdeplOrably needy conditions,
az him as it they we're righteous daggers
meant to aTenge their wrongs. In spite
Of vigilant messengers and stern door
keepers they will come in, and what is
more, be heard. So what is there left to do
but return kind, decided no." 10 their
1t would be cruel to build
up false hopes, or put them off with the
dea that they would be reinstated.