Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-03-31
Vermont Daily Transcript
ST. ALBANS, VT.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH, 81, 1869.
Women as Clerks at U'ashiugion.
MARCH, 81, 1869.

Voncn as Clerks at Uushiugton.
The New York Iadtpondcm says :
1--WE publish the following letter, bear
ing the signature of woman-a clerk
in the Treasury Department-though
we have no personal acquaintance with
her If her statements are true they
should arrest the attention of the pub
lie; if false, let them be exposed"
TREASURY DEPARTMENT..
Washington, ID. c., March, 10, 1863.
"In the last number of the Mdep,n-
dent noticed paragraph stating that
the compensation of the women en-
ployed in the departments at Wash
ington was about to be made the same
as that paid to men and as a woman
and an employee of the government, |
trust there can be no objection against
my views regarding the subject.
1.-THE masses of women at the present
time employed in the departments are
not possessed of very brilliant clerical
abilities. On the contrary, enough to
tell the day of the wee * by counting
house calendar; and thay owe their APP
pointments and continuance in Office to
their personal advantages When n
man receives an appointment to clerk
ship, he is obliged to appear before
board of departmental officers, and un-
dergo an examination and although
the examination is not so strict as that
imposed on the graduating class of a
New England college, it is so difficult
that not one woman in hundred could
lass it satisfactorily.
II, for one, claim that women-cdu-
Gated women, of course-are as compe-
tent to perform brain labor as men; but
do most emphatically object to having
girls in their teens, with no other re-
commentator than a pretty face or n
pretty foot, place themselves on an in
tellectual par with men and women of
education.
II am sorry to make the confession,
but the truth forces it, that the depart
ments are filed with females-crowded,
l may say, with those who serve the
government in no other way except to
embarass the public officials in the dis
charge of their duties. l could furnish
the names ofscores and scores ofwomcn,
whom the heads of departments have
tried to get rid of for months and years,
rs being utterly worthless, yet have been
unable to do 50 owing to outside intiu-
ences. | could furnish the names of
scores Of women who do not perform an
hours work per diem for the govern
ment; not in every instance because
they are unwilling, but because they do
not have the work-there being too
many engaged in the same labor. In
the Office of the Comptroller of the Cur
rency, for instance, One third of of the
force employed would be sufficient to
perform the labor. This is no specula-
ton on my part. L know whereof affirm.
Int hnp orfp ,nr,f 1,p Inl
provides for fifty female clerks, and desks
are arranged for that number; yet eX
Postmaster-GcneralR Randall appointed
one hundred and five. During the two
weeks Immediately prior to his exit he
appointed thirty female clerks ; and for
what reason Heaven only knows, since
nearly One-fifth of those already en-
ployed had nothing to dO-nay, not
even seat in the office. | can conceive
OF no earthly object Randall had in APP
pointing these women, unless it was to
embarrass his successor.
'In conclusion, hold that women
who are competent to perform the same
labor as men should receive the same
compensation, and be subject to the
same conditions, for violating which
they should be dismissed.
" Every woman employed should be
subjected to the same examination as
men, and personal beauty or laxity
ofmorals ought not to be a recommends
ton, as is too often the case. The eX
amining board should be women. In
order to prevent corruption in all bu-
reaus where women are employed,
there should be female auditors. have
an instance in my mind whore one ma
licious woman-clerk caused the removal
Of some five or six faithful men, simp-
~ because they refused to lend money
TO her husbapdC), worthless black
guard, who never paid his debts. |
ana happy to state that the auditor who
made these removals has just resigned
and gone to the West.
Congress or the President ought to
afford US some protection, if they allow
us to occupy offices. We ought not to
be insulled by having the paramours
and mistresses of members of Congress
forced upon US and be obliged to toll
lcrate their society day by day. Let
Mr.. Boutwell, clean out the rif-ratf and
the pollution of his department. Let
him appoint moral and competent
women ; then let us be paid according
to our merits. Such is the earnest pray
er OF every honest woman-clerk.
HANNAH TYLER"