The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-18

causes at work TO operate most serious de-
fection in their Northern ranks. OF oourse,
they would not own it; IL is the part OF |
strategy 20 keep up a tremendous drum |
beating and marching aud oounterma arohing |
where the lines are slim. Bat one thing Is |
certain: Grant would not have bid for scala
wag support in the appointment of Creswell,
aud Congress would not now be utiliziog
Southern State Offices IL there was not some
thing wrong in the North. The rogues are
losing ground, depend upon It.
Retrench uent Must BE Had.
From the ". Y. Tribune.
Washington reports afirm the existence Of
a persistent pressure upon heads Of depart
meDts by members of Congress for places
wherewith to reward needy constituents. In
80 far as these demands involve merely the
supersedure of ins by outs, we do not regret
IL. 'Rotation in office" is generally whole
some, even to those who disrelish it. No de-
paItment clerk who is worth his salt ought to
wish to remain in Office more than four years
at furthest. Let young, active, energetic
workers be appointed to olerkships; let each
understand that he is TO be retained but four
years and be admonished to save at least one
third of his earnings from the outset; let him
go out with the administration that appointed
him, having saved the means wherewit TO
start in some private business (settling aud
working q quarter section of public laud, il he
can do no better); and let the next brood fol-
low in the footsteps of its predecessor. We
believe this best for service and servants
alike; for, though there are doubtless few
clerks and higher officers in the departments
whose rare capacity or special knowledge it
would be difioult to replace, yet so many
tend to become fossils the moment they fancy
themselves fixtures, that the public interest
would be decidedly promoted by a general
clearing out as often as once in four years.
, - i. - l.
changes; We only insist that the Secretaries
shall be allowed ample time to familiarizs
themselves with the machinery of their re-
spective departments and the merits of their
subordinates before they are required 10 make
them.
But more urgent even than this is the re-
quirement that the numte ter of clerical and other
Government employ es shall be greatly reduced.
That number was necessarily swelled by the
exigencies of war; it has since been reduced,
but not nearly so much as il should be. Half
the assistant assessors, collectors, ETC., OF in
ternal revenue that were absolutely required
when we had taxes on everything, from q
baby's first garment to an old mans shroud,
ought now to suffice, since more than three
fouIths of the articles subjected to war taxes
have been wholly relieved from impost. Yet
we know that, where assessors and collectors
have discharged subordinates, under general
orders from the Treasury to retrencb, members
of Congress have intefceded at Washington
and obtained their restoration. This must
come to a full stop, and the wheel must re-
volve in the opposite direction. Three per
cent, at furihest, should assess and collect
the internal revenue, and we hope il will soon
be made to do SO.
As to the customs, we Judge that twenty
five per cent. OF the present cost of their col
| lection ought to be saved, and that this city
| should contribute her full quota towards the
| reduction. 1t ought not to cost nearly one
| per cent. of the money collected here to col
| lect it; but it does. II we could only dispel
! the prevalent illusion that the public service
| is political almshouse, wherein the lame,
| and the halt, and the paralytic, are to be fed
and fattened at the public cost, the needed
reform would be easy. But almost every one
has brother, or cousin, or son, or nephew,
who doesn't seem to know how TO take
care of himself, hence is presumed admirably
calculated to oficiate as a guardian of the
public interests and welfare. 'To the victors
belong the gpoils OF the vauquished," is the
accepted maxim, and we submit, only pro
testing that 1t is not the people and theii
treasury who are rightfully vsnquished. Le
the winning party have its pap; but let M
dime of it be lavished on hungry partisan
who cannot, or does not, give value received
for every dime he fobs, and let the fewes
officers that can do the work suffice; and /
one must be retained or appointed who cal
do but half work, let him be content will
halfpay.
1t is the crying evil of our day that working
for the public pays better, or is supposed Il
pay better, than working for yourself. Th
fakmer's or the mechanics son would rathe
be an inspector of customs or policeman thar
inherit his fathers business and follow it. Tn,
soil is neglected and often deserted, becaus
those who should cultivate it fancy they car
do better as tide-waiters or post Office clerks
The laws and the policy which beguile then
into that delusion have very much to answe
for.
We pray the Secretary of the Treasury anG
the Commissioner OF Internal Revenue Il
appoint as assessors and collectors men who vii
promise to reduce their subordinates to tn
lowest practicable figure, and stand by then
in SO doing, no matter who may remonstrat
and insist on making the revenue service
gigantic s0up-house. Now is the time to re-
trench; if "new broom" does not "swee
clean,'' it were absurd to expect an old one 1
do it. Begin the work of reform by pledgin
every assessor and collector TO reduce his fore
to the utmost on or before the first of Jul
next, when the new fiscal year will open; and
having melted good resolutions, take care tina
they be faithfully adhered to.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.