Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-04-08
---a------s
Women Clerks In Washington.

oEhiObo ChAhdhb 81 a WOhAN.
The Independent says: 1--WE publish the
following letter, bearing the signature of q
woman-a clerk of the Treasury Depart
ment-though we have no personal acquain-
t,hce with her. If her statements are true
they should arrest the attention of the pub
lie; il false, lst them he exposed"
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON,
March 10, lS69.-In the last number of the
Independent noticed paragraph stating
that the compensation Of the women In the
departments at Washington was about to be
made the same as that paid to men; and, as
wolnau and an employee of the govern
| meni, l trust there can be no objection
against my expressing my views regarding
| the subject.
The masses of women ut the present time
| employed in the department are not POSSESS
ed ol very brilliant clerical abilities. Un the
contrary, very many of them have scarcely
cduta ion enough " tell the day OF the week
| by counting house calender; and they owe
their appointments aud continuance in office
tn their personal advantages. When man
receives an appointment TO a clerkship he
is obliged To appear bviore board Of depart
mental officers and undergo an examination ;
and. although the examination is not 30
strict as thar Imposed on the graduating class
of New England college, it is so difficult
that not one woman in hundred could pass
| 1t satisfactorily.
| |, for one, claim that women-educated
| women, of cOurse- are as competent to
perform brain labor MS men; but do most
emphalicail, Object ~ having girls in their
teens, with no other Recommendation than
Il pretty face OF II pretty tout, place them
selves on an Intellectual par with men and
women of education.
| am sorry to make the confession, hut
the truth toices it, that the departments are
filled with iemsles-crawdel, l may say,
with those who serve the government in no
other WAY except tu embarrass the public
officials III the discharge Of their duties, |
could furnish the names of scores and scores
of women, whom the heads OF departments
have tried tn get rid of for months ard
Years, as hcny utterly worthless, yet have
been unable To do 80 owing 10 outside IN.
tluenccs. | could furnish the names If
scores nf women who do not perform an
hours work per diem for the government |;
not ia every instance because they are un-
willing, hut because they do not have the
work there being too many engaged IN the
samc labor. In The office of the Comptroller
of the Currency, Tor instance, one-third 0i
the force eMploS cd would he quite sufficient
to perform the labor This is no spccula-
tion on my rari. know whereof affirm.
In the Post Office Department the law
provides for fifty female clerks, and desks
arc arranged ior that number, yet ex-Post-
master General Randall appointed one hun.
Dire land five. During the two weeks imme-
diately prior to his exit he appointed thirty
female clerks and for what reason Heaven
only knows, since nearly oue-iifth of those
already employed had nothing to do-nay,
not even Seat in the office. | can con
ceive of no earthly object Randall had il
appointing these women, unless 1t was t.
cmbarrass his successor.
In conclusion, hold that women who art
competent to perform the same labor a.
, men, should receive the same compensation
/ and be subject TO the same conditions, fol
!, violating which they should he dismissed.
, Every woman employed should be sub
| jected to the same examinations rs men, ant
personal beauty or laxity Of morals shoult
not be u recommendation, as is too often th,
, case. The examination board should bl
women. In order to prevent corruption il
all bureaus where women are employed
there should be female auditors. have al
r instance in my mind where one malcou
, woman clerk caused the removal of SOM
: five or six faithful men, simply because the,
refused to lend money to her husband G),
g worthless blackguard. who never paid hi
y
who made these removals has just rcsgne
D and gone 70 the West
q Congress or the President ought to affor
/ us some protection, if they allow US to oc
IS cupy offices. We ought not to be insulte,
d by having the paramours and mistresses c
}. memhers of Congress forced upon us, an
be Obliged to tolerate their society day b
d day. Let Mr.. Boutwell, clean out the riff
e raft and poll llion OF his department. 1t
s. him appoint moral and competent women
u and then let us be paid according to on
d merits. Such is the earnest prayer of ever
g honest woman clerk. HANNAH TYLER
d" The editor of the Dubuque Times, in r,
d spnnse 10 the query Of lady who wishes I
know the religious faith of the members
y" Grants Cabinet, says -" Attorney Gener,
At Hoar is Unitarian, Secretary Cox is 4 Sw,
$. denborgian, Secretary of the Navy Borc
IS Catholic, ex-Secretary of State Washburn
,e is Universalisl, Secretary of State Fish
Il Dutch Reformer, ex-Secretary Stewart
l u Presbyterian, and Postmaster Gener,
I Creswell cschews churches altogether. TIL
M religious faith of Boutwell, and Rawlins
not known yet TO fame. Grants family al