The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-21
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions ofthe Leading Journals
upon Current Topios-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
A BLUEBEARD IN CONGRESS.

A Blu EBEAltD IN CONGRESS.
From the Cleveland Leader.
1t is greatly TO be regretted that Mr.. Rogers
of Arkansas should so far have mistaken his
duties as a member of Congress as to intro
duce resolution ordering the discharge of all
female clerks in the departments at Washing
ton. Such measure must require, for its
proper justification, some very strong argu-
ments outside of anything which the worst
enemies of the female clerks have yet been
able to adduce. Prurient and reckless Wash
ington correspondents, hungry for a sensa-
ton, have from time to time interlarded their
letters with vague and darkly drawn insinua-
tlons against the private characters OF these
working women. 1t is mainly alleged that
there are women in the departments whose
appointments have been secured by members
of Congress for reasons which will not bear
open discussion. To the shame of Congress,
it must be admitted that there may be,
in few cases, some truth in this, but
should the whole army of Woodworking,
poorly-paid clerks be made to suffer
for the faults of a few? Are there not
wicked men and women everywhere, in So
ciety, in all public movements, and in the
churches? If there is here and there
scarlet woman among the ranks of the Wash
ington clerks, should her crime be allowed to
take the bread from the mouths of the thou
sand others who are fighting singly and
bravely the hard, doubtful struggle for bread
because the husbands and fathers upon whose
strong arms they once leaned are buried on
some far-away battlefield? Winning women,
with bright faces and cunning words, have
sometimes won their way to those Washing
ton clerkships to the exclusion of more needy
and deserving ones-a charming woman can
do all but the absolutely impossible in this
world-but no one will deny that by far the
1nrotN0rtinn nf tho COvarnO1aD ant
clerks are the widows and sisters and
daughters of men who were killed or dis
abled during the war. Hard-hearted indeed
must be the man who could stand up
and propose that this legion of pensioners
should be turned into the street. To do so
must require certain quality of mind which
we find developed only in the purely political
man. 1t is one of the characteristics of poll
ticians that they are capable of sacrificing
everything to the expediency of the moment.
They can give glowing promises, and keep
them or not as may afterwards seem best
Politicians were loudest in promising, eight
years ago, that if the country were saved the
veterans should be the dearest children of the
republic The minor public offices, the post
offices, the various small favors of city,
county, and State patronage should be given
only to those who had risked their lives that
the nation might be saved. The battles
were fought and won but the polltlclan mas
not taken the back seat that he promised he
would. He yet maintains his place at the
head of things and crowds the soldier from
his promised heritage He even grudges the
crippled veteran and the orphan of the dead
soldier home, but talks eloquently in Con-
gress or his State Legislature in favor of rail-
way and harbor subsidies, which shall still
further increase the wealth and greatness of
this glorious country. Here and there q
policemans uniform, pension agency, or q
cross-road post Office is given to a soldier as
one throws bone to dog, but the fat and
easy places the politician marks for his own.
So it happens that there are men in Congress,
one man at least, who thinks that women
especially war widows and orphans-are get.
ting on too rapidly in the world, and should
be set back peg. Turn them all out and
make room for new and inexperienced corps
of men, says the patriot from Arkansas.
Fortunately, the movement has not been SC
favorably received as Mr.. Rogers had hoped
1t was talked over few moments and heli
for future decision. Before that final vote il
taken, Congress should be made to know how
deep an outrage this wholesale ejectmen
would be considered. The movement for thu
broader rights of women already carries diff
culties enough, and, for this additione
reason, the vengeance of MIR. Rogers shoul'
be checked.