The Grange advance., 1873-11-12
WOMEN IN THE CIVIL SERVICE OF
THE UNITED STATES.

The above is the subject Of a very able
paper in late issue of the New York Inde-
pendent by Mary Clemmens Ames. After
referring to the fact that the scales Of
Justitia hang equally balanced in the Office
Of the United States Treasurer, she says !:
Civil Service Reform, as carried on, is a
mockery and sham. Nowhere has its
hollow pretense been so visible, so keenly
felt, as in its utter failure Of simple justice
to the woman worker in the public service
The first work given to women from the
Government was issued from the General
Land Office, as early, if not earlier than
President Pierce's administration, and con-
sisted Of the copying of land warrants.
This work was sent to their homes. They
received it in the name of some male rela-
tive and for that reason were paid what he
would have received for doing it-viz.,
$1,000 per annum. One lady supported
a worthless husband the nominal clerk J
and her two children in this way, doing all
his work for him. Another supported her.
self and her two nephews and educated
them, out Of the same salary. During Mr..
Blu chanan's administration this work was
taken out of feminine hands to very large
extent, and the few allowed to retain it
were paid only 5000 per year. Some
where in this era the first woman clerk ap-
peared in the Treasury. She was q wife,
who, during her hus sbanQ's illness, was al
lowed to take his desk IN q do his work for
his support and their chilQren's.
The writer then proceed\ to show that
the general employment of women in the
Department arose out of the exigencies of
the war, When the Services Of men were
50 much needed upon the field, women were
taken to fill their places at the desks, and
in 1868 or 1864 they were recognized in
the annual appropriation bills She then
draws the following vivid picture of Wash
ington life during the war
The war had torn the whole social fabric
like an earthquake. Society seemed up
heaved from its foundations, shattered and
scattered in chaos. Nowhere was this so
apparent as in Washington. Women seek
ing their husbands; women whose hus-
bands were dead, left penniless, with de-
pendent children ; young girls orphaned
and homeless; with women adventurers of
every phase and sort-all sooner or later
found their way to Washington. T1e male
population was scarcely less chaotic. Men
restrained and harmonized through life by
the holiest influences Of home. found them
selves herded together in masses, exposed
to hardships. and danger, and unheard Of
temptations. ''Let us eat and drink, for
tomorrow we die!'' seemed blazoned on
the painted sign boards on the dens Of
drink and sin, and on the abandoned and
brazen faces Of the strrnger men and wo-
men who jostled each other on the crowded
thoroughfares. While thousands escaped
unharmed the moral pestilence which
brooded in the air. tens of thousands were
tainted with its blight and fell. Men and
women who would have lived and died in
nocent in the safe shelter of peace and
home grew demoralized and desperate 1smid
the rack and ruin of war. In the hour
when human nature needed every safe
guard, it found itself 's'<sr61 fs sweetest
and best it had ever known. This was es
pecially true of the hundreds Of homeless
women in the Capita}-seckifug employment
Congressional appropriations made women 8
Government employment at once Con-
gressional reward. Very soon every wo-
mans appointment to work was at the mer.
cy of some member of Congress. Political
or war services might secure man his
ut what had the woman but her bereave-:
ments or her personal influence? );
The shameful fact cannot be
wiped out that there were men high in po-
litical power, because they had that power,
who made womanly virtue its price, and
were meanly base enough to use the civil
service of their country to pay for their
own disgraceful sins. Because this was
possible, pure women, working day by
day to support themselves and their chill
dren, were covered with the shadow of un-
just suspicion, for women unworthy and
pro1igate were allowed the same positions
with equal honor and equal pay.
The writer then alleges that the new
Civil Service rules seemed to offer a COM
plete remedy for these glaring evils and
denominations. and says: