National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-26
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
PUBLIC OPINION UPON EARIoUs
TOPICS OF INTEREST.

REDUCTION OF CLERICAL FORCE IN The
DEPARTMENTS SUGGESTIONS TO Gun
GREssMEN-CLERICAL EQUALITY, PEN
sIONs, &c.-THE IRISH IN THE LAiE YAK
THE woMEN's CRUSADE.
60 the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIN: There is probably no one thing that Affords
~...,.r una. siness and yexatious discomfort than
A. INEQUALITIES 80 predominant in all the pur-
suIts of the business occupations of society. 1t Is
strikingIy observable in the professions and trades
and in politics and religion. Honor, influence,
and accompanying compensations proceed from
the exuberance of caprice, rather than inteiiec-
tual or moral worth. The indolent spendtnrht
will be advanced to position that should be niea
by the persevering and saving man the obsequi.
Gus shufHer will be overstridden by the timid ana
deserving; the petty tyrant will be grsced Win
power to humiliate his equals or superiors; ana
the unprincipled demagoguc elevated to high stu
ton by the misguided and unwatchfuL 80 maeh
Of this is seen In everyday me bones ae hsrd
working, worthy people, that many, VINO arc IN
scorn Of such thing. are forced into obscurity 2,
service Should be established at once, but the inc
Qualities that exist in II now should be remeded.
particularly here in Washington. There should
be but one s.class" of clerks In the Departments.
: All should be put upon one common level, and
then there would be IN end to the petty strifes
and 81 lou If so%
the public business has frequently been retarded,
and that mutual courtesy and cooperative spirit
the ' Government. pa1aiy1ed The heaas Of De- :.
partmente and bureaus only should be changedto
suit the views Of new Administration. The
business of the Departments, should remain Q
permanent corps, with equal pay and privileges.
except as influenced by length Of service; There
should be an established salary fixed by law, say
o.. 500 per annum, which should be increased only
by the addition Of say Zoo for every three years
service, which should continue until certain
limit is reached, say 800 after which there shall
be no rise in salary.
The constant fear of removal, under the present
Of uneasness among clerks, the result of which
10 the prevailing custom Of bringing outside In.
nuenees to bear on positions that ought to be de-.
would end should the proposed change be made.
There should be civil service court to determine
all cases Of dismissal from the service. If clerk
60 far violates the rules Of the Department in
which he serves as to cause charges to be pre-
ferred against him he should have . full and fair
hearing before the civil service court which should
have the power to acquit, fine or dimiss the &C.
cused, according to the evidence produced by &C
cused or accuser. Prejudice, personal pique, or a
desire to remove only for the purpose Of promoting
another to his place, could not with such court,
work injury, has heretofore too frequently been
the capacity Of a clerk has brought to my notice
many things which in private business would
not be tolerated. To name few instances Will
serve to illustrate many Of the causes Of com
plant which have arisen within my knowledge.
A member Of Congress had a young friend whom
he asked to have appointed CLERK; ne was ap-
NOTED. He was promoted, and promoted, and
promoted over the heads Of all others, not on ac-
count of his ability but at the solicitation OF this
member of Congress. Another case lie one in
which clerk got his promotion by absenting him
self from his desk the greater part of the day,
niture he bought, for which he Of course deserved
Ind got promoted over his fellows. Another is
one where fellow Of very ordinary ability, not
working beside him, Commenced systematic
method Of presenting petty questions; u tina, he
should have had sense to determine 4imssl, ior
opportunities for belittling his fellows and magn
flying his own consequence ai a critical accountant
came chief clerk Of his bureau. ''
There was very singular case, some years
ago, where q certain clerk, having been mistaken
having, as supposed, written letter in praise OF
q Secretary Of the Treasury. The standard Of
ability, experience and integrity is one BY which,
only in rare instances Advancement in the civil
service has been made. There is no necessity for
classes in cerkships. The first, second, third and
Size only
being that the clerk receiving the most pay is
treated with greater consideration, lie granted
liberties and 90 less work than the clerks oflower
grades. If all were put upon an equality, and
retained upon their good behaviour, the service
would be materially improved.
equality, nermanency and periodical instease OF
compensation to those employed By the Govern
be harmony between the various Offices and de-
partments in the transaction of public business:
that there should be economy liz all the expendi-
lures Of the civil departments, and that there
should be a civil-service commission, composed of
practical business men, which, should have the
board" which should constitute "courts to Try
cases Of misdemcanor in once, before which any
person SO charged should have = just hearing, and
I,,,1r f1sv<x be-.
and which should become 3 /" revisatory board, y
to plan . simple, practical, economic and safe
egnmept V With dispaieS and harmony one
neut with another. CRp.
REDUCTION OF FORCE IN THE DEPART
MENTS
To the Editor Of the National Repu5lican:
SIR: Wouldn't 1t be we'll in view of the anticipated
reduction Of the clerical force, to offer some in
ducement to clerks to resign, similar TO that Of
fered 70 officers in the army . few years ago. II
will be remembered tia. EanRress then passed .
bill giving as high as q years pay ss an induce
mcnt to officers to resign before Q fixed time, and
relieve the President from the very unpleasant
duty Of selecting those to be discharged, and II
worked quite successfully. Many of the officers
thus awaited themselves Of the opportunity to Sc
cure rev hundred dollars and time to seek other
means of support, and the number was reduced to
the MAXIMUM alloWeu Dy law
Let Congress- now pass biz, In behalf Of the
clerks, authorizing the SECRETARIES of the various
Departments, where reductions are recommended,
to pay any clerk in full to July /. 1874 who shall
resign before that time, the vacancy to remain
until the number in any bureau shall be reduced
to the number allowed by the new appropriation
bill. e..
1t seems to me this would only be a matter of
justice to class OF persons who are. perhaps,
more than my Other, dePenaep. upon their sala,
now be turned out without q moments notice or
with even q few days notice. their homes, which
have been purchased during the last four years,
to be paid for by monthly installments, predi-
Gated upon their safety in position while the Re-
publican administration lasted, would, Of neccs-
sity be sold under the provisions Of deed Of trust
at auction, at enormous sacrifice, and the an
ticipated Accommodations of years would thus van
fish away, and they would be turned out into the
cold. uncharitable world without means, without
employment, and without experience in any tpsi-
ness; in short, beggars! j. 5. d.
PENSIONS AND TAXES.
Te The Editor Of the National Republican,:
SIR: 1t appears to me that in the matter Of re-
trenchments all these inquiries rs to how many