American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-01-24
Nv. 1t NAV be asked, with some perti-

law. 1t may be asked, with some peril
nence, whether men have been employed
| there in various duties from that of mes
senger to cook, and from that of house
servant to barber, who draw their pay,
| ranking as Sergeants and as high as Cap
| tain. Rumor has it that, when these
| former were placed in the Executive Man
sion, they were ranked as privates; but,
| the pay not being sufficient, In their own
estimation and that of their employer,
they were promoted by the Secretary of
| War, on the recommendation of their en-
ployer, to be Sergeants, so as thus to be
enabled to draw increased pay for their
important and useful callings. And in
| the case of the cook, as every one knows,
no second-clas hotel here can secure the
| services of good French or German cook
| at a rate of wages less than from 800 to
| S115 per month, of course the pay of
| Sergeant would never meet the require
| ments of the august functionary who per-
| forms the delicate task of catering to the
| refined and sensitive epicurean palates of
the '.tdmiiLe r0yale," and SO it is said this
individual must be appointed to the rank
OF Captain, with pay proper, SO as to be
enabled to manage his 'Tllets, rotis, and
dtisserie."
The Secretary of War will have ample
opportunity to explain these unhandsome
travesties of the war god, which can only
be considerably regarded by = very lib
eral adaptation of the memorable saying,
peace hath her victories not less re-
nowned than war" A companion evil to
this existed for some time in the army
during the early part of the war, whereby
officers who were allowed rations and pay
for servants whom they never employed,
but in lieu thereof had soldiers detailed
from a company on the rolls of which
they were paid, and hence these gallant
officers pocketed the funds and Uncle
Sam paid for services which he did not
receive. But the time came when some
honest, air-minded men saw this glaring
and increasing fraud, whereupon due
representations were made, after CORES
ponding investigations, to the War De
partment, and orders were issued that
thenceforth, if any officer drew pay for
servant and rations, he must have such
servant in actual employ for the time
stated. Thus the army was purgcd of
this rascality. Kindred with this |
of the service OF those |
in Government employ is the prevailing |
custom among the officials to have the |
attend at their houses, make |
up bedding, black shoes, wait on table, |
and do chores generally for which the |
Government is made to pay: How many
more important domestic duties are thus |
performed it is impossible to tell. The
which is to be appointed,
will commence with the War and Treas
ury Departments after it is through with
the White House, and as they progress,
evidence may be adduced
which will apply to similar dishonest
practices in other bureaus. The horses
md livery, as well as the vehicles, of
many Republican patriots will bear like
scrutiny, and, by the time the Committee
las concluded its investigation, Congress
will find where a large amount of money
S squandered, and how they can practic-
lily get down to economical principles
without bowling and doing, as the misery
md weak cellarer did, Saving at the spig-
IT and wasting at the Washington
Dispatch to N. Y. Herald.