National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-19
RETRE1CnNEyr MeTHEf DErARE.
- Ok HENTS. = - - S-a--~

70 tAs B6AV u tAs GdefoAdf 4epno1fcuH: --.s-9.i
Sn: The air IA full Of reports in this period Of
retrenchnsnt but cannot prsviae the amount Of
truth there 10 In them. Newspaper correspond
ents make many . paragraph more, many .
leteer-on what TIE Committee on 'AppropsiAtions
VIII do and % Whist Il will mot do IN rotation to
the reduction Of expenses in the Departments Of
0ovefnment. premise that retxenehmont with
them b anonymous with reduction OF clerical
force, and yet 4 may not b.. II nay sIGaify 70.
ever, and eaA bat conslade that IN these par.
tica!afs there can BE- saving Of money With the
Least detriment 70 The public business, and Ger.
on mon by throwing them. anwarsed, out q place
ana business, OF without an infringement Of per.
sonal interests and righta. Bat, Whatever reports
skble measure Of appreheniion and mental sudsr-
Ing among hundrsds Of men. u = -
Ian most Secidsdly e ecouomist IN al the
eeeaomy were rsd1eed TO . dlurnaI, practical
sxsnplineation in all the expenditures Of Govern
ment neither nysslf nor those who have the mat
would have need to bseons sudden advocatesS Il
retrenchment live wore never lavish In expen-
not
But have NO intention Of eriticietng anybody.
e rssasss IL q nsn
4 how & shall b denef shall limit the Inquiry
eorrsspondsnts say that the Congressional Com
mfttee ara. oonddsrinG the matter Of securing Q
q
clerksi d tho INST matter to BE- thousSt OF /
wise in Supplying iss sks places where .nsy II. Or
selves 70 b pisesd WHARF they are. They are
ali psrts Of the country. They have no business
elsewhere, and b most eases there 10 no business
@ than Th.y ARE
ments by the character Of the same inside of
them. Some Of them now are wholly united for
tS.% Sns: The o. 1s
then, .neagrs. To mako the most Of this pay,
with indeed business Judgment many Of them
% that With the Ordinary rent s and n lssls .ems
Be ..ying nom their salaries In 8 Homestead;
These men ars stiIl in debt, and must Lose ali II
distressing want. In short the discharge Of these
scarcely admits Of mitigation. TO reduce the
clerical force a. It i done umaiiyis cruel and
But II there arc too many clerks IN the Depart
ments, present or prospective, would reduce the
number. The only question d, how can it Be done
this is question q Be- seriously considsrsd. w
indicate in many ways the humane ehafactsf Of |
the people, and enjoy no small amount Of pride,
increase o. sympathy, feeling and generosity with
the people Of the present q compared with those
poor; We appropriate 90, 600 per annum in
pensions, and 90 generous are We In our judgmsut
q what constitutes Y dis.biemsnt that We have
from NO disability ct all. We think this speaks |
volumes Of commentaries Of the tenderness, sym |
and SSa q S,r and
Am mot sure that there are any men or women /
to be spared from the depaxtmsnts and yet there |
may have few clerks too many, Others may have
,nly complement, and some may not have |
enough. The correspondents say the committee |
more than arc Needed IL al III nos shn i iin
en per cent. can BE- spared from all II Congress
really thinks that.tsn or twenty per cent q the
hought thsn let ths sape declare, By resolution /
It once, that nom date q passage Al vacancies /
occurring in all the departments from resigns
smsin % until the clerical force shah b reduced
o the extent Of the required per cent. From my
wn observation think can With confidence
eduction, and no worthy man or woman be IN
indy cast out on the world without means or .
rsiness 70 support them, while the nation will DO
eedless expense and maintain . reputation for
humane action. The unexpended balances result
ag from such action, At the end Of the fiscal year,
These wholesale discharges come % unexpect-
dly and scarcely less stsrtlingly than clap OF
hunder from clear sky, and work Wholesale
Trong. .-r H.
Lastly, can scarcely think how anybody can
1ention, seriously, the matter Of 0 reduction Of
ay. That those men with families who receive
ess than q 900 per annum receive too little now
here Is no rational doubt.
A few years ego the present very able chairman
{ the Committee ON Appropriations In the House
{ Representatives, and very excellent man he is,
90, disnterestedly and voluntarily champIoned
be proposition to Increase the pay Of the clerks
nd It was carried. The measure undoubtedly
'as then unpopular with the people, who did not
omprehend the situation, but Il was no moro than
lenda6le act on tho part Of tho said chairman.
ave always thought that there clerks should
ave gratefully acknowledged In some unmis-
sksble manner the servies. do not think that
his man VIII conclude that the pay Of these
Jerks should be reduced. Indeed II does not seem
oseible that Congress can say that these men,
nde.paid now, shall BE- paid still less.
JUSTICE, TEMPERHD wIrH CLENHNCY.