The daily gazette., 1876-07-08

fit of a Printing Ring, which has its
mead In the Senate, the Blue Book,
wnlch gives the names and regular
salaries OF all the officeholders, is is
sued In a limited edition only for
congress and the departments. The
nenenciaries OF this scandalous system
are interested in concealing the whole
truth from the taxpayers, and they re-
sort to suppression, falsehood, and
other devices to keep them in ignor-
ance of the causes which have con-
stantly augmented their burdens
until this strain has resulted in bank.
ruptcv, ruin, and prostration of all the
industrial interests. We propose to
supply the much needed information
from official sources. and to take the
figures from the Biennial Register ex,
clusively, the number of officeholders
in the State, Treasury. Interior, War
Navy. Justice, and Post Office Depart
ments and Congress was as follows in
the years specified.
wNDER LIN oLN, UNDER GRANT
1861, total. .46, ,O49 1869, total. "a, ,2O7
1868, total. Al, 1875 1871, total. 81, sos
1866, total. SO, 167Fls73, total. .S0,637
1875, total. "a 119
During the four years of Lincoln,
covering the whole peroid of the war.
when the exigencies of the public ser
vice exceeded all former experience,
the entire increase of the civil list was
barely seven thousand. Passing over
the administration of johnson, and
coming down to the advent of Grant
ism, basis of comparison is furnished
between the cost of carrying on the
Government while the greatest of civil
wars ragged, and during state of pro
found peace.
1t is TINS seen that more than forty
thousand officeholders have been ad-
ded to The civil list since Grant became
President. There is hardly an appro-
priation bill in those six years which
does not create new offices or raise
salaries. The Republicans in Congress
legislated in their owu interest. for the
bulk of this patronage was apportioned
among them. in order to insure their
loyalty to the Administration.
In addition to the legal salaries, a
large fund was also voted to Mr..
Boutwell, and other Secretaries, who
distributed it among their favorites, by
means of which bureaus were virtually
established, and the pay of Auditors
and Registers was allowed to so called
, chiefs of divisions, without a color of
law to justify this costly extravaganza
The contingent fund of some of the
departments was misused in the same
way to reward shameless favoritism'at
, the public expense.
, In 1861 the officeholders at Wash
, ington numbered 1888, and in 1873
they rose to 6.O23. They are supposed
} to work six hours day, but it is well
known that at least twenty-five per
cent. of the whole force do net devote
. two hours daily to duty. They take
their ease, read newspapers and smoke
, cigars in the departments, or devote
themselves to partisan service outside.
, Women, who receive the lowest rate
3 of pay, are alone held to a strict ac-
. count, and even many of them are ex-
ceptions to the rule, These officehold
/ ers are allowed leave of absence for
one month In every year, and in addi> y
ton to that are required to go home at
all important elections without loss of
lpay and at the expense of fund as
sessed by the Postmaster at Washing
ton at a fixed per centage on the entire
: force, so that it may be said they do
} of ostensible service, though they are
} actually paid for twelve. There is no
J corresponding class in any department
of private life which is so much favor
ed as these clerks are.
The House of Representative found
this state of facts existing, and pro-
perly determined to stop such glaring
abuses by reducing the total force
Itwnnfv snha To
ries ten per cent. in all branches of
} the service. The retrenchment might
be carried much further, but the dis
position was to allow liberal margin
and to make the reform defend itself,
At Washington the clerks are classi-
fed by grades. and here is what the
House has proposed to do with them:
All salaries of 81 200 and under not
to be touched. Salaries of 81, 400 to
be reduced to 81 $50; salaries of 81, 600
to Sl 300; salaries of $500 to 81 700;
salaries of chiefs of division in the
Auditors offices, Registers office, and
other chiefs of like grade, So, 400 to
$l ,oOO; and salaries of chiefs of divis-
IN the Comptroller's offices 81, 400 to
2,OOO. 1t will be observed that the
ten per cent. scaling has not been ap-
plled to these offices, owing, doubtless
10 the intended reduction of the num-
Der, and in order to have the depart
ments served with good ability.
Yet the Senate has raised an outcry
against this moderate economy, and
threatened to defeat the appropriations
unless the House shall recede, and sur
render principle to which it is solemnly
pledged before the country. The Re
publieans are simply struggling to save
Nl,...t. frn no. nwx1
lations AID friends, who are holding sine
cures with large pay. This is the sole
ground their opposition to reform.
Mr.. Morril of Maine, who is Chairman
| OF the Committee on Appropriations,
| and has led all the resistance to the
economical policy of the House, gave the
public pretty good idea, ON Tuesday
last, of what sort of a successor he would
make to Mr.. Bristow. Speaking of the
action of the COnference Com I'M ittaa an