, 1876-08-11

Tho Democratic newspapers hayo been
h'lsily ongagod for somo months in circ'- |
lating oxnggcratcl and falso statements con-
cernsng M talcgcd increase in tho number Of
Government officers under tho administration
of tho Republican party. All theso articles
are based upon speech IN tho House of
Representatives, delivered last March by A1r.
DunuAar, ConfetL, Of Kontucky, in which oc-
Cured the following paragraph
The country ean tnstly complain thst T.. tes years
ncnt has hcen Ercntfy Increased. and doubt far
beyond the requirements and necessities of tho
service. and on examination tint te n number Of
saes yo tho o'e year s i' i M nj as eope
3$s % ,sS; M ;S S5' i;Fi + i$ ; iS55
&c. Gti0; 1870, 10, lou. A very considerable nn,a-
her of thc aboyc VIM arn borne npon tlc rolls
and there would be still enough LEFT to curry on tho
Government IN ita various btanchcs with prompt
s s s: bena en- s &
cra, and 1t nay be al larger aalnrtcA tnn they
entitled tn. lsto inc!ease tllo annual cxpcnses Of
the Government until they hnye bccosuc enormous
uua very bnrdcnsomo 10 tic people.
If rcading people would stop to consider,
they would know TINT such mn increase as
A1r. DURHAM represents is simply out OF tho
question, Notwithstanding the growth of tho
country mud tho increased necessities of tho
public service, in viow OF the fact tint al-
most cyery ycar sinco 1868, whom thu Office
Of Revenue Assessor and Buborlinates were
abolished, tho number Of employees in differ
ont branches Of the service (except the Post
O{Ilce) havo been steadily reduced. It may
DO that Mr.. DURHAM did not Intentionally
falsify tho figures which havo givcn tho
Democratic newspapers 30 much comfort,
bnt ho 1nado an inoxcusable blundor, which
is auspiciously in tho intorcst Of his party.
It is true that tho number Of names in tho
"I}luo Book tho biennial register Of Gov
ornmcnt employes-hns boon increased,
though nothing to the intont indicated by
Mr.. DURHAM but this increase has boon oc-
casioned in two ways, viz. i: ~ There hos
boen n necessary increase in proportion to
cessitios Of tho service, particularly in the
extension of postal facilities; (2) tho latest
Bluo Books contain n certain clAss
Of employees not enumerated in my
previous Registers, consisting mainly
Of mechanics and laboror, in the navy-yards,
some Of tho employees about tho Government
buildings, compositors ut tho Government
printing Office, employees in the bureau Of en-
| craving, or river aud harbor improvements,
aud generally tioso who arc not specially
designated In tue appropriation nets, but aro
employed ns laborers Aa these Persons
wcro mover included in the register prior to
1873, but are in tho Bluo Book Of 1876, this
fact alone accounts for nm apparent increase
Of about 1900 persons, wl,ilo there was
actually no incroaso whatever.
But it has boon shown in q variety of why's
that A1r. Durham las made palpablo mis-
count. The Blue Book of 1871 contnined
g13 pages, that Of 1876, 1911 pages, I'M In
crease Of 298 pagos. In each tho ayorago
number ot is (ranging from 81 down Ia
2G) G5 to q page. If tho incroascd pages ba
multiplied by tho nyorago number Of names,
tho increase OF names will DO found to be
1880 names, instead Of 44,501, rs repre-
sonted by Mr.. DURHAM. OF this, 1000 namca
represent thoso previously employed bui
not enumerated heretofore by tho 1segistor,
lcaying an apparent incroase of about 7 ,ooe
names. This apparent increaso Is moro than
offset by tho increased number OF post-oticef
{a,4oo during tho past two years), with ttt
narnes Of all tho Postmasters, lottcr-carricrs
and employees who hold tho places from time
to titne, making In nil G,193 persons; ths
Gaugera aud storoAcepors (not enumerated i.
the Register Of lB7l) numbering 1900, aut
also tl.oBe not previously enumerated In tlt
Ordnance Department OF tho army, in ths
n,ints, as clerks, storokcopors, etc., number
ing In all G,000 more. lnstcnd Of tho appa
rent increase being true, thore has bcou III
actual reduction III tho ciyil-sorvico force.
An actunl count of tile names in tho Regis
ter OF 1875 shows a totnl, including Con
gress, tho army and navy, laborors mi
contractors, as we'll nj the rogu1ar civil force
OF 10, ,S.4, III ngainst tic 86, ego of 1878. Th
) ! actual civil list has hut 07:G57 names, o
3l,3l9 less than tho number givon by Mr. Dun
HAN. OF theso there aro 44,l50 who do no
traw money out of the United States Treaa
ary, cons!sting Of 3l,0l7 Consula, CONNER
elal Agents, Pension Agents, Land Oflic
: Registers and Receivers, aud Dissrict-Attos
: nuys, who aro paid in whole o. part fro1
fcos; a,l75 United States Court md Bank
.. ruptcy ot,icinls, WHO nra pnid entirely b.
/. facs; l.d honorary positions, to which II
!, pay Ii attached; aud G,GG0 mail-cousractos
! nut. adyurtlsors, who got profits perhnps, bl
!! no diroct pay. Dcduutiug this nulnbcr-an
. it is only under tho Republican Administer
!. tions that cortalu branches OF thu geryic
| have boon mado self.slstalning and ot!!e,
:, nearly so-aud there remain but .4J,Ht8 PC
: soma who nro paid ont Of tho actual taxi
i collected by the Government, or nearly 81