Wilmington journal., 1876-02-11
MORE OF THAT CONk IDLY RE
TRENCHMENT


is hard at work on the matter of re-
duc,ng the salaries of the Washington
City Department officials in the legis-
lativc, executive and Judicial appro-
priation bill. There is no doubt, says
the National Republican, that ''se-
rious" reduction III salaries and force
and extension of hours of service is
contemplated. The committee is
working vigorously, we are glad to
learn, and ere long we SINCERELY trust
we shall have some moro of that
"cowardly" reduction of expenses the
Re publican SO cordially despises. The
walls Of these Department officers are
at first ludicl Gus in the extreme.
Eight hours of work day, forsooth,
is more than their delicate frames can
stand, but where is the young man or
the old one or the middle aged one either
in the South who makes living either
for himself or his family Oh only eight
hours of work day? There q mil
lions of people in this well-nigh bank
rupt country who work many more
than eight hours a day and yet get
but scant food and raiment of the
coarsest kind. and when this is remem
bered the whining cries of these
Washington City Depar' ment officials
no longer excite mere contemptuous
mirth, but rather anger and indigna-
ton instead.
It is very pleasant, doubtless, to the
Department official as it is to other
people to wear well-ftting clothes
made by the tailor who happens for the
time to be the reigning fashion. Well
| fitting: boots, too, and good hat
doubtless add much, both to his pleas
ure and to his comfort. Nor are kid
gloves luxury to be despised by men
who can afford them. Theatres, too,
are pleasant places to go to in the even
| ing after the now SIX hours labor of
the day. But can the people afford to
pay their servants salaries that will
enable them to buy these luxuries, when
men everywhere are on the verge of
ruin, brought about by the inoompe-
tence, the extravaganza and the cor
ruption of those who administer the
affairs of the government
The average Department official
must wear palmer clothes, and if the
worst comes to the worst, he must. if
possible, even do without kid gloves
and go to the theatre only every other
night.
The necessity for retrenchment, for
reduction of our expenses and for an
economical administration of the gov
ernment is neither feigned nor ex-
aggerated. Since the panic began
in 1873. there has been utter
prostration in business of every
sort everywhere. A continual shrink
age in values has been going on
without ceasing, constantly diminish
ing assets but not affecting liabilities
and the end has not yet ,me. But
even now how many are there, in the
country, in the State, or to narrow it
down still more closely, how many
are there in the city of Wilmington,
in the city of Raleigh or in any other
city in the South, who have no assured
means to purchase food and cloGhing
even until warm weather sets in?
Men do not talk about these things
much. for men do not willingly expose
their poverty even to their most init
mate friends; but does not every man
in his heart know there is large num-
Der of people of his acquaintance who
are in this distressed condition It is
so in every town and city in the
South.
Something must be done and that
speedily or our cities and towns will
witness scenes of riot and bloodshed
that will make men tremble to con-
template. Something must be done
and that speedily. But what can be
done now sa We to retrench, to reform,
to cut down expenses. to economize
Until harvest time comes another crop
Can not be gathered. And yet when
the Democratic party attempts to do
what the peace of every town aud city
in the country so imperatively de-
mands. tt e..organ of the Radical party
at Washington City denounces the
effort as cowardly blow" The peo-
pie like such cnwardice as that.