The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-02-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Wall of the Onice-IIOlder Heard
... In The Land.
From our Regular Correspondence

There are three papers IN tllS Guy
that pretend to be Democratic, but
they have joined the wailing chorus In
lamentations over the proposed reduc-
lions of the clerical force, and salaries
Washington Is entirely dependent on
monthly disbursements government
employees, boarding houses and con-
tracts, for u prosperity that has not
been touched by the panic, and it is
natural, perhaps, that weak newspa'
pers that are dependent upon these
should advocate their cause, and OPP
pose any policy that threatens their
narrow interests.
The average citizen can scarcely
realize what heroism, virtue, nerve,
is required in Washington, just at this
time, of the Democratic representa-
tives. Congress has tackled the APP
preparation bills-the salaries of mem
bers, cadets and clerks are to be cut
down. Eighty thousand olliceholders
rave, threaten, implore, weep. Every
species of influence is employed to
stay the pruning knife. The Presl-
dent, Cabinet, Ministers, contractors,
the administration papers, the lobby,
with its powerful persuasive of female
frail beauty, are all leagued and or.
gunized to prevent the reduction.
Every Democratic member has been
studied Historically, Enthusiastically
and geographically; the weak points
in his frontier have been carefully
mapped out, and will be skillfully and
sevcrIy attacked; his strong points will
l,a al Ia a
branch of the Government service
CHAT is the dry rot Of our representa-
tive system); the opponents of the bill
will Introduce an amendment that
bears with particular severity on that
Office, and anon! the entire fam
lily Is upon him, headed by his
mother-in-law, and he is asked if
he will be mean enough to vote
for u bill that will consign John, his
wife's brother to starvation. 1T re-
Quires courage like that of Holman to
vote in the teeth of m0ther-in-law
And then some of the members are
damned with records; when they make
a virtuous effort to reduce their own
salary, they are twitted with the
phrases, not yet cold, that they had ut
tered in favor of back pay, or an in
crease of salary. In short, all the dia-
holical ingenuity of the party whose
tenure OF office depends upon, and Is
enjoyed for plunder, will be used to
thwart those who are trying to remove
this fearful weight of debt and taxa
ton.
A clerk from Mr.. Zach. Chandlers
department has just been in the Office
of your correspondent with this doleful
Intelligence Congress is going to cut
down the salaries of us poor clerks ten
per cent, and add two hours to the
working day, making it eight hours in
length No man can live deccntly in
Washington on less than 81 200 per
annum; this will reduce my salary
to Sl,0S0, and have II wife and
four children. Moreover, they are
to cut down the clerical force twenty
per cent? All this appears very mel.
ancholly to those whom it directly
concerns. TO many of them u reduc-
ton of either force or pay will be II
serious hardship; but there are many
unencumbered, broad shouldered
young men here, whom it is well
enough to teach that the Government
departments are not asylums and sina-
cures for Il horde Of mediocres who
have failed in the battle of life or are
too timid to attempt n square, honest
struggle for existence. TO hear them
and Republican members talk reminds
one of the cricket in the fable, that
supposed ruin had overtaken the
world, when its nest was overturned
by the plowshare, in the interest of
agriculture.
But the clerks are not the only mar
tyrs. There are certain members of
Congress who are living more luXuri-
ously than they ever lived before at an
pense of about one thousand ~ year,
these are unhappy because it is propos-
ed to reduce their salary to Si,500.
They, however, do not seem disposed
to resign, and the country may feel as
sured that we will not be left without
Il legislative and clerical quorum.
Doubtless if the entire corps of
eighty-thousand oilice-holders were
dismissed to-day, and the salaries re-
duced twenty-five instead of ten per
cent, about seventy nine thousand nine
hundred of them would be drumming
influence to effect their reinstatement
in less than twenty-four hours.
The trouble with the average govern
ment clerk is that he pays too much
of his salary for dancing lessons and
theatre tickets; and with the member
of Congress, that he aspires to live like
Little Emma Stewart, Boss Shepard,
or Nevada Jones-to give fine enter
tainments, and have the terrapin and
champaigne-crammed snobs OF the
press write them into felictous great
ness
1t is almost impossible for those who
have not seen to realize the idleness
and extravaganza of our civil service.
Your correspondent has, on more than
one occasion, attempted to write about
it, but is always staggered with the inn
possibility of showing it up in one let
ter. and discouraged by the reflection
that it will appear too monstrous for
belief. Congress knows but little about
il; subcommittee of members are fire.
quently appointed to inspect certain
bureaux, and this is perhaps the first
Elimination that they have had of the
existence of the bureauX. They go on
the tour of Inspection, and walk
through half dozen rooms, crowded
with elegant Office furniture, and per-
haps dazzling female clerks, almos
too busy to look up. They have
had ample warning of the WISH
tation, and are preparing for it;
even, without warning, the average
clerk instinctively 'lays on" with his
pen, whenever man whose appear
ance suggests something between
lawyer and u Granger, appears in the
hall. This committee devotes an en-
tire half an hour to the study of a cum
brous and useless system, that 1t would
reuuire two weeks In fully nnmnrahand