Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IA Relation 10 4" the Best Civil Service
the World ever SOW A Chance
for vigorous aad Definite
Reforms.
How thu Government Clerks are En-
pIoyed-ssatan will ind some Mis-
chief sIiII for Idle Hands
TO do"
From the Regular Correspondent OF the Ap-
Ttall

From the Regular Correspondent OF the APP
peaLl
WASHINGTON, February 28.-At no
PREVIOUS time in the history OF the civil
service has the office holder been 50 I'M
happy "a he il now. In conversation
with q clerk in the redemption division
Of he treasury d0pGT ment last evening,
he told ns there was wide spresd be
llsfsmoug the less intelligent clerks and
employees ihst II is the cO!d-b coded de-
sign Of the present congress to over
throw the government by the reduction
Of their pay and the abolition OF the 81
ne flulus clerical force. l mention tn
only 70 show the alarm which the DEM
oersiie policy Of economy has created ID
c. minute ciass-the only class In the
country, perhaps, that does Dot regard
II a. tie gentle dew. To say that they
wall and gnash their teeth, is scarcely
au exagCzrgtion, and ten Thousand Of
them. tn this email city, make It pretty
claro oug. was hsriiy to be eX.
pected that the clerk who
mas been receiving one hundred
aud fifty d5llars, more or less, per month,
With eieEte u hours for sleep aui ele-
gsnt idleuess at the national capital
s1ouli rise 10 such sublimity of selt-im-
moIsI.oa as To b. SIliug 10 yield his
rODte-y for the pu lie good. This re-
quires "a r3Ter patriotism than that which
follows the pomp sud circumstance OF
war. And yet question If there Is ore
Young man IN tel in government en-
pioy who does not feel species OF hu-
initiation whenever he draws his Ill
earned pay He cannot avo d the con-
sci ausuees thst be has furEished no
equivalent for IL; gbat h. Is IN certain
sesse, q pensiorer, q pinpie OF 'he eX-
cr-S-aBCe that is sapping the life OF the
naion. True, each individual hiss about
eiglty-nve thousand TO keep him IN
countena nee, bur even this supeTnumer-
Gus host IL smsIl when compared With
the flTty millions that say Young man,
seek en- honest living The country ia
sick TO death Cf taxation. In heavens
nsns, stand alone, support yourself, ADD
give your burSe ed f.tnerlEnd n resting
sSeIlIp But Il seems tina. this force in
creasss rather than dimiuishss. More
than three hundred Representatives ard
senators, with the PrsEident, csbluet,
and an army q politicians have for the
last ten years teeD finding places,
without regard - Ttne s. for tneir
relatives, politics! friends or mis-
tressrs on ths government pay
roll. Each new member that comes
10 re.reseut Ei. district IN the national
congress NUT have places FOR his spscisl
frjc1Ls, aid by EomH mirscle PLACES are
f,unt for them. !. is a Law OF physics
thst na two bodies can occupy the same
II c. at tie same tine, hut there are ex-
cspious 20 TINS law, the government
psy-rCfI, lite a sJTeet-cs-, VIII always
hold one more. There Was originally
no work flr them uUt "SaJSn VIII fad
snpe mischief Etili for IDLE hands TO
do - 80 there has teBn invented a pom
dsru- labyIinthine system OF accounts,
10 en- psrsslczi m h abundance Of It's
cifcun -mhulats'y red tape, hist an in
yes-igsting Committee Of Phi dtlphia
lagyerz would hscCm- inssl In the
eli r 10 Z. mpreh-Ed 81 Last week con-
creee passed s rs luton % IL quiry IS 10
ihg nambyr Of private build ngs rented
b. the government. The inquiry was
sd 9r-ss q 10 he - cretsTy OF The treas
Ury. 10 shcuJ eight Gays so answer
v4s returned. continuing the signaluIe s
Of no !sss hal Fix c'srks besides that
o. ire -ssis's sFJIetsry. /; had pass Cd
thrrUyh 81 o. ese hsuds befIre tie desired
Ia fp.stion V.d be otisnsd IN due
forfo ard cirsumttaass. Al INST con-
,freys desired 20 know OF The tUkjeet
sould Lave been furnished by = man Of