The daily gazette., 1876-08-24
Promoting Discomfort in the Pub
z lie Service.


his Cabinet have undertaken piece of
buainess that reflects no credit on
them. They seek to make the Govera-
ment employees highly dissatisfied
with the reduction of salariesto which
Congress, in pursuit of necessary
eSQnomy, has subjected them. That
the President and his associates wan.
ted the old extravaganza to continue
ia well known. But now that Congress
has ordered otherwise the least that
these officials could to, cut of de.
cent respect to a co ordinate branch of
the Government, would be to say no
more about 1t. 1t is at once puerile
land detrimental to the good of the
public service to lamant and scold
|pYer. the action of Congress and try to
throw blame on that body for reduc,
tions of expenses, which all taxpay-
ers deem necessity and highly ap-
plaud. -.l.l u f5l' l.5- -
The President sets the bad example
in his RIVER 81 Harbor message. where
he goes out of the way 70 say "the re-
duction of revenue districts, diminu-
tion of special agents, and the total
abolition of supervisors may result in
great falling off in the revenues"
This fear is expressed only by the
President and those who, like him,
wish to keep up the full force of of.
ficeholders till after the election. We
believe. with Congress, that If the dis
honest aud ufaithful revenue men are
wheeded out of the service, the rer
ceipts, instead of being smaller, would
be larger. The Presidents fling at
Congress, which we have quoted, ia
unauestionsbly an impertinenee, com
ingi as ii does, after the passage Of the
measpre which required the reduction
complained of.
In similar spirit Secretary Robson
publishes (as an adYertisement in some
papers) an apology to naval officers
for being obliged to put some of them
on firlongh and reduce their pay. He
explains that this was none of his
sch emiag-a needless explanation, as
everybody knows that he is no friend
of retrenchment. He parades the facts
that he asked for 81, ,000. 600 more than
Congress- gfanted to the navy, and that
1t is "disagreeable duty" for him to
cut down anyb0dY's pay, and says
that Congress will DE asked at the
next session to remedy to the deserv-
ing the evil which Is thas done them y
as If the universally demanded effort
10 economic geverHment expenses
ought 10 be stigIAatihed % an fevil''
In any cennectlQp, Mr.. Roheson has no
right to lecture Congress in this way.
II Ia clearly gross breach of decorm
The Postmaster General follows the
same fashion in, O. communication tc
Postmaster James, denying the petition
of the New York letter carriers to have
their salaries raised to the former
standard. MIR. Tyner had only to say
that the favor is out of the question be-
cause there is no money for it,and the
law forbids him to create deficiency.
But he. must need seize upon the oc-
casion, to declare that he advised
against the reduction; that no officer OF
his department believes that the let
ter carriers were overpaid; that Con
gress knew all the facts about those
poorly paid people" and if hardships
follow the decrease, the letter carriers
will know where the fault lies. All oi
which appearing in an official docu
ment, is in exceedingly bad taste; and
what is worse, it can have only the
effect (like the utterances of the Pre-
s.dent and Mr.. Robeson) to make the
Government servants discontented, re
bellious and negligent of their duties
IN. r. Journal of C0nnaersce.