Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-05-02
LIVING IN WASHINGTON.

It is pleasant to read the occasional state
ments of really intelligent writer's upon sub
iect which has commonly been left to lgnor-
ance, flippancy and narrowness. 1t has grown
into fashion of late years to deal with pubic
men as if the incumbency of an office were
like a term in the Penitentiary F; and from
abusing everybody in official life the denuncl-
alton of the City of their residence seems to
be natural step. The manner IN which
Governor Sheppard has been treated by the
press is not at all an encouragement to devote
ones energies to the befriending of the City
of Washington for if any man ever merlted
the title of Benefactor, Sheppard has earned
it by what he has done for his native City.
His reward is apparent i'll the most persistent
abuse ever heaped upon a public mans head.
A writer for the San Francisco Post evidently
understands his subject when he writes about
Washington ways and means, customs and
habits as follows:
Now, as to the habits of extravaganza pre-
vailing in Washington and the difficulties the
Presidents household will encounter III living
have to say is, that this sort of talk is mere
bosh 1t starts with some cheap scrlbbler
who wants to fill his five dollar letter with
something readable, and who thinks that he
has learned by experience that scandal Is
ALWAYS attractive. As matter of fact, w ash
ington is one of the least eXtravagant OF
American cities. The reason is not difficult
to find There is far greater average OF
incomes than in any other place on the CONT
nent. There very few rich families there.
There are probably less of the very poor also,
excluding the few hundreds temporarily EN-
ployed in the departments and the colored
labor of the city. The certainty of income
and the known range thereof, which Is con-
sequence of so many being III the departments
makes moderate expenditures the rule, not
the reverse. The spread-eaglelsm which occa-
sionally appears is usually due to some one
with an ak to grind before department or
lobby. So far as display is concerned, We
hardly know a more democratic city on the
continent, if by democracy, in social sense,
we mean a widespread recognition of man or
woman, and a general accessibility to all pro
per circles and places. There is wide degree
of culture and retinement-a necessary accom-
paniment of the average degree of income to
which we have referred. There is Amer
lean city less dominated by mere money bags
than Washington, and none in which dad
dyism" and social Brahminism" has less
weight The large number of educated per-
sons acute, keen witted, accustomed to affairs
make it a most delightful place to reside in,
though for temporary stay it is not as
attractive as more metropolitan places, we
grant. 1t has become the fashion to assail
and SANDER Washington and Government
employees, and like many another fashion it
has but little foundation in truth, while every |
error or wrong is magnifed to justify precon |
ceived notions on the general question of
salaries, we add, that after all it is not the
business of Government, such, to econo-
,nize, but to expend equitably and wisely the
funds intrllsted to its care. 1t is not, there
fore, it's duty, on the contrary, to 90 into the
labor market and cheaper that article, Its
duty is to determine on a fair compensation
and pay it. Good service and citizenship is
Of more value than cheap labor.