National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-05-31

EDITOR REPUBLICAN,: Last night an old
man. well up in the sixty figures len this city pOOr
IN purse and poorer In spirit for his home IN Ohio
He came here when less than forty years of age
and was confidential clerk to Thomas Corwiu, then
Secretary Of the Treasury, and besides doing CON
scentiOusy faithful duty In his position under the
Government, was led by his fitness and tastes To
edit the only edition OF Mr. COrwin's speeches.
difficult work at that time This man, before he
was my was employed In the Office OF the Clerk OF
the House Of Representatives. and by careful IN.
tcllgcut service became chief cngroSsng clerk in
during seventeen years to the entire satisfaction Of
those under and with whom he served He had
abundance Of friends in those days, and very few,
II any, enemies. His experience made him an
authority upon most branches Of Congressional
business and In the history of legislation. He was
respected for his probty intelligence, indcpend.
cnCc and faithful performance of important dutcs.
Most Of your readers Will recognize Isaac Strohm
as the subject Of this letter In the fall of 1917 Mr.
Compress on the Republican ticket in his district,
and with probability Of success, had he accedcd
to the request; but. feeling secure in position
which he had filed 80 long and with such reCog
niZed ability, he shrunk from the heavy burden OF
a representative, and thought to end official life
few years later in the line of his familiar duties
Mr. Struhin was retained in the sweeping change
under the Democratic administration In the House
until the end of the first session Of the Forty fourth
political prcierment had passed he was superseded
by one IA Democrat, who learned all he knew of
the Office under him.
II would seem only a natural operation of the
feeling Of justice toward a capable and worthy
man. who has spent the best part of his life in The
service Of the public and has fallen out Of all other
ways OF business activity, II some Of the powcns
that be who are solicitors of civil service reform
had partially rcmedcd the injustice of such a re-
| MOval by giving Mr.. StrOhn chance to continue
in the service " the Government II Is the business
of each official having the power to remedy injus.
| ticc of the kind by which Mr.. StrOhm suffers Il
civil service reform to be real and not hereto
| fore a tricky sham. | do not charge the injustice
| Of his displacement upon the Clerk of the House
for me CLERK only gave WAY to ne demand Of his
| lair warning perhaps, even TO a Republican hut
| Mr.. StrUhm ought to he protected by those who
have knowledge of his deserts and ability to pro-
| of Il system for which he Is not 10 blame and
| against which system his value as all officer has,
under ordinary circumstances, protected him.
| And yet this old man. who has no clear title 10 a
home, who has bestowed his earnings upon the
! education of family of daughters, and who is
now turned out like an old hone to gra>s, made his
/ condition known too modestly, without doubt to
some upon whom he had the right TO call If there
be any rights for white man which the Govern.
mcnt is bound to respect, and was stcadfastly met
by the glowing beauties of incaincnt Of the good.
| drss Of civil service REFORM Such reform may be
fun for the refOrmers, but II is death TO the re.
| formed.
| mention this case OF Mr.. StrOhm because of the
| excellence of the man q man and officer and
the peculiar hardship Of removal In his Gaze; and.
also because there seems to be no provision In our
new civil service system against Just such eases Of
aggravated injustice, Unless the civil service Sys-
TEN Is amended 30 ~ to avoid such unCivil fruits
the old way affords the most protection because II
| promises so little TO those who seek, or through
some such breaking up Of business was incident
| to the war are unfortunately forced into, the
stingily paid service of the greatest Government
| under the sun" This Government cannot well
| afford to make innocent citizens the victims OF the
| frequent and sudden change In its policy or prlc-
tices even where the changes are intended for the
public good. fEsTISA LESTE.