The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-08-03
Washington Letter.

good bit of the finds used for a
campaign purpose is contributed
by Government clerks in Washing
ton. Not only are men assessed,
but widows, orphans and
all. The injustice of this thing is
apparent. The men expect it, and
do not grudge spending something
to advance the interests of their
party; but when it comes to taxing
women, the great majority of
whom have large families 70 sup
port and have no political repre-
sentation, it is downright injustice.
This contribution is said to be al
ways voluntary, but in reality it is
not 80. Printed invitations, to
give are sent to each clerk and the
understanding is so general that
refusal to contribute will result in
loss of position that such refusal
is very rare. No one is forced to
give money but is made to feel
that a failure to do so jeopardizes
their Office. Sometimes the injus-
tice of it is so bitter that a victim
finds vent for her indignation by
publishing an anonymous card re-
garding it in one of the daily pa
pers, like the following which ap-
peared week or two since:
ITO the Editor of the Post :"
/ am woman-a poor woman.
l am an employee in the Treasury
Dept. Every dollar I make 1
need 10 support myself and chill
dren. / am this very moment be-
hind one month in my rent aud
three months in my doctors bill.
What was my surprise, therefore,
to be accosted the other day for IL
contribution to the campaign fund
to the Radical party by man
who represented himself as an
agent of the Gorham and Hale
Committee. Well, as all the rest
of the woman complied, I did not
dare refuse, and subscribed five
dollars as my share. 1 saw by the
post that Sec'y Sherman gave 800
to this fund. He is worth millions,
/ am not worth penny. He earns
$4,000 a year, / earn less than
$1,000. He has million to spare.
All that / waste or give away loose
comes out of my bone and muscle
or my helpless children. l havn't
words TO express my detestation
of this miserable bushes.
A TREASURY WOMAN.
When any special need for the
District of Columbia is felt years
have to be spent in talking, writ
ing and working the matter to the
acting point. The latest questions
that are now in process of agita-
ton are those pertaining to a city
clock. public hearse aud morgue.
The absence of ony public town
piece in such a city as this, where
punctuality is strictly insisted upon
in the case of six or eight thou
sand employees, is most remarkable.
The departments all have clock
enough inside, but none of them
outside. Nor have the churches,
halls or other public buildings.
After all these twenty or thirty
years, work is actually recon-
menced on the Washington Monu-
ment. Rumor has been so rife
concerning its completion at vari-
Gus times and so many prospects
have been reported relative to it,
all ending in smoke, that the
greatest surprise was felt at sight
of workmen busily engaged on the
shaft and about the grounds. The
immense rope that has been hang
ing inside the monument was drop
ped from the top the other day
to be substituted by a new one
and so old and tender had it be-
come that the foce of its fall broke
it to atoms. Larkin Meak, the
sculptor has been here for some
months and has presented five de-
signs for the completion of the