The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-11-21
WASHINGTON LETTER
Preparations at the CaPjtal- OHr
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Ec6n5niy dad dmericda Prodjgdiiiy

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E'r6n0nly d,id .iBlericda Prodigatity
From our regular corresp spondent.l
WAsHiNGToN ID c Nov II 1879.
Yesterday took look at The long
deserted Capitol aud found il empty,
swept and garnished. but not quite
ready for the return Of the evi -pirit.
The desks are not in place, in either
the Senate or the House carpets are
not down and the upholstery Of the
seats in the gallery is not vet finished
Why should they be upholstered? Il
would be more cleanly. a. well a. more
economical to furnish the galleries
with hard. wooden seats There i
lesson Of simplicity aud severity in our
public Installations that our public
servants not disposed TO learn Certain
public Offices. ike tnat Of Sergeant at
Arms If the senate aud Of the House.
are supposed TO be more remancrative
through their perqui,iiies than from
the ample salaries received by their
iucumbents They have the purchase
Of all the furniture ana all the supplies
of the two most luxurious legislative
bodies that have ever existed Car
pets, mirrors, chairs, lounges station
cry, toilet articles, etc, etc the most
elaborate aud costly furniture OF the
House ani OF tho Senate, Of cloak
rooms, COMMITTEES rooms. bath rooms
aad restaurants Hundreds of thous-
anl+ Of dollars pass through their
band- annually and it would be lit.
lie remarkable if some Of it did not
adhere to itching palms. There are
many corners for senteel crookednss-.
tot only a the Capitol, but ia all The
Departments of Government. aud they
sss,ra-r-'- /. much greater loss 10 the
treasury Than sb-, g-C-.i....si...,
which occasionally appear 10 the news
papers With much sensational .em
blazonry of head line There are
perhaps, but two ways of reforming
this abuse; one Is TO change human na-
ture 20 that public officers will be 10
louger ayaricious; the other is to re-
duoe appropriations until there viii
remaiu no margin tor exiravagant ex
psuditures
/; may be said, and with truth, that
the incidental expenditures Of govern
neut department are small things. for
what are few millions to the Uuited
State, aud it, vast riches? Yet electors
are apt to judge of the larger items
they cannot fully investigate by 'his
little one har ha, Ieaped to light.
When the Tuiieries were refurnished
under he First Empire, Napoleon |.
was astoni-hed al the magnitude OF the
upho lsterer'S account, aud, to estimate
il rightly looked at the price set down
tor SOME gold lace ,a~sels, appended to
the belIropes He then cut one off
aud told an aide de camp to bay one
exactly like it in the nearest shop.
when he found that he was charged
three times more than the etual cost.
He sent for the uphol>Jerer, aud Of
fered him one-third the whole am mouut,
intlmating that it that sum were re-
fused. he would have every item exam
iued Ia dett aul the offer was eager
ly aeeep'ed The prosperity OF the
most prosperous country in Europe il
not less on account of the superior
economy OF her government than the
matchless industry of her people. Au
admirable economy runs through al
the affairs Of France. Her civil service
is much less expensive than ours Th,
pay of employees is based upon the
kind OF actual work performed Hel
army and navy. per maU and per ship
cost much less than ours, and bel
maeistracy is paid Oh a scale that
would astound the judges of our courts
Ii is not possible to reduce our ex.
peuditures literally to French figures
but it will be we'll for US as a peopl,
iu this new dawn ofsprosperity, if ",
are able to build deep and solid on th,
rock OF public economy. The tenden
cy OF prosperity is to intoxicate, bu
surely experience should teach u
to know that we are not only a ricl
people, but people who stolidly tol
crate "A certain amount of waste, higl
and low, from our kitchens to ou
CaDitol