The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-12-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
National Wastefulness- HoU 10 make
100000, ,000-The great Eleensosy-
nary Institution Of the United States.
[From our regular correspondent. ]
WAsH1vGrov, D. c., Dec. II, Is7'

wAsHryGroN, D. c., Dec. II, 1879.
This session of Congress is like all
its predecessors, in the introduction of
hundreds Of little bills with which the
country will fortunately never have
even bowing acquaintance There is
another class of bills With which the
country is only too familiar. l allude
to those called the regular appropria.
tion bills. Two have alresdy been
passed this session, and it is expected
that two more-the Military Academy
and the Consular Diplomatic bills
will be passed before the adjournment
for the holidays 1t is understood that
there will be no reduction from the
sums appropriated last session. La the
Army and Navy bills, as well as in the
Diplomatic service bill, every year
ought to witness a reduction of ex
oeoditure The Diplomatic Service
fnight- be aboliZ~ed at once without
any, except its elegant incumbents.
feeling the loss. Diplomacy is an ef-
tete art Before the day of railroads,
telegraphs, and newspaper reporters,
1t was necessary, perhaps, for warlike
nations, with contiguous frontiers. to
have erudite aud polite detectives at
their respective capitals; but this ne
cessity has long since passed away, and
the institution lives only because no
statesmen have had the bolduess to
affect its abolition, and because it fur.
/ uishes convenient siuecures for those
who have been serviceable to their
party. II this latter class would have
/ the patriotism to retire to the haunts
OF private industry, the gain to the
country, through saving, would be as
tonishlng. Then would we be able to
abolish not only the foreign service,
/ but to cut down appropriations in every
/ department aud branch of the public
service. 1t is a fact, known 10 every
enc who has any acquaintance with
( our public service, that all the neces-
sary work could easily be done By one
half the force employed, and at one
4 half the expense. This IS startling,
but it is not the whole truth. Some
will not believe it. Others have heard
itso often and consider the situation
20 irremediable that they tolerate il il
apathy. with the comment that ours
is powerful wealthy government, and
that we can endure the loss of petty
/ 100000 000 per annum. It'll start
ling, but as true as Holy Writ, tha
5I00, ,000,0 will not co9er the useles.
yearly expense. There are hundred.
of men in this country who would con
tract and give heavy bonds to eonduc
the military, naval, and civil services
Of the United States upon one half thu
average yearly appropriations. Tht
man who could get such a contrac
would, in 6re years, be richer thar
Vanderbilt, on entirely Legitimate s&v
ings His first step would be to dis
charge al government employees, an
then employ about one half of them
at two thirds the salary he is now re
tceiving. Que in q thousand might re
fuse to be re employed; his place coul,
be immediately filled by a more com
petont man. TO handle the top~heavy
over olficered army and navy would b
more difRcult They have so fortife,
themselves by inter marriage with til
; families of politicians that it will
almost impossible to reduce their mum
bers or their pay, or even to stop tn
increase Of both. If it we're not for th
fact Of their matrimonial connection
, with the House and Senate their pa
aud numbers would quickly be reduce
at least fifty per cent. England
France, Prussia, and all Europea
countries get as S1od military an
: naval service as ours for less than ha
the money we pay our officers. Bu
some one will say: What, would 20
turn half Of these helpless clerks an
= officers upon the cold charities of tn
worl1? There you are again Wi
7 you ever get over the nonsense that thi
government is a charitable institution
Government clerks are supposed t
i work seven hours per day. Each on
is entitled to a months leave durin
: the year, aud many holidays. No we
! Informed, truthful man will assert thu
e they average more than four hours ret
t work per day. And any one familia
: with Government Offices knows ths
with an elimination of useless red tap
a it would not be necessary for the en-
d ployees to work more than two hou
q per day Hence it will be seen tht
one half of the force could easily d
all the necessary work.