Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-07

keep 1ts opponents IN Onco. Inc only COM
plant We have to make in the premises is
that Blaine was not removed soon enough.
TOO MANY OFFICES. .
One Indictment against the Republican
party that has not received it's full share Of
attention ought to come prominently before
the public at this time, and be kept there
until reform is effected either by that
party itself or by the incoming Democratic
party. 1t is the needless multiplication of
offices, State, national and municipal. A
perfect passion for increasing the number of
officials seems to have taken possession of
the American people, and the necessity of
discharging the most trivial duties furnishes
an excuse for the creation of new Office or
a board of commissioners.
At the outbreak of the war the total num-
ber Of officers in the employ of the federal
government was less than ten thousand.
They have since increased to more than q
hundred thousand. A part of this increase
has been unavoidable, owing to the growth
Of the country, but much of it was wholly
unnecessary. The necessity for collecting
the revenue imposed additional duties upon
the government, but instead of restricting
the revenue and customs officials to az small
a number as possible, the effort seems to
have been made to divide the duties among
as many men as possible. In many cities
both revenue and customs collector, each
with deputy and clerk, are employed, when
one man would be sufficient to look after the
whole business. AS it is, the receipts from
nearly one-half of the collection districts in
the country do not pay the cost of maintain
ing the Offices. The postofices have been
largely increased within the past two de-
cades, and of necessity the roll of postmas-
ters has been extended. These comprise all
the necessary increase of officials.
The vast army that remains are of
no utility to the country, but rather a
positive injury, for they eat up the revenues
of the government with surprising rapidity.
Look, for q moment, at the machinery of
our courts. Except in the larger cities the
litigation is uncomfortable, and yet we find
in every State district and circuit court,
each supplied with clerk, deputy and one
or more assistants. It often happens that
during single quarterly term not more
than two or three cases are to be heard, and
yet these officials draw regular and large an
nual salaries for the performance of duties
that should not require more than months
time for one man, in the course of an entire
year. Yet the government is paying at least
four men, and often dozen, for a whole
years service. In every collection and rev.
enue Office throughout the country, too,
there are from three to a score of superfu-
Gus clerks and deputies employed and paid.
The bureaus at Washington are crowded
with sinecure clerks and deputies During
half the year the heads of departments and
bureaus are absent from their posts of duty,
leaving their work in the hands of subordi-
mates. The work is imperfectly done, and
yet the officials consider that they are over
burdsned with labor when they sit gossipinQ
at their desks for six hours out of the twenty.
four.
There is great need Of reform in this d.
rection. The number of officers should be
reduced at least fifty per cent. This could
be effected by consolidation of many of
the smaller Offices throughout the country
The clerks of the circuit courts could be re-
quired to perform the duties now discharged
by the clerks of the district courts as we'll az
their own, in all but few Of the more i'm
portant States of the Union. The
revenue and collection districts could be con-
solidated in many instances, and by COM
polling employees to work the same number
of hours that clerks in private business
work, one half Ct their number might be
dropped. By requiring efficiency from all
employees instead of political influence, q
great reform might be wrought in all the
Washington bureaus without detriment to
the public service.
1t is much to be feared that no change for
the better will take place under the present
administration. The large army of Office
holders constitute the chief strength of the
Republican party. They are part, and a
very important one, of the political machine.
They know they retain their Offices only on
condition that they work INCREASINGLY for the
party which pays them. Though their SAL
aries come from the public treasury, they
think their first duty is owed to the Repub-
lican party rather thar to the people, and
for this reason they are blind to tho public
interests Whenever they are in conflict with
the interests of the party. The party mana
gers endeavor to promote this indifference to
the public good, and encourage the neglect
Of official duties when partisan ends can be
served. But with an honest administration
in Office We would soon witness q change.
and we must have it at an early day. The
number of Offices must be reduced and the
expense of government curtailed. The ex-
travagance SO long q characteristic of the
Republican party must cease. A change in
the head of the government, however, is the
only means by which this much needed re-
form can be effected. .
THE NEW MARKET HOUSE.
As the work on this extensive structure
continues, the public are beginning to have
better idea of the edifice and the great i'm
81 4