The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-07-13

LOCAL POLITICAL FRRLING-ABOUT CIVIL SER
vICE-GREAT FEAR OF REDUCTION BY DEMO
CRATIC OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES THoMP-
SONS ECONOMY

LOCAL POLITICAL FEELTNG-ABOUT CIVIL SER
vICE-GREAT FEAR OF REDUCTION BY DEMO
CRATIC OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES THoMP-
SONS ECONOMY
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 6, 1880.
There is much that is interesting though but
little that is new, in the political situation here
The country at large Is NO doubt somewhat in
teIested in Presidential election, but Washing
ton City al least lives moves and has its being
in politics. change of administration will be
fraught with serious results 10 at least one-half
Of our 10000 according TO the present census,)
inhabitants. Not that there 10000 people here
in government employ, but at least that number
find their support directly or indirectly from
money disbursed by the United States Govern
ment. 1t is this money that supports the clerk
and his family, his baker, butcher and host of
trades-people. If Hancock should come in
many of these clerks will have 10 leave, and
make the prediction that no future administra-
ton, without the assistance Of great war, will
be able TO pack the departments so full of useless
supernumeraries Is they are now packed
At the head of the Navy Department, that
employs much the smallest civil service of any
OF the departments, there has been during the
present administration phenomenal manager
He has actually saved three millions or more of
tn. -.nnAy appropriated. II this ratio of econ
omy had been carried out in the other depart
ments, there could have been q saving of at least
$10,O00,000 in each of them, or an annual re-
trenchment Of about geo, OOO, 000 But dses any
one suppose that Secretary Thompson and the
Navy Department have been living on half
rations. wearing their old clothes and working
at night! wish that the whole country could
know that the Navy Department has still much
larger clerical force than is necessary to do the
work of that branch Of the service; that one of
the hardest tasks OF the Chiefs of Bureaus is to
give their supernumerous employees semblance
OF something to do: that, Notwithstanding the
fact that working time has been reduced from
seven to six hours per day, the clerks are still
idle fully one-third Of their time. II these arc
facis-and no informed, truthful man will deny
them in the Navy Department. how much
more in the other departmental This being the
case, change of administration becomes a &C.
rious subject, NOT only 10 the clerks, but to the
Thousands that live by them. In q re-organiza-
ton Of the civil service on an economical bust
ness-like basis, much smaller number of clerks
will be employed, much smaller amount OF
public money will be disbursed, and the pinch
will be felt in shops, boarding houses and in
hundreds Of petty notifications. 1t will be
serious blow TO Washington, and for this reason
know some Of Democratic antecedents and
convictions who openly desire Republican sue
cess. But those outside OF Washington, who are
more interested in public economy than in the
thirst Of local trades-people at the National Cap
tai, will, Think take different view of the sit
uatiOn