The Portland daily press., 1881-07-28

and clergymen of the highest respectahilitv
including men who do not hesitate to declare
publicly that those TO whom the letters are ad-
dressed have inscribed on their brazen fore
heads that they are office brokers' With all
these letters the young man started for WASH
ington and summoned the office broker to the
work to which he had been thus called by the
most influential and best men among his con-
stituents. The young man kept going to
Washington, kept sending on the letters of his
friends and those of the Congressman, saving
this thing must be done as a special favor to
them, He grewsmore earnest every day, and
and hardly let a mail escape, until half crazy
over the delay he began to demand, at the
hands OF the member upon whom this attack
had been concentrated the fulfllment of the
expectations of those TO whom that member
was indebted for his place. He finally went
home angry, without money, dissatisfied with
everybody, soured, and untitled for any quiet
employment. This young man was ruined for
want OF q little good advice from the friend to
whom he first applied. III he had been dis.
eouraged instead of encouraged by the men Of
influence whom he approached, he would
have remained contented, industrious, trusted,
and honored among the rising young mon Of
the commonwealth But this is only the be-
ginning of the evil, the germ of widespread
contagion warmed into life by mistaken
friendship and misdirected kindness A neigh
Dor OF TINS young man, equally meritorious be-
gan to wonder why he might not have an Office
as well, and he began to talk about it much as
the other did, and to get about the same on
couragement He is soon on the same round
for influence and, like him who has only
day or two the start, leaves for Washington
with the same array of names addressed to and
calling upon the same Massachusetts member
to secure for him also position in the Gov
ernment service. In due time he arrives home
as did the other. And so on scores OF appli-
cants commissioned by the best men in Massa.
chusetts have followed, overtaken, or run by
each other on their way to the same brokers
Office in Washington Often the letters they
carry, come from old personal friends Of the
member whose requests could not be denied
without marked disregard of the common
courtesies of life. The State and sometimes
the country is traversed to invoke the aid Of
some one supposed 10 nave intimate relations
with the besieged Congressman, And some
times those who have been especially bitter on
congressional office brokers' deliberately ask
their neighbors to make for them the REQUESTS
compliance with which they have themselves
aemanoed. Ihere IS another class Of office
seekers from our State far more meritorious
put equally unfortunate in advice from home
This class is composed of the MANY yery wor-
thy and Intelligent young ladies out of employ
ment at home They are told that there are
places in Washington where large salaries are
paid, and that any Massachusetts, member can
get one Tor them. Very often money is con-
trlDuted to send them ON with letters from tho
best men all over the district and the State, di-
rected 10 the member himself, as if the place
"No -. Aao O"h POchOt1 lucSo lobt6IS come ire
quently from men who are themselves large
employers at home. There has not been
month of Congressional session for the last
hve years when there has not been more than
one such young lady in Washington from our
Sta.e appealing to every consideration which
could influence gentleman to induce some
Massachusetts member to get her a place. L
have known him to take the money out of his
own pocket and pay her fare home, after hay-
ing, in obedience to the commands of his con-
nf fhs Ia.
in vain search for place for her. One in
stance Il remember OF a very worthy woman
with six children furnished with money by the
selectmen OF the town in which she lived and
sent 10 washington to get employment The
pe t morning she appeared with the whole
b-ood around her before the member whose
home is IN the same county with the request of
his constituents that me would get her some-
thing to do 1t is generally supposed that
Congressmen yield to these demands from DO
litical consideration, in the fear of political
hostility or the hope of political reward. But
this Is a mistake By far more potent are the
dem .nds of friendship and the obligations
growing out OF the intimate social relations of
llfe This IS well understood, and hence the
country is ransaked by the applicant to mar
shall to his aid influences which appeal to the fin
est sense OF personal regard and obligation. I
know whereof Ispeak when L say that the
POLITICAL threats OF tfe disappointed oiice-seek-
er are dreaded far less than the cold shoulder
of the bosom friend who has been enlisted to
promote his interests
But 1t Is hardly worth while to spend much
time lnqulrlng who is most to blame for this
/ sta % OF things. It is upon us, and stares the
L ost earnest and thoughtful craftsmanship in
the face, and 1t is of much more Importance to
inquire how it can be done away with. Every
one can see that it eats out the soul and con-
sumes the life-blood of the legislator and must
be ended. or he will degenerate into a mere
purvevor OF offices. But how? The President
can stop il by two brief orders proclaimed Off
cially, and rigidly adhered to, viz: First. No
man will be appointed to any office while he is
in the city of Washington. Second. No man
will be appointed to any Office who brings, ul-
sIed for by the appointing power, the recon-
mendation OF any member Of Congress. But
no President can stand upon such platform
SO long as hundred thousand office-seekers,
each backed by twenty or more '1est men,, are
The members of Congress themselves can stop
it by fiat refusal to do that which their con-
stituents thus press them to do But, few, IL
an, members Of Congress will decline to servo
their constituents in any matter that is lawful,
and soIle think that thereby they serve them
selves. The constituency can end it by ceas-
ing to ask it of a Representative, and by with
holding the encouragement which such request
gives to the inclination, already too prevalent,
TO turn from the moderate and honorable re-
wards of a sure employment at home to the un-
certainties and disappointments of official
life."