The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1882-12-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

and dependency among the Gov
ernnont employees over the result
OF the election is unprecedented.
They are not as much surprised as
they were in 1874, when the Demo-
cratic victory was less expected.
Nor has the late election produced
the CONSERVATION among them that
tho election OF Tilden, 1876, produo-
cd. The Republican clerks a6d
Government officials wero not un-
prepared for this eatacly sm, and it
they are not resigned, they at least
are not utterly cast down. They
have been so often pulled through
by fraud and money, that they have
not unreasonable confidence in
their ability TO enjoy tho spoils by
the same means after 1881, and
forever.
The work in all the Departments
has been much neglected of late, not
only on account of the absence OF
clerks who are granted from six to
ton days to 60 home and vote, but
for the last three months, so great
has been the interest in the cleo
tons, the Legitimate and necessary
business of the Gov eminent, from
the duties of the President and
Cabinet down to those OF the 5000
olcrk, have been left undcne. Presi.
dent Arthur has not had time to
give his moral support to the prose-
cution of the star route thieves, or
to compel the appearance of so i'm
portant a witness as x.Senator
Spencer now holding a govern.
ment position and drawing monthly
pay, but unable to be found when
wanted to testify against Dorsey
and Brady. In the Post Office De-
partment, Interior Department, and
especially in the Pension and Pat
ent Offices, the work is from two to
four months in arrears. There is
no reason why it should be 80. The
clerical force is moro than sufficient,
bat disgraceful neglect, Incidence,
and criminal dishonesty will always
be the rule in a civil service whose
tenure depends upon politics and
favor of bosses, who value clerk
more for what he can do on the
stump and at the polls than for what
he can do at the desk.
The business of the Government,
which has grown to be gigantic be-
yond the comprehension of all who
do not make it special study, is
not managed in the interest of the
country on business-like principles,
but, without principle, in the inter
est of politics. If the voters of the
country could only know, as 1t Is
known here, the negligency and in.
competency, the grand and petit
larceny practieod by one hundred
thousand office holders, the party
in power would receive a more en-
phatic order to go than it received
in IA, IN '76, and in 'S2.
When case of grand larceny
like the Star Route theft has been
discovered there is great popular
indignation. But when the state
ment is made that during every fis
cal year, twice as much is stolen
from the Government by its "trusted
servants" as Brady and Dorsey
stole, no sensation Is created yet
it is the truth, known by hundreds
in government employ here. There
are thousands of persons in Wash
lngton who know that government
clerks are in the habit of supplying
their families with pens, paper, en-
velopes, inkstands, erasers, PEN
knives, etc, etc. These are bought
by the Government by contract in
immense quantities and Govern.
ment clerks carry them homo to
their families. The children in the
public schools here, many of them,
use the finest government legal cap
to write their exercises on. This
would seem at first to be very
small thing scarcely worth public
attention, but when multiplied by
all the clerks in the Departments
the aggregate is enormous, amount.
ing to more than q million annual
ly.
Tho Presidential electoral vote
OF the states for 1884 will be ms fol-
lows:
A 1,h A