The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-12-23
PATRONAGE OF THE HOUSE AND
SENATE.

the Government service is there such
persistent earnest spoils seeking as in
the patronage of the House and the
Senate. There are some $50 places tina,
come directly within the patronage OF
the Senate and House. Many of these
are filled by competent men who are
secure in their offices, no matter which
party is in. power, but many of these
offices are needless, and We're created
simply to give a Senator or a member
of the House a bit of patronage. The
acting Secretary of the Senate has been
urged to bestow patronage in his Office
until he is compelled to inform Sena-
tors that he has now more clerks than
he can use. Some of the clerks have
to make up in appearances what they
lack in opportunity of work. One
clerk at $1,000 travels round each
morning with a big book getting re-
ceipts for the delivery of bills. He was
compelled in decency to appear TO be
doing something, and so devised this
wholly unnecessary plan.
There are clerks to Senate COM
mittees whose whole duty is to act as
private secretary to the Chairman. 1t
would be interesting to know how
often the Committe on Private Law
Claims meets. When Mr.. Hoar spoke
so fluently for civil service reform II
occurred to others, if not to him, that
there was good chance to begin the
work with his own committee. There
are many other committees in the SEN
ate that seldom or never meet, and
nobody supposed they would when
created, but the clerks come to time
for their pay. 1t was we'll understood
that the Committee on Woman Stuff
rage was provided to give Mr.. Lapham
n clerk-his own son. Mr.. Lapham
is not the only Senator who has bestow-
ed patronage upon his son or other
relative. There is not a Senator who
does not know that the business of the
Senate could be just as efficiently per-
formed if one-half the clerks and Off
Gals were discharged. 1t is so well
understood that committees are raised
to give clerks to Chairman, that Sena-
tors speak of it freely.
Matters are as bad, or worse in the
House. A member said to-day that he
was q member of q committee that had
never met, and it had clerk at $4,000.
There are large number of COM
mittees that seldom or never meet, but
SC day is being paid right along to
clerks, who are used by members to
conduct their private correspondence.
There are nearly sixty clerks to House
committees. A majority Of these don't
do enough work to pay for their salt.
They would be willing to work, but
they don't have it to do. Vet the
pressure for place, instead of diminish
ing, goes on. When Kasson's bill
comes up in the House an amendment
will DO offered making its provisions
applicable to employees Of the House.
This, if adopted, would make secure in
their places several officers who were
appointed by men now loudly colling
for civil service reform. Speaker
Keifer's nephew would he kept in his
81 GOO place al clerk to tho Speaker.
Julien Caesar, Burrows son-in-laW,
would be retained in his place as
Assistant Postmaster at $1,000 4 year.
The son of Leonidas Caesar IIouk
would remain rs clerk to his fathers
committee at So. 500 Chairman Orth's
son would remain clerk to his fathers
Committee on Civil Service Reform at
sc a day. The sons of Representatives
McCOid and DezendOrf and Door
keeper Brownlow, who are pages at
$3.50 u day, and Mr.. Brownlow's bro
ther-in-law, who is employed in the
folding room, would DO saved.
The true test of the sincerity of Con-
gross in the matter of civil service will
be found in it's treatment of its own
extensive patronage. AT present there
seems to be disposition to exempt
this patronage FROM the operations of
any civil service law.
SOMETHING FOR THE BAR.