National Republican., 1883-02-09
THE CANNON LAW,
Which Clerks and Clerks Wives Hope Will
Never Become Statute Law.
Views or Various Interested Parties on
the Eight Hour Clause.
A CLERKS WIFE KICKS.
To the Editor.


SIR: You have published letters from clerks,
ex-clerks, and messengers in relation to the
legislative bill that fixes department hours
from $50 a. m. to 430 p M, and in ono of
your Issues you head these complaints with
"The Clerks Kick" ] will bo pleased to
have you print this in your paper under the
heading, 1.-THE Clerks Wives Kick" as /
claim the clerks wives will be overtaxed and
annoyed also by this clause, which, l under
stand, emanated from the mouth Of q Cannon.
That Illinois should bo instrumental in send
ing from any of her districts so formidable n
weapon TO harass the poor women who are the
wives of these clerks can only be excused by
her tardy repentance in her last election, her
fourteenth district coming of "scott free"
In consoling the wife of clerk u learned
gentleman said, "Though they prolong the
time Of tho clerks, they will not be able to
perform more than six hours and half of
the required labor" But how about the
home2 The wife, if she keep no servant
and many are so poorly paid that they cannot
afford a servant-or, for the sake of economy,
chooses to do without one and lives out near
the boundary, in Baltimore, or in Alexan-
dria, that they may be able TO save some
thing while holding the precarious position of
u government clerk-do these congressman
consider how early the wives will be obliged
TO rise to prepare the breakfast for their hus-
bands; or what time will their husbands have
dinner, stopping to make purchases for the
house and little ones, who arc constantly re-
quring something? The wife cannot attend
TO her household duties, take her four or five
children and do the shopping and marketing
for the family. l have to rise ut o'clock
now, dress the children, prepare the break
fast, and only accomplish il in time. In win
ter there will be days when the clerk and his
family will not see each other by the blessed
light of the day, he having to start so early
aud return so late, If this odious bill be
passed.
Are the majority of this committee on ap-
preparations, in their zeal to be representa-
tives of economy, unmindiul that the con-
finement of clerks for eight hours, summer
aud winter, lessen their ability TO peform
that which is required of them, aud works in
direct opposition to that portion of the civil
service bill which rejoiced the hearts of the
wives of the worthy clerks, feeling assured
that their husbands will be recognized and
promoted, judged by their ability, freed from
the humiliation of depending on influence and
hackers?
Then the heat and gas they could not have
considered. This Is no small item in winter,
which reminds mo that at this season our at
tention is fOrcibly drawn TO the gas for
which the government pays so dearly, both
for the kind that is supposed to illuminate
and for that kind that shoots without rctlcC-
tion. If the retiring members Of congress
must do something to impress the republic
with the great loss it is about to sustain, why
not introduce n bill to take the place of tho
eight hour clase, which was 50 ably sug-
gcsted in Wednesday mornings REPUBLICAN
from "W' and "Old Pump" Then there will
be no resigning of clerks to fill the position of
extra police at the capitol rather than injure
health by The confinement in one of the de-
partments, which was the case of gentleman,
formerly clerk of one of the committees of
the house, who obtained n position in the
pension office, and resigned the same for rea-
sons allowed stated. L am, very respectfully,
yours, A WIFE OF A CLERK.