Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-07-12
WOMEN CLERKS.
THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES LIKELY TO WORK
AGAINST FEMALE APPLICANTS.

THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES LIKELY TO WORK
AGAINST FEMALE APPLICANTS.
Washington special: The female clerks
and those who have an ambition 10 become
such are very much exercised over The prob
able effect of the civil sarvice law on their
fortunes. While there is no determination
in the law sgaipst women in the departments,
there is no question but the machinery for
carrying out this law will greatly initiate
sgainst them. Most of them now employed
were placed in Office by personal pressure OF
friends and irhuentiai relatives. This is
usually done by taking the lady aspirant to
the office in which she desires to be engaged
and making personal application for place.
The chief of nat Office tn US has before him the
applicant. II she be good-looking which is
often the case, that fact goes very far toward
securing her at least "A favorable hearing.
If she he unusually intelligent and deserv-
iug that also goes great ways. Under the
operation Of the Civil Service law these ele-
ments OF influence are eliminated. Nothing
but the bare results oil the examination will
come from the commission, and nothing but
the name OF the applicant will be known to
the chief or head OF bureau requiring the
clerical services. Miss Jones will not be
known from Miss Smith, nor Mics Smith
from Mrs. Brown.
Ii is a well-Snown .ct that ladies are tol-
Grated aud not encouraged. Tney eaus, an
endless amount of trouble TO their superb
ora. A Cabinet officer, in whose office large
number of ladies are employed, told your
correspondent to-day that "a dom women
cause more trouble than hunired men,"
There is jealousy between the women over
prom 0tions, over assignments, and even over
the seats they occupy in the room, and over
real or fancied favoritism of subordinate off
cers. These j.alousies and petty quarreIs are
carried clear up to the head of the depart
ment himself. The Secretary ssyt: "Why,
these women do what no nan would think OF
| doing, They pursue me, not only in the
Office, but at my house, and even attempt to
turn ne out of bed to listen to their griey.
ances. Scarcely day passes but what they
are at my door, and can scarcely move
about the streets without being wor-
| ried by them. No man would think OF
doing such a thing. Now, you can
kick man if he gsts to b. toe
much OF q bore, but you can't q
woman-they always fall back on their help
| lessness. l sympsthize with some OF thes,
| wemen greatly, because they are HONEST, in
dustrious and in the main competent to dt
the duties they have to perform; but, all tn,
same, they sre intolerable"
A Treasury official sIys that "there will b,
| very lew regulations Tor women when the
CIsll-S9IyIce law goes into effect, and the fear
of the ladies are well founded. Fhis is tn.
way it will he: The chief OF one of IN,
divisions will want 20 many clerks, and viii
notify me of existing vacancies. All he ha
10 90 is TO insert the male and that settle
The whole business. Thre are few mer
about this department who, if they can ge
male clerks, but wonld prefer them. The,
| would rather take their chances among
miscellaneous lot of men for suitable clerk
than among miscell apeous lot OF women. -.
vi course there are a good many ladies il
the employ of the department and it will b
a long time, probably twenty yesrs, befor
these would be weeded out by resignation
marrisges and dismisssls. From all ac
counts, there will be mighty few new an
pointmen.s OF women, aud the officials ar
qaiie willing that this shall be widely know
since i, removes an abnormal pressure 10
places for ladies.