The Southern herald., 1883-03-03
our VFashington Letter.

departments are bOW open from 9 q. a. to 4
D. D.. sod most Of the clerks york from Eve
10 six hours. a. hour or 80 being taken al
nOou tor lunsh and lOs6ng. aDa half an hour
bsiog wasted both morning and evening ia
getting ready to begin and preparing 70 qui'.
The idea Of adding one to these hours makes
the average clerk frantic. These clerks are
sOutiDuslly making out that their lot is not .
happy one. bat they entirely forget that they
spent their time and money freely il getting
ihsir places, and that not one 10 ten would
20 back to bis native plass if there be got
the same wages be gets here. To those ia
miliar with the personnel Of The departments
these complaints provoke a smile. When
one takes out the members Of the families Of
officials who do nothing but draw their pay.
the people who are put there by lobbyists
those who got there because they thought il
was = sOfi place, those who are young aud
strong and perfectly capable Of making lip
log elsewhere and prefer to vsgststs in >
government Office on $1,000 or $500 year
to going to work, the proportion ths. deserve
sympathy is small indeed, But tbess are
not the worst. There are not few elssks in
al the departments who pay little attention
70 tBs hours-whO come when they choose
aud 60 when they please. Not long sgO
case was published in paper here reeOuntiOg
that woman clerk Of "inAasnes" found at
the end Of The month her absence and dilatOry
arrivals deducted from hsr pay according 10
the new rule. Of she few. mentioned her
influence" and indignantly demanded the
remainder Of her pay. The clerk. after
thinking it over, handed the money to ber,
and she went of. bOAsting Of ber exploit,
Next morning dozens Of women clerks held
indignation meetings about it; each thought
herself was alluded to 10 the paper. and the
incident disclosed that instead Of being an
exceptional case it had happened very often.
Nobody has a word to say against the hard
working women who support themselves aud
often their families by conscientious work,
but these work uncOmplaiuiOgly; nor for the
men who are disabled from other employ.
msDts but to SEQ a woman spending her
wages in 6ne clothes or young aud able'
bodied man tucked away in a government
berth, living on a pittancs rather than go to
wOrk--and half the employees belong to
these two classes-insprss universal disgust
and rsprObstiOn. Many Of the women clerks
lived 10 remote places where 5000 a year
would be an afluence. They come to Wash
inglOn and 10 six months their ideas change
They fnd living in city on 5000 to be one
Of the exact sciences. But they would rather
die than 60 back home.
Mr.. Carlisle and Nr. Morrison and othsrl
are "lightDg into" the tariff bill in manner
very amusing 10 the galleries, bat exceed
ingly dOleful for the ways and means COM
mittee. Bot when the tariff bill meets Mr.
John Randolph Tucker it will meet with III
John L. Sullivan. He has been loading ~
for II for weeks, and.whsn "them protection
fsllers" strike upon Tucker they will fnt
that they are fOOliDg with fOrked lightning
He is an immensely hard'WOrkiug man. AL
though wiser than most industrious members
Of congress be allows himself one day Of res
aDd does not work or visit on Sunday. Th'
only dissipation be allows himself is Sun
day night sermon frOm Presbyterian divine
Nothing on earth could induce Mr.. Tucker t,
fOrego that rigid and seasoned discourse
He arrives early aud marches into eburcl
armed with large hymn book. and wbsD th
clergyman appears he fixes bis eyes upon hiu
aud blinks sOlsmnly at him while that excel
lent Blue Light discusses the manner il
which the Chaldeans expoundsd certail
genealogical texts Of scripture few thou
sand years ego. Meanwhile Deacon Tucks
enjoys himself hugely and has followed will
unasgging attention. Next day. however
be fOrgsts all about the ChaldsaDs until th
next Sunday, and taus the hides Of the re
publicaDs in congress. Mr.. Tucker is wis
first and witty afterwards.
The Republicans are iucubatiDg over th
reorganization Of the Senate. They wan
the Offices now occupied BY Democrats and
new President pro. tenn, but they don't knOv
just how 10 60 about getting them without
J special session. Malone seems 10 be givin
J them some unessinsss just now. He want
J 3 good deal for bis support, aud wants thing
Fixed beforehand. The snOb Hazsn, wh
rms the weather bureau, s getting bis bid
rubbed little and some Of bis questioDabl
methods are being exposed. The wsaths
Office was never SO nearly worthless in 1t
results as It has been lately, aud it has nsve
bad meaner mau at it's head. It is sail