The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-02-27
South Kentuckian.
ADVERTISING RATE.
WASHINGTON LETTER.


amount Of grnmbling by government
clerks over tho proposition pending
III Congress 10 increase their hours
10 eight instead OF seven. The de-
partments arc now open from . a M.
TO a p. m, and most OF the clerks
werk from five to & hours. an hour, or
so being taken al noon for lunch aud
ioaiipg, and half nm hour being was.
ted morning and evening in getting
ready to begin aud preparing to qnii.
The idea OF adding one to these l,ours
makes the average clerk frantic.
These clerks are continually making
out that their loi is not a happy one,
bnt they entirely forget tlat they
spent their time and money frooly in
getting their places, and that not Iouc
IN ten would go back TO his n.iivo
place u there he could get the same
wages he docs here. 70 those ia
iniliar with the prrsonnel OF the de-
partrnents these complaints pro, okr n
snile, When one takes out the mem-
bers Of the families OF officials who
do nothing but draw their pay, the
people who are put there by lobby
lists, those who got there because they
thought II was Soft place, those who
are young and strong and perfertIy
capable making living elsewhere
and prefer 10 vegeta.e in govern.
ment office on III 200 or 81 500 year
TO going 10 work, the proportion that
deserve sympathy ia small indeed.
but those are not the worst. Thero
are iiota few clerks in,all the depart
ments who pay little attention TO the
hours-who come wheni they choose
and 70 when they please. Not long
ago case was published In o per
here recoInting that a. woman clerk
ofinflucnce found at the cnd Of tic
montliher absence and dilaiory ar
RIVALS deductedIirom her pay accord
ing 10 the new rule. on she flew,
mentioned her influence and indiy-
naitly demanded tho remainder. Of
her pay. The clerk, after thinking II
over, handed tho money to her. aud
she went off boasting OF her exploit.
Next morning: dozens OF w0msn
clerks held indignation meetings
about II; each thought she was allu-
led TO In the paper. and the incident
disclosed that instead Of being an cx-
ceptionaf case II had happened very
often. Nobody has word to say
,gainst- the hard working women
who support themselves and often
their families BY conscientious work,
but these work uncomplainingi,;
nor for tho men who sare dieabled
from their einploymer o but to sre u
woman spending her wages In fine
clothes orsa young and able bodied
mai tucked away in n government
berth, living ON a pitiance rarl,cr
than 20 TO work--snd half the EN-
iployees belong 10 these two classes
INSPIRES universal disgust ,lndi rep
rotation. Many of the women clerks
ivcd In remote places where 1900 a
year would be aflluence. They come
to Washington and in 6 months their
idaas change. They find living In .
city on 500 to be- one Of the exact
sciences. But they would rather die
than 20 back home. ida rt a,,rt,; 4.
Mr.. Carlisle and Mr.. Morrison and
Others are lighting into tho tariff bill
In q manner very amusing to the gal
leries, but exceedingly doleful for the
ways and. means committre. But
when the tariff bill meets Mr.. John
Randolph Tucker it will meet with
iis Jno. l.. Sullivan. lie has been
loading upIfor It for weeks, and when
them protection fellers" strike upon
Fucker they will find that they are
fooling with. forked lightning. lie
is an immensely hard working man.
Although wiser than most industrl-
Gus, members Of Congross, he allows
himself one day OF rest and does not
work or visit on snndny. The only
dissipation the allows limseJf 10 q
Sunday night sermon from Presby-
terian divine. Nothing on Garth
would induce Mr. Tucker 10 forego
that rigid aud seasoned discourse,
lie arrives early and marches into
church armed with a large hymn
hook, and when the clergyman ap.
pears he fixes his eyes upon him and
blinks solemnly at him, while that
excellent Blue Light discusses the
manner In which the Chaldeans OK.
pounded certain geological texts OF
scripture few thousand years ago.
Meanwhile deacon Tucker enjoys
himself hugely. and has follow cd
with unfagging attention. Next day
however, lie forgets all about tina
Chaldeans until the next Sunday, and
lans the hide OF the Republicans IN
Congress. Mr.. Tucker is wise first
and witty aitorwar,ls.
The Republicans are incubating
over the organization Of the senate.
They want the offices now occupied
by democrats and a new president
pro tenn, but just don't know how to
90 about getting them without sp"-
cial session. Malone seems to bo
giving them some uneasiness just
now. lie wants a good deal for his
suppor' and wants things fixed be-.
forehand. The snob Hazen who rllna
the weather bureau is getting his
hide rubbed q little and some OF his
questionable methods are being ex-
posed. The weather Office was never
50 nearly worthless in its results as
II has been lately, and It has never
had ineaner man at lis head. II Is
said that an item Of $1,000 has been
put In the sundry civil appropriation
| bill 10 pay for tho services OF the ju-
rors who tried tho Guiteau case.
They have heretofore been paid -
per day for their services. but pnt IN
a claim for extra conversation In con-
sideration OF the long time they were
required to remain on tho jury. Had
II not been for the objection of Mr.,
Holman, who came in just as tho bill
was passing, the house would have
passed a bill requiring all proclama'
tions and government adver,isemcnts
to appear ia two newspapers printed
| in this city. II is said the bill would
| act $4,000 to tho newspapers selected
annually. Shortly after tho war and
for several years. tho administration
newspaper In tins city made over