Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-16
An TnhapDv Crowd.

A great crowd Of place-hunters are eX-
pected in Washington before Congress
meets. 4, good many have already ar
rived there. The House viii have lew
offices TO dispose of. but not enough TO
supply one hundredth part of the demand
there viii be for them. About all the Sen
ale offices will 90 TO the old employees OF
the House. From every part of the coun-
try Young men will 20 to the national cap
ital with the hope Of getting one Of the
House places. Those who fail, and
nearly all, of course, Will fail, ought
10 congratulate themselves on their fall
ure. These places seldom or never lead
70 anything better, and when the many
ways Tor spending money in Washington
are taken into account, it IS almost impos-
sibIe TO save anything from the salaries.
A couple Of years in government employ
ment in Washington units a man for
earning a living elsewhere, or in any
other business or occupation. There is
fascination ABOUT an office which never
leaves a man when it has once got mold
Of him. 1t clings to him through life. A
Young man who gets a place in the next
House may held it for two years, and
perhaps longer, if his party con-
tinues in the majority. He is liable
TO be pushed out. however, at any time by
some one who has more political influence.
If he succeeds in holding his place for a
dozen wears he will be worse OFF than if
he was displaced in one or two years be-
cause his inclination to seek, and his
chances of obtaining other kinds of en-
plovment will be less. There are men
in Washington who have held places
/ in the House or Senate, with brief inter-
I walls. for the last twenty years, and they
+ are no better of and no further advanced
I i'm life than when they began their Office
I holding career. Their great regret is that
they ever went to Washington. The fu-
ture promises them nothing and the INST
contains nothing to Which i ingv can point
win priue or ~ e.aaasure. Their experience
ol QUE 5deter others from entering on the
I career which they have found so profit
/ less. The departments are full Of men
who have reached middle life, or have
passed beyond that period, who bitterly
! regret the mistake they made when they
/ accepted a government place. Many Of
them. no doubt, intended in the beginning
to get a little money to start in life in
their native state, or in the far West
but finding their situation rather com
/ Portable. and earning enough to meet theiI
wants with reasonable economy, staid on
from year to year until they lost the de-
sire for change. and the courage neces-
sarv to engage in the struggle for foot.
hold elsewhere. If they should lose theiI
little places they would be miserable
wretches. They wouldn't be able to make
up their minds TO leave Washington, and
they would join the pitiable crowd who
having held government positions, now
I watch and wait around the capitol, hop
/ ing for something to turn up to their adj
vantage. If there are any bright Georgia
/ young men who are thinking Of going to
Washington this winter to get an office
/ they viii act wisely byremaining y home
and engaging in some business or occupa'
/ ton i'm which they have chance of de-
1 veIoping into men of wealth and in1u.
ence. The chance for what is called sue
cess in Washington is not equal to the
chance Of drawing the capital prize in &
/ lottery.