The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-05-31
Special tc the CARBON ADVOCATE.
wAsu1YoroN, May 20. 1884

field for dead, but afterward recovered.
Special &c The CARBON ADVOCATE.
WASHINGTON, May 20, 1884.
Our city is unique perhaps in present
ing examples OF men broken down in
spirit and fortunes, whose uncomfortable
desire to feed at the public crib makes
them willing to accept any position,
however lowly, rather than be kept out
of Government employ for any time.
Not that they are unable to secure en-
ploymeut elsewhere. on the contrary
their past experience should make their
services valuable in many respects to
private individuals, and undoubtedly,
would do so if they could bring them.
selves to abandon what they perhaps
consider public life" 1 know OF an
ex member OF the Wisconsin Legislature
now II doorkeeper and messenger of one
of the Senate Committees; another, also
IA doorkeeper, who not long ago was n
bank president in Virginia and occupied
some responsible public positions in bis
State; still another, who is the son of an
ex United States Senator. and as such,
very likely, imbibed the taste for holding
public Office which he now gratlies by
filling the position oi a doOrkeeper; and
1 co3ld 90 on citing an indefuite num-
Der of cases to support my proposition if
space permitted me to do SO.
1t will doubtless be interesting TO
large number of your readers to learn
that the Pension bill AS reported yester-
day from the Senate Pensions Committee
provides for the reappropriation of the
uuexpended balance ofnppropriations tor
invalid pensions for the current year es-
timated at s66 0OO O0O) and for the ap-
preparation of An additional $50 900. 600
for the pa! ment of PENSIONS; So 900, 900
for fees of examining surgeons; $780, 200
for the pay and allowances OF pension
agents, and $40 600 for the contingent
expenses of pension agencies. The
committee has stricken from the bill all
the legislation attached to 1t by the
House.
Recent events seem to have demon.
strated that considering its size, there is
more speculation going on here at the
National Capital than in any other city
| ;,,I St,.Na -, l., oil
true OF speculation in small way.
Among the thousands of Government
employees receiving on an average from
$9O0 to $1,000 year, there are very few,
I venture to say, who have not at one
time or another taken flyer at stocks
or dabbled IN wheat. The opportuniti,s
for doing so are many. The temptat iou
to increase their little income by some
lucky lit is not always witLstood and
the victims who are "Litten' at al
carly stage of the game do not always
benefit by the lesson taught them. Th,
spirit of gambling extends to the Army
= and Navy, and even some of the foreigL
diplomatic attaches principally Whose
way of eking out living is rs much {
problem TO them perhaps as to others
times to make their way into "bucke
shops" and kindred institutions. Tit
latter in certain quarters are plentiful
Some of them Me highly respectaL!,
looking Concerns. You wouldn't suspec
them of doing anything but IA leglti
mate banking business. Others carry OIL
their trade-I might also say profession
without the least attempt to ooncea
it. Flaming signs announce TO thu
orders for stocks on margin of pei
; cent. In windows you will see screel
which inform the public that priva IL
wires offer spe cial facilities for the trans
action of business. No wonder then
that with such temptations thrown into
their way, women and clereymen even
walk into iheshes out of which they can
not hope to find their way without being
ruined in reputation or bringing disgrace
upon themselves aud others.
Some very curious skeletons might b,
, brought to light if you could but pee
into the closets of some of the peopl,
high in the employ of the Government
How many of them, wonder, manage
to keep up the style OF living they do OF
the salary they receive. They were no
rich when they entered office. Thei
wives did not bring them handsome
doweries. To suspect their integrity
would be doing them Il gross injustice
But to speculate little bit. eb? Trade
maybe. upon superior knowledge o
sffirs which their i:itl p stion m
giv- them. l. 1t, after Hll, so very
, wrong? Il it at any rate considered so b,
many of them?