The Press., 1884-10-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. C., Oct

Washington, D. C., Oct. 25, 1884.
 The republican national campaign com mittee has finished its work here, and is awaiting with calm courage the result. They are in possession of such advices from all parts of the country as convince them that the election of Blaine is as cer- tain as any future event can be. The citi- zens of Washington, however, who do not have the positive information of the com mittee, are more anxious. The prosperity of the city is interwoven with the life and growth of the republican party, and the very thought of an alien regime causes depression in real estate and in trade. But no matter who is elected, Washington will have its annual rehabilitation. In one short month congress will assemble. Con- gressmen have already assembled in con- siderable numbers, and the city has been put in trim for the government. The ho- tels, boarding houses, restaurants, and sa- looms never looked more gay and greedy than than they look to-day. The bite of hard times has not indented Washington, and Is impotent to hurt a city that is SUD- ported, not by commerce or industry, but by the taxation of the United States, and the prodigality of fashion. To the gov ernment young lady clerk who draws her hundred dollars per month from the United States treasury, the vicissitudes of trade, tariff and agriculture are trifies of no i'm portance.
 It is admitted by those who have experi- ence ill Washington official and clerical life that the lady clerk business has been overdone in the government offices here. Under the old patronage system the de partments were filled with sisters, cousins, aunts, and friends of senators and cabinet officers, with no regard for their qualified. tions for the work that had to be done. With the male clerks 1t was different. A man of influence would hesitate to recon mend man without he believed he was in some degree competent to fill the posi-. ton sought. That was not necessary, however, in the case of woman. She could appeal to the sympathies of the sen- ator, the cabinet officer, or other infu- ential men, and get the appointment, not because she was fitted for the work, but because sshe needed the pay. Women have been more successful in securing po- sitions for themselves than men. They do not hesitate to argue their distressed condition with tears. When men go to work on the necessity plan they receive no sympathy, but are told that the govern ment offices should not be made asylums for the helpless. So 1t has come to pass that the departments in Washington have been crowded with women. The chiefs ot bureau who have the superintendence of the clerical work would prefer to get along without them, but they have had no op- ton in the matter. They cannot manage the women. Almost any man who has a wife CT mother-in-law will know how 1t is himself. It often happens that the lady clerk has strong backing, and the position of the chief himself is less secure than is hers. He dares not cross her. She takes advantage of the situation, and vannteth in her strength, and does as she pleaseth, to the utter demoralization of the division, which is composed of from ten to twenty other ladies similarly panoplied with influ- ence. Even where woman has no strong influence the chief fails in enforcing disci- pline. His theory is to deal with the wo men as with the men under him, but when the trial comes he cannot rid himself od the idea that she must be favored because of her sex. Now that the civil service rules are in force l doubt not that the wo man branch of the service will be improved But where it is discretionary with the chief whether he will choose a man or wo man who has passed the civil service ex animation he will in most cases choose the former. On the other hand, where il is choice of tried woman clerk for pro motion or an unknown candidate for { first class clerkship, he will doubtless pro mote lady who has shown herself capa ble and faithful, and there are many such
 Women will make valuable clerks whe1 when they have routine duties to perform but the experience of those who have triec them here is that they are seldom success ful when they are given authority ovel others, or where it is necessary for then to exercise judgment in the performance o1 their duties