The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-07-05
SHALL w6NEN BE DISMISSED!
A Question Which Interests Many or the Good
People Of Warrington.


People Of Washington.
NEW YORK Gtaphlc.I
wAsnISGfoN, June 2a.-what will become OF the
women In the Departments7 That Is q Question
homes ever since the 4th Of March. Nobody has yet
essayed TO answer II with authority. Those excel
lent gentlemen at the head OF the civil Service Com
mission talk about the reform law and the tenure0f
fully believe themselves, that ho removals Of
ssSe only nre on s o Of or e
fluffy That granted, anxiety is only deferred to the
end Of the employse's ,eri: woisn in every De.
partment are anxousy asking, "When my term
know nothing brutal viii be attempted Az yet the
neT ssM the specos eScse oi eaacns the Clerical
force an easy fall s assured for the ak. And when
the exigences Of the service require more clerks in
economy most woiien feel they have small hopes OF
why Is this 30? When saiiiion p Chase was Sec
rotary OF the Treasury bc startled Washington by
appointing the nrst Woman who had ever held
salaried and assured place In the Fedetai service
was lauded rs the new regenerator Every advo-
cate of womens rights saw In Chase's act the es-
a6l'snmsnt a,n :, ne OF womans claims on soceiy 10 was
equality. his first female Government clerk was
the descendant Of gallant captain who fell IN the
and her capacity for clerical work was undoubted.
In word, she was poor and deserving, and got the
place " without @ @ much trouble; l The Secretary was ~
Congress- took little notice Of an Innovation that
to peril their seats, wear out their patience. and i'll
trOduce Into the service the seeds Of social and an
executive pestilencc.
For now began an assault on the Federal offices
unprecedented In the most resolutc OF partisan at
tacks. woman is a born beggar. Nature has en-
dOwed her with exceptional talents for supplicatOn
compensation and defense In the struggle for cX-
istence An apparent helplessness, an ndOmitabe
persistence, and an eternal patience without single
wounanly attraction, have always heen ear compel
ling anu usually conclusive, When to these are
Sh IA - n
and certain political effect, success Is only matter
Of time. These things congressman were soon to
discover. The National Capital was invaded Ivy
women Otflce-seekers who could he neither lodged
| nor knocked down. Some were relies Of soldiers
and poicians; others were SIMPLY IN distress;
| few were immoral. But whatever their influence
they carried themselves into large share OF the
vacant Offices. The custom made every unfortunate
| woman a possible pensioner on the Government. II
| put premium on irrational politics. Common
sense, practical, JeiIersonan administration In re
pubic gives the Offices to the successful parisans
utOpan theories give them to the hest equipped ap
plicants Women are neither partisaDs nor philoso
| piers. They get office on wholly nnscentin'
and disorganizing force In systems of rational gov
ernment. Their influence In Washington has beer
either obstructive or vicious.
| Let II not be understood that women clerks as
class are impure. very small proportion are sns
pected Of impropriety, and II would be Impossible
for demonstrably iinchaste woman stay In Otllc
| a week. But sporadic and proven cases have cs
| tablished that public men have used the Offices n
the price Of a wonan's favor. That such posi-
billty sholld exist Is reason enough to remove II
But Justice requires that no stigma should be at
tached to the character OF women clerks as body
They are good, honest, hard-working, conscien
| tiOns mothers and wives and daughters, no NOR
liable to suspicion than any woman anywhere
| This question cannot be discussed without touch
Ing on one of Its salient aspects. Feminine imin0
rality In the Federal service Is abnormal, and there
fore less inDOrtant from political point OF vle'
than feminine unadapability. 1t Ia because wome
are not az good clerks as men that they ought not
| be employed by an unBenttmental government, an
It IL because every woman knows in her heart tina
she cannot give as good service for the same none
as man that she expects reform Ahmtnistra'i0
| to get rid OF her.
| Testimony on this point isunmlstakabe. IL No chile
of bureau, II allowed free choice, will ask for
, | woman clerk where he can get a man. She ma
| have deftness and method superior to his; she ma
be neater and IL certainly sweeter; she has a hun
J drcd admirable traits and recommendations, an
yet the chief had rather have man around: an IN
erOr to the woman In some respects, perhaps. Ft
| besides clear physical limitations two women Civ
more trouble IN mn Office than twelve men. The
cannot help II, and are not banable; but their lit
worries, llttG jealOusies, little odds and ends q
whims and caprices-al those littlenesses, In slOr
which are innrmities OF the feminine temperament
are to the service very much what the itch IL 10 III
| dog-it vexcs and disableR both.
This Ia hard logic, there Ii no doubt; hut II IL u
| and essential Woman is coming TO the top an s
should ahe ls andng her place and work ~ Nh
ought. Every man wishes her well, AMI In nm ind
vidnal capacity II glad TO help her. Sentiment ha
no business In system, nevertheless. IL would !
better for this Government TO retire every woman
the Department on full pay for life than TO depeI
them any longer for the efficient discharge OF Il
public business.