The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-21

reads that there are clerks III the Departments
ut Washington who get from Si,2tp TO SOW
year for working from 8 o'clock i'll the morn
ing TO in the afternoon. it seems as II the
| Government employ was paradise for those
men who thi nix that working between meals
is liable to injure their health. To talk, how
ever. to the clerks who are in the Departments,
one would believe that they had the unhap-
piest lot of any race of mortaIs Oh earth. They
are sure their merits arc never property appre-
ciated, and they are subjected TO world OF an
noyance and restrictions that they claim
amount to absolute crieties. Certainly the
office rules are not agreeable to any man who
feels as if he were possessed of some manhood
and spirit. In many of the Departments they
have regular check roll in which the clerks
who are men and women anywhere from 80 TO
10 years old-are every day tailed as to their
"punctuality," "neatness" accuracy" "efh-
cheney" and so on. 1t is more like the disci-
pline of an intermediate sehool-room than that
for the government of grown ana responsible
men and women. For instance, they had
a rule in the Treasury which forbade talk
ing in the halls and corridors. Upon
the first violation of this rule the offender
received a card from the Secretary of the
Treasury. and upon the second it was prescribed
that he should receives punitory visitation
What this last awful thing is has never been
very clearly un ierstooi. It is something like
the terrible threat they have IN the English
mas the effect OF instantly slencing the rlotouS
disposition of the members.
An nquisitive NJ. 2. once asked Mr.. Disraeli
what would be the result of naming men,
Der"
The Lord only knows" replied the great
Premier with q burlesque soerpty.
| have never heard of punitory vista
tation descending upon the head ofany gossipy
clerk. and So am unable to give any description
of it,
Last week Secretary Manning sent out new
code of rules, occupying pasteboard several ieet
square, and which the clerks are now stddylng
very attentvely for in these troublesome times
it behooves them to be on their good behavior
Among other things it is prescribed that every
afternoon before 4 o'clock there shall be sent to
the Chief of each Division q tabulatcd report OF
each mans operations during the day, includ-
ing the time he arrived in the office the con-
dition he keeps his desk, the neatneSs with
which he cast up his accounts, and so on. If
this is persevered in the Departments will have
To he organized something on the principle OF
the old Prussian army, where every two privates
in the ranks had Sergeant standing behind
them with a cane to keep them in order.
OFFICE SEEKING.
There has been more excitement during the
week over place filling than at any time since
the week Immediately following the inaugura-
ton. The first contribution to the excitement
was the confidential letter of PostmasterG Gen
erai Villas TO Ohio congressman, i'll which, after
speaking of his desire to hasten the relief which
" our people are justly entitled to from partisan
Pestmassers," he adds: Il have had confer
ence with the Virginia delegation and they will
soon bring i'll their cases, and | shall hope to
make the earliest removals in that State. As
soon as they shall be ready, and | hope within
a week. desire to appoint from three to 10 in
a County in Virginia, amounting to several
hundred altogether" He states that he is CO.
ing to invite the Ohio Delegation to meet him,
hut the inconvenience to them of travelling
great distance induces him TO say what he
wishes to say in writing. q shall beg you,
therefore, he continues, " to consider the sug-
gestions make as to the methods of procedure,
and if you can adopt them and get some eases
ready within the next two or three weeks, l
think within the month of May can give sub
stantial relief that will take away the impor-
tunty aud discomfort. l think that from Is
t. % per cent. Of the fourth-class Postmasters
in Ohio might be removed within the next two
months. and great good accomplished thereby,
if our people adhere to a proposed plan. This
is. in short, to pick out the most obnoxious and
offensive partis'ins in each County. to the num-
her of a sixth to a quarter of all, and choose
irst-class men to take their places. / will re-
quire no more proof of craftsmanship in these
selections than the affirmation OF knowledge
on the part of a Representative or Senator.
If the Representative does not know
the fact, il should be established by some atf-
davt of some person whom he can affirm to be
of unquestioned credibility, or by some docu-
nentary evidence The earliest re-
movaIs and appointments of this kind will
challenge the keeuest scrutiny. The former
must be justifiable and the latter beyond criti-
cism."
His reasons for beginning the work in Ohio
and Virginia are the important elections which
take place there this Fall and the desire of the
Administration TO do all it can to help its party.
The publication of the letter naturally caused
q sensation in various ways, not the least ele-
ment of which was the apparent return to the
old and vicious practice of having the Congress
men control the patronage of the district 1t
Is asserted by Mr.. Filass friends, however that
the Administration contemplates and will per-
nit nothing of this kind; that it proposes to
give the Congressman and Senators advice
much weight in determining an appOintee, but
this shall not be final in controlling the selec-
ton.
100000 PLACES
There are 10000 places under the Govern
ment, of which only 1900 are subject to Civil
Service rules. Of the remaining $4,000 about
$4,000 are PoStmasterS At the close of the last
month there were 1900 vacancies made by
death and resignation awaiting to be filled.
More than 500 of these were in the Post-O Office
Department. The business Of appointing Post
masters has been greatly retarded by the alb
senee of Assistant Pos master-Gencral Hay, who
is i'll in Florida. 1t is believed that his health
is permanently impaired and so his friends will
advise him to resign. Still there has been over
100 Postmasers a day appointed during the
week, or an average of one for every five min
utes of official hours. This is making fair
progress, it must be admitted. and should
satisfy anybody but man who is desperately
hungry for place and its salary. There is no
doubt that there will be great acceleration in
the business Of removal and appointment after
the fiscal year closes OH the 30th of June, and
to this time all in official life looking for
ward with great apprehension.
One suggestion has been made. which seems
to be good one and should be adopted. 1t is
that all the candidates for place and the list
of the petitioners who recommend them shall
be published in the local press. This would
have beneficial effect ill lettering men from
signing petitions for candidates whom they
know are morally disqualified for the positions
they seek.
TEMPERANCE IN oFFICEHoLDERs
delegation of the Good Teinplars of the
District of Columbia called on the President
last week and presented him with an address,
asking that he make the personal and moral
habits of the candidates for Office a considera-
ton in making the appointment, and that he
exert himself to see that the laws relating to
temperance and the closing of the saloons on
Sunday in the District be strictly enforced.
The President sent written reply, which is as
follows: