Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-04
THE SERFS OF THE REPUBLIC.
The Life Of Gov erunacnt Clerks as De.
sCribcd by One Who Has Bccm Emaam.
Cipated.

nave oeen devoted 10 meritorouS etchings OF the
great postal machinery OF the United states.
They have painted with winged words the gilded
cages and depicted the exterior portions Of the
whited sepulchre. Yet they have never seen the
inner life, and hence have never presented TO popu-
lar gaze the serf OF the republic. And the voice OF
the serf has never been raised concerning himself,
or the labors imposed upon him, by a govern
ment which has for him less consideration than
was shown to the slaves OF an effete regime. The
serf knows that he can little grace his cause by
speaking Of IL. He can only crouch and cover
beneath the masters task; thankful and prayer
ful and willing TO let well enough alone. lie is
willing 10 exhibit the proud flesh that comes OF
his bruises. He can benefit neither the pubic nor
himself by exhibiting the decorations OF his feel
ings and the maceration NJ his manhood. Day by
day he Is mulcted OF that robustness OF indie
pendence which Il characteristic OF his fellow
men: yet he is silent. There Is around him an
ptonage that makes him shadder lest the modern
Ntdocq discern his feelings and wrest from him his
seiconSciousness and lay bare his secret thoughts
OF the surroundings which make life a hell Yet
he has shut within his hearts hot cells WRONGS.
bitter, burning wrongs, withercd hopes, crushed
ambitions
ANNrHILaTED MANHOOD,
over the arched doorways OF the departments at
Washington. IL might well be written in letters
OF rugged iron, manhood quickly killed for all
who enter here" This only to the serfs No mat
ter whether the iegaiized disregard for the Con
stitution, yclept "the civil service commission
VI tHe cAetullNt mandate Oh the Wlellpl the
spols system, shall send him thither he who
enters government department ar Washington
dies the death This is more true OF the Post oice
department than OF the Others. That branch OF
the executive division OF the government Is Sc
iected because your Sen has recently been eman-
cipated from that prison. These are, to You,
strange sayings. You have never been permitted
To consider anything connected with the civil
service OF the government In any bat Its most 70
Seate coiors. Yet, 10 the actual public servant,
LIE spent In the government employ has not
snf1tuelie attractiveness. II sa whited sepulchre.
Ihefe Is espionage upon every individual and IL
Is 50 inquisitoriM and shrewd that its depth,
hope and ambition are choked, and their roots
extracted and killed
AN ELDERLY CLERKS EXPERIENCE.
An elderly gentleman recently dared to tell his
experience TO one whom he knew 10 be a trusty
friend. He said:
pauper or puppy. came into this place seven-
teen years ago, with high aspirations knew
that was active and energetic. and believed that
coud attain almost any eninence I'm govern
nlent life. believed that could reach the post
tlon OF postmaster General. But. In less than
year concluded that II could only become chief
OF my division would be happy. di, more work
than any other man here. Hugh Nesbit was alive
ana working then, and he was splendid clerk
We We're rivals. We both worked night and day
10 make good records We were not thanked ior
our efforts. our ambition energy, Intelligence
ana iaithfuheos only caused Us To be marked men
for he slaughter. our fellow clerks were envio,is
81 Us. We outstripped them. Our superiors were
our bitter enemies for We challenged their superb
ofty. They hated Us. because they feared us. The
postmaster General WAS not permitted TO see us
or Know Us, and We dared not approach him We
worked 50 hard that we Were In danger. Finally
cur aged principal clerA" died. We were receiy-
Ing $1,000 per aHnum, and promotion was then
available for one OF Us 10 Sl,SQ0. Which OF us
should get Ii? Mark the result. man who Was
drunken, disreputable, everyday unworthy, re
celVed the promotion. Since then he has been en-
NlOuS Oh us and d0mincerlng. He makes life a
burcen Ii 1 resign, AS ne wishes Inc To, know no
otntr BUSINESS than This, and shall be pauper.
II rehIaia where am am Treated like puppy.
! have 10 right to be efficent. diligent, faithfully
ambitious 10 do well. The iates are against me;
must be puppy"
His experience is not exceptional The true
story has never been told The intelligent report
ers have seen bur the epidemis and have never
diagnosed the case.
A CASE IN POINT.
The clerk in the appointment division says:
when the democratic administration came in
We We're overwhelmed with letters petitions
recommendations and all sorts OF correspondence
concerning the ID, 600 post Offices The work had
deIed 10 come back al night and work until 10
O'Clock. We Were driven like lambs to the slaugh-
ter None OF US dared To go TO the First Assistant
or to the Postmaster General. Our superiors would
not speak for Us. We had to bear the brunt OF &c
all and get no credit for II. Two hundred ot her
clerks ia the Second and Third Assistants offices
would put on their hats and saunter gaily forth
INTO The sunshine AZ O'Clock every afternoon. 1t
never occurred to the powers above US that those
tNo uunuffu men might nave stayed hour
longer and assisted us, thereby dividing the work
equally and saving us our eyes brains, our general
health. No; We received neither sympathy nor
Vacation when The heated term came upon US in
this southern town. But then We We're scoffed AT
when We spoke Of rest. For twelve days the ther-
mometer registered 100 degrees In the shade con-
Siantly, and We had Ia wor, under the heat of the
chandelier and the droplight until we almost sank
In our places. Talk about soldering. I've been
there. I'D rather make a forced march OF Two
weeks duration any day than TO repeat the eN-
pellehCt of mat summer. Fortunately for us
OF our number resigned. He could not stand the
strain and ike: and. when he was emancipated be
went 10 the Postmaster General and told him how
things were going. Ii WAS all news To him, and
he Immediately issued an order dispensing with
the night work. He said that the office-seekers
could wait for "a more convenient SeaSon."
THE STAMP DIVISION.
Then go to the clerk in the stamp division He
says: "Here we have to make out orders for an
average of 100000 worth OF stamps for the post
offices OF the country every day. II there is an
error made OF one single cent look out for your
official head. Yet the department compels two
men to do the work which not less than nve men
Sugre 70 p sn engaged 9S upon: Is hIrry hurry
makes an error in single column. our chief is a
gentleman, but he Is under orders from unsympa-
thetic SuperiOrS."
In the railway mail service 1t is the same The
government pays good salaries to a few men. 1t
pays more than they ought to have But the men
per annum. The governments stingy niggardly,
mean. Promotion does not come by merit II
goes by political favor now as much as under the
SpOilS system. For example: In February, 1856
a gentleman OF fair clerical ability came into the
department through the civil service commission
he Is gentlenanly, and has seen better days.
None OF his fellow clerks blame him for what was
done afterwards. But they hate the system. The
new clerk was promoted 10 81 400 per year In july
1856. He happened to have congressional iniiu-
ence. The men over whom he was elevated Were
Older more experienced. more capable er-aecessi-
tue rel, but they had no political Influence. DO
you imagine that administration OF that kind
tends to elevate the quality and character or the
Work, OF that IL dignitieS the laborer?
You must remember all the time that these
paintings are not the work OF dauber who has
been rejected by the haut-tOn OF the profession
They are the simple trutn,telling OF one of the
tell what none have dared To say before, and the
only object in view is. that they may profit 10y the
statement OF facts, and seek any other avenue of
bread-winning, rather than enter upon u quest Tor
government employment az Washington"
The Universal Philanshrepist.
She pronounced in sounding plstitude,
Her universal gratitude.
tor men of every latitude
From the tropics TO the poles:
She felt consangulnify,
kind OF kith- and kinity
For all these foreign souls.
For CALIFORNIAN Highlanders.
For brutal South Sea Islanders,
Fo w asn ami Grsei aa and 5sx
For Fins and for Siberixns
For For A 4srss- aet t k1xsf.sn.'
She Was in constant stew.
O., worried Miss sophroaia
Lest the men Of Patagonia,
With the phthisic. or the chilis:
Yes, indeed, she worried daily,
Lest q Group or cold should Waylsy