Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1888-04-17
Our Washington Letter.

wAsmNoroS. April liih, 1883.
Inauguration day !. no, TO be ehsLaed
q, present. and the capital nouns.
However no wa.hing,oni.n will be cali
ed upon 10 eon,rae, pneumoniA by riding
barehead down the avenue on the fih OF
March In the presidential ehario, or hack.
aud surely no one 80 little AmenAble to
reason a. the oPpo.ers Of the change IN
the House !. a, al likely TO be selected
by the nation 20 run this risk 30 that
some Who favor and sll who oppose the
latter date for Inauguration ate reason
ably .Afe from the consequences OF re-
fa.L to make the change. The result
Of Congressional vote IL more unesr-
tain than woman. In the las, Congre.
the proposition in regard TO Inauguration
day woald have passed without difficulty
aud vas prevented by mere ,riii'. In
this Congress, while the Senate approves
the measure unanimously the House de-
fea. Il. though pr,ssn,ed Ia two diHsren,
shapes TO Adsp, n TO Il, pleasure. the
second def,a, being more decisive than
the fu,. Psrhsp, the nsS, Conste"
will. on the cycle theory, swing back to
an enthusiasts endorsement OF the pro-
posed change.
The s.l.r.. paid 20 the officials Of
The Departments are ridicaloasly small
in comparison with those paid by other
government. The hsare. nov paid
we're fIed forty OF more years ago. when
the Cos, Of living Vas much less than
now. and when the duties were Of the
,impls., character. Before the late ~n
q second el.. lsllOO) clerk ooald live
well here and save money. May clerks
of ths, grade Ia ,hoss days kept their
eAuils,. and indalsed ia other luiurie'.
Thi. they could sflrd % do with house
tent from slO 10 els pet month. butter
At ~ cents. choice bee from $ 10 10
cent, per pound. and every other house
hold nsos.i,y a, eoue.Pondinsly low
prices.
Fintel.. room. ahd board could be
had Cor Sis or so per month. Dur.
Ing the war price. and wages were sd.
yaneed. but the salaries Of employees OF
the government, remained as originally
fixed. Notwithstanding the fact that the
duties required became more aud more
responsible aud ardaoa'.
In nearly every department, OF the
governmen, there are men whose services
are invaluable and whose salaries are
shamsfully small. The present chief
clerk Of the pen,iOa oii:e, who !. a walk
ing encyclopedia. aud who probably
Ans-tr. more questions in = day than
any other ofEser in the government ser
vice. /, fair sample the chief OF the
custom division Of the Treasury DepAri-
msn,. who practically makes ,hoa'ahda
Of decision, annually upon which depend
the receipt OF disbursmen, OF many
hundred, Of thousands Of dollars !.
another. O.ksr examples such =. exam.
insr. In the patent office. chief clerks OF
est,ais bureau. Of the Navy Depart
meat. Who receive sl,sOO per Annum,
and who have. 90 al inien,s aud pai-
poses. the letting Of enormou. contracts,
and chief, Of branches Of the State De-
pArimen,. who are constantly consulted
on questions Of International law. might
be cited 20 sustain the point ,hA, our
government, !. nisgardly Ia i,' eomPen'a.
ton 10 IL, employees. Ia some eases.
where more integrity is required, as for
instance. where employees handle much
money. larger salaries arc paid than ia
case. where the very hr, order Of intel.
lee, i. demanded 10 PrO,se, the interests
Of the entire people.
A letter va. received the other day by
,h, Secretary Of the Treasury. enclosing
2j cent silver piece 10 be placed TO the
credi, Of the conscience fund. The let
ter Gays. "Io whom IL may concern
Oaee upon time, some thirty yeAn ago,
IN spirit Of evil mindedness OF perhaps
because | could. though even Al the time
knew better. took !, upon me TO OBJ.
liier.ie she eanesllins MARKS on seen,
postage stamp aud use Il again. And
though no mortal may even have 6eea
aware oft. Iha,e known Il all the while.
Under the Mosaic disPen's,ion reten-
ton Of one.fifth was deemed requisite 10
satisfy the claims Of justice 10 the case
Of re.pA.. So here one.fhh Of i've Is
one, aud one TO five makes six. AZ sh
per cent. q sum !, doubled in abou, six.
teen yesrs. and thi, then amounted TO
tselve cents. and doubled again amounts
10 "a cents. Now. TO give the Govern
meni the bentf, Of the fraction, ] en-
close twenty-five cents"
(Signed) LOYAL CITIZEN.