Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-12

enable him to think that his own oppor-
tunities might be enhanced, he deliberately
knitted him, and did it with almost fiendish
aboriginal heartlessness. Worst of all, the
victim Of that assault does not know, and
never will know, who stabbed him in the
back. All that he knows is that the Post
master-General changed his mind. That is
phase of the business which has probably
never before occurred, and 1t serves to
show to what venomous lengths of envy,
jealousy and vengefulness this greed Of
Office will induce men to go.
The oldest of all ofice-seekers ever seen
at the White House was Lizzie Morrill,, of
Suspension Bridge, n. Y. She is only thir-
teen years old, and her short dresses do
not cover the swelling calves of her legs,
Stockinged as they are in brilliant red
Her long yellow bangs and the golden curls
which cluster about her baby face made
her an attractive picture as she ran lightly
up the staircase to Secretary Halfords
room. to tell her story about the candidacy
of her father for the position Of collector
of the port at Suspension Bridge. Evident
ly she had heard it talked over at home,
and believed that she could help her papas
cause. She reminds me-of bright May Ma
cauley, of this city, who went to John Sher-
man, when he was Secretary of the Treas
ury, and got an Office fer herself Her sto-
ry, substantially, was this: "My father was
naval officer, and gave his life to his
country. Mamma and l are comparatively
poor, and she can't work, but / can. want
an Office, and I've come to camp right here
until you give me one, for / must have it,
She was perfect beauty. No blonde ever
wore prettier suit of hair, nor more delicate
complexion. Her form was one of natures
poems of finest handiwork.
She was witty, intelligent, cultured and
determined. The grim and imperturbabIe
Secretary was moved to compassion, and he
gave her an Office. She held it, too, until a
wise young man from New Jersey came
here and promoted her from clerkship to
a wifeship, and we seldom see her now in
But it is not written in the
books that ever before IN the history of the
Republic any girl went to the White House
as an fice-seeker.
Down at the Government printing Office
the scene is one which stirs the depths of
human sympathy. There are hundreds of
families dependent upon the employment Of
father, mother, sister or brother; and there
has been "a furlough." That is, the appro-
y
three hundred employees are given leave Of
absence, without pay. In other words, they
are discharged, and it lis questioned whether
they will be re-employed when the new ap-
becomes available in July This
lamentable condition occurs annually. All
during the year the employees must calcu-
late upon the inevitable "furlough," the en-
forced idleness of two or three months,
with the possibility that some politician will
succeed in getting a stranger in ones place,
thus cutting off employment until the fol
lowing December, when Congressman may
succeed in procuring temporary reinstate-
ment. The same state of affairs exists at
the Department of Agriculture and Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing. The 'outs"
are praying to get Sin" They are all deserv.
ing of pity if not of sympathy, poor things.
SMITH d. FEY.