The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-12-12
Behind the Scenes in Washington.

All Washington is agog over the
sensational novel recently issued by
Mr.. Bogy, clerk in the Pension office.
The cause of this unusual stir in the
Capitol is the bold manner in which
the author lays bare the many alb
scesses of official misconduct OF
wickedness in high places he speaks
with startling distinctness and con-
vincing clearness. That truth is
closely interviewer with the web and
wool of this remarkable story is
proven by the indignant protests of
indescreet friends of officials to the
size of whose heads the cap seems to
have been specially designed, and
the tender spot upon whose pedal
extremities the well tanned leather of
the daring young author hurts sore
ly.
's1n Office" is the title of the story,
and "Out Of Office was the result in
the case of Bogy, as Commissioner
Raum promptly secured his dismis
sal from the Pension office. The
Commissioner alleges that such
sweeping accusations against depart
mental methods and prominent Off
cials, though yelled under sheltering
soubreqnets and couched in the Ian
guage of narrative, are gross viola
tions of the amenities of official life
Consequently the official, rash enough
to stand sponsor for them, is no
longer required in the service of the
government. The Commissioner fur
tier finds cause for complaint in the
striking suggestiveness of the names
given to his characters by the ex
offieio author.
For instance, a Missouri Congress
man is referred to as Friedringhaus.
This so closely resembles Niedring-
haus, of tin plate fame, that the COM
missioner calls the secretary's atten-
tion to the damning reflection upon
the well known Missourian. Bogy
denies any intention to reflect on
Neidringhaus, and says Sin defense
of my creation of the division clerk
in the Patent Office, the congressman
and politician whose low morality is
apparently 80 incredible to my Peck
sniffian censor, ] can only say that
there are low moral men in Wash
ington even if the great and good
man who is criticising Inc has not
come in contact with them, and l
regret to add that characters similar
to the fictitious ones drawn in my
little book may actually be in the
corridors of the capital and in the
government departments Even the
commissioner, while dismissing the
daring writer from his service adj
mits in part the truth of the pre-
ceding statement.
He says: "There are no doubt q
few cases in the department, where
gross misconduct in private life on
the part of the employees, both men
and women, has not been followed
by the retirement from the public
service as was deserved, but has been
condoned upon the urgent request OF
influential friends"
This is indeed significant and de-
mands that careful consideration
which must attach to such an adj
mission under circumstances so pc
culiar.
The chief of the department CON
dennis and dismisses his employees
as disgrace to the service, but
neither denies nor denounces the
startling disclosure of the moral tur-
pitnde on the part of officials which
characterizes this book. Crude and
lily digested as appear many OF the
young authors passages, there is
that boldness and directness about
them which alone comes from earn
est conviction. The writer sees what
he conceives an immortal influence
at work in the departmental life by
which he is surrounded, and observ-
ing closely he finds that he is not
alone in this belief and that it is a
current rumor with wide credence
that scores Of virtuous, though un-
fortunate women in seeking liveli-
hood fall victims to the willy tempta-
tions of their superior officers.
He is not alone in this belief but
he alone has found courage to pro
claim it to the world. whether from
a sensational desire for cheap fame
OF to open the way to a great moral
reform we cannot say, but the extent
of the agitation in the circles con-
cerned proves cenclusively that he is
hewing close to the line, and that
while the great similarity of the
names given to the alleged fictitious
characters to those of prominent men
in real life may detract from The
wholesome effect of the book bv ma
king it personal. Yet this very in
discretion will doubtless add to It's
weight as deterrant upon the Lo
tharios of the Capital
A great moral evolution sprana
from the artillery of Dickens in his
analytical description of evils then
prevalent: but as far as we know the
great master of fiction so christened
the children of his fancy as to war
rant no particular individual in con
sidering himself the object Of his
attack.