The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-26
THE GOVERNMENT CLERK.

The president has directed that the pro-
motion of clerks be made upon the candi-
dates demonstrated knowledge of the
work Of the bureau or department to
which they belong and their record of effi-
cheney in previous service. This is good
reform, as it does away with the oid-time
abuse when q mere stuffed cyclopaiic
clerk could successfully compete for pro-
motion with an efficient man who had for
gotten and perhaps never knew what wear
Sebastian Cabot discovered Labrador, and
who could not name the chief justices OF
the United States supreme court from
Washington down TO Benjamin Harrison.
The wonder IS that so many men OF
good character and fair capacity should be
eager TO enter the government service.
The pay IS small, though the hours are
short, and the result is that the govern
ment clerk becomes q helpless man Of rou-
tine, SO that when be loses his place he is
face to face with the cold world with no
tools in his hands 10 hoe or cut his way 10
competence for old age In the majority
of cases il is personal calamity TO be APP
pointed to 8 government clerkship. Its
life without competition or struggle for
superiority, and its natural drift is away
from selt-dependence. The knowledge
gained is seldom Of the sort that any COM
merelal house cares 10 secure, and
as rule there IS no more timid.
downcast helpless, respondent man than
discharged government clerk. In mer-
camille life 4 clerk or salesman always
knows that his advancement and retention
depends on his efficiency. his public court
esq and his affabilitv within and without
the circle OF his work. He is dependent
not only upon his capacity 10 do his duty
by his employer, bCt upon his disposition
10 retain and increase the popularity Of
his house by his courteous and obl:cinr
temper in all his intercourse with its regu-
lar customers and with the public who
may become its customers. But your aver
age government clerk is concerned only
with pleasing his immediate superior and
with maintaining the potentiality Of his
hackers" for there are, and ALWAYS will
be, great many persons in the govern
ment service at Washington City who owe
their appointments and their tenure Of
Office largely 10 the political pull" Of
their hackers
Worse than al this IS the rpi.s~.
able. craven spirit that IS Guilt
waited IN the departments BY the
petty tyranny OF insolent superlors
over their poor subor5inates. Every care
less word Of talkative clerk is reported 70
his Immediate chief: spies and gossjps are
encouraged 20 play detective on their
comrades in the department In the
bureau OF engraving ana printing some III
teen years ago "a bureau that has seve-a,
hundred employees, who owe their places
10 political influence and hold them sub
jet 20 the caprice OF tie chief.
the common question was ''Who IS your
hacker and how much influence has he
g0tf" A manly man soon becomes a
cynic in small governments cIerkshlp,
and mean man becomes meaner and
neaner every day. 4 more splrs;less. SCR
did set ofmen and women scarcely live than
the average government clerk at Washing
ton. or in the great Custom houses OF the
land. They intrigue against each other;
SPY or each other; they are rs seryile in
their treatment Of their official sape7iors
as crlngins slave that seeks to escape the
lash by licking his masters boots. ofcoDrse
there are government departments and ba-
reals where sUpericrs are too thoroughly
manly - welcome o. accept se-vility
from their slborGinates. or : self-respect-
ing CLERK IS too expavti,7-sllv usaf,sE Z, "a
dropped OUT because OF his respectful -
fasal - be tcad-eater, but. IS rlle
human nature IS 50 vain ana weak that it
loves to be battered and fawned upon. and
IN consequence tbs average government
emp.oye as Washington in Tie bureau Of