The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-24
OUR EXCHANGES.
HIS VOICE FOR REFORM.

IN III $500
with his Importance as an American
citizen and voter, and as a sharer IN
the public expenditures. His attitude
was much that of the wholesale mer-
chant as he scans the expense account
of the commercial traveller who has
been out on the road. His face wore a
severely critical expression. He came
to Washington partly to see how the
servants of the people were running
things. and he felt that if need be he
would offer a suggestion as to where
improvements might be made.
Gee whillikins." said Uncle Timothy,
as he stood on the corner of the Ave
nue. at 18th street and inspected the
Treasury building. The long rows of
columns and the great extent of the
building caused him to elvate his chin
at an angle of Is degrees above the
horizon. THAT must a cost a pile O.
money I wouldn't be surprised if it
didn't cost a hundred thousand dollars,
and maybe more" And he continued
" SdLC III q IllLl1ICI OIllU, III q 1CcO
v~irtuous city than WashintOn, would
have attracted to him a seller of green
goods 0 7 good bricks.
Then Uncle Timothy went over to
look at the State, War, and Navy
building. If he was impressed by the
Treasury building he was still harder
init by the imposing pile in which the
War, State, and Navy Departments
are housed. He looked at it from the
northeast, taking in something of its
great length and size. He saw nothing
Of the architectural charms of the
building, Of it's beautiful harmOnies of
design, height, length, and bredth.
He saw merely that it must have cost
a great deal of money, and his pocket
nerve was Jared to its very roots.
Then he tried to go III. It was past
= o'clock in the afternoon, the hour of
closing to visitors. He was met at the
door by a doorkeeper, who asked if he
had q pass.
What do I need Of Nv a pass? This
here amt no war times. whan a mans
got to have a pass to go about the
country.~
You want a pass to the building.
You can't get in here without a pass
from one of the Secretaries or their
chief clerks.'
I can't hey
NO sir"
"Naow see yer, my friend, may be
you don't know who I am. I'm a
citizen of these United States, a voter
and a taxpayer, I am. | amt none O
yer unnaturalized f~urriners. I'm an
American citizen and I help to keep
this thing up. by, know that
Cant help it sir. Can't let you in
without a pass
Uncle Timothy went to the State,
War and Navy building next day at
an hour when visitors were received.
He was admitted to the building. He
wandered for a long time up and down
the dim corridors, some of which were
50 long that it seemed half a mile from
one end the other. He saw the num-
berless cOIOred messengers sitting at
tables or standing about dOOrways.
He went up the granite steps from me
floor to another and saw more of the
army of messengers. He saw door
keepers doing the time away. He
passed the hundreds and hundreds of
latticed screens swinging on hinges at
the dOOrways. He saw the models of
the new navel vessels in front of the
Office of the Secretary of the Navy,
and stood long in admiring wonder
before them.
Il reCkin'," he remarked to a by
stander, that them things was made
at the Gov ment expense forth children
of these OfficehOlders to play with. 1
vaow never seen SIGH a waste O. the
peoples money in all my days" And
as Uncle Timothy said this he shook his
head mournfully over the d~egeneracy
Of modern officials from the supposed
economy of earlier days.
Uncle Timothy saw the luxurious
interiors Of some of the secretaries
offices, the heavy, rich carpets and
rugs, the silk plush curtains, the fine
leather-covered sofas and chairs, the
silver water pitchers and delicate drink
ing glasses, the mahogany tables, the
handsome oil paintings and engrave-
ingS and portraits, and the finely
decorated ceilings. He saw the line
Of handsome carriages and carts, with
Iiveried coachmen, that waited at 1
o'clock outside of the building and
conveyed the officials to their homes.
lie saw the great army Of employees