Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-09-15
GOVERNMENT JOBS.
Especial washington Letterl

Especial washington Letter.l
The executive offices Of the govern
ment are thoroughly accessible to the
political patrieian and plebeian, but 70
the middle classes they are not, on nc
count Of the civil service law. | mean
by this that the best offices and the
poorest, from financial point Of view,
are obtainable by politicians when their
party is in power while the clerical
branch of the government, known as
"the classified service" is partially pro-
tected by the law Of 's3. The superior
politicians, that is those who are able
to make stump speeches and appear to
good advantage on the hustings may
obtain chief clerlSships which pay
g., 200 per annum, and other offices with
larger incomes. without entering into
competitive examinations with other
politicians Of their own party. The
ward strikers, workers and toughs OF
our great cities can receive appoint
ments as watchmen, messengers and
laborers, positions which pay from S25
TO 500 per month. The clerlSships which
pay from 5000 TO sl,s00 per annum con-
stitute the great body of the working
forces in the executive departments,
and are partially protected by the legis-
lation enacted at the behest of the late
Senator George H. Pendleton, of Ohio.
Inasmuch as there is in every com
munity one or more persons desirous of
obtaining government employment at
the national capital it may not be
amiss to make u recital of the methods
whereby such positions of the highest
and lowest grades may be obtained. 1t
will make no difference whether you
want to be chief clerk Of a division in
the treasury department or a cuspidor
attendant in the post Office department,
il will be necessary for you to obtain
the same amount of influence. In order
to secure a government appointment
outside of the civil service ban You
must first impress upon the chairman
and members OF your county committee
the Importance Of your political work
at home You must compel this great
parsonage, the chairman of the county
committee, to believe that the salvation
of the party in your county has de-
pended mainly upon your political
shrewdness and influence with your
neighbors. You might as well try to
build a great cathedral without a
foundation as to enter political life
with hope of official preferment with
out first impressing upon the mighty
brain of the great man who is chair
man of your county committee the in
disputable fact that you are the head
and front of the aggressive element Of
your party in your own county, and
particularly in your own township.
Now, assuming that you have already
done this, and that the chairman is
really impressed with your political
standing, the next thing for you to do
is to secure the recommendation of your
representative IN congress 1t will be
practically impossible for you to get
this recommendation without the in
dorsement of the chairman of your
county committee am not personal
ly acquainted with the chairman of
your county committee, and cannot say
whether he is sincere in the promises
which he is now making to you; but if
he Is sincere he win further your ambi-
tion by informing the representative in
congress for your district that it is nee
essary that your appointment should
be made, because he has promised it to
you; and such a good politician as your
representative viii always fulfill all
political promises.
Now, having secured the Endorsement
nd a ref
Of congress, you are in a fair position to
take the first step in the matter of get
ting government Office, and that step
is to secure the cordial hearty, sincere,
earnest and united recommendation of
the entire congressional delegation of
your state. If there is a democratic adj
ninistration, and both the senator's are
democrats, or if there is a republican
administration, and both senators of
your state are republicans, il will be (
necessary for them to unite in letter 4
to the head Of the department which
you want to enter, indorsing your ap-
pointment and urging it in the interest
of your representative, whose letter, we
will presume, is already on file in the
department in your behalf.
But if you imagine that, with all of
this influence, you are certain to re-
ceive an appointment without further
delay, you will find yourself greatly
mistaken. Inasmuch as there are from
five hundred to five thousand men after
each office, you will naturally assume
that several hundred or several thou
sand people viii be disappointed, and
you may be one of those people Much,
in fact all, will depend upon the stand
ing of your senators in Washington and
their earnestness in seeking office for
you. If your senator viii go every day
to the head of the department in which
your application is filed and personally
insist upon having that appointment
made for the welfare of the party of his
state, no matter who may be removed
from Office and sent to the poorhouse or