Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-20

Politics Not So Much Discussed by the
Clerks a. Formerly.

Politics Not So Much Discussed by the
Clerks a. Formerly.
There has been Q wonderful change In de
partment life in Washington In the last ten or
twelve years. There has been q mar ked change
within four years, but 1t has been merely
rapid growth Of something already started.
Memory does not have to run back so far as to be
severely taxed to remember when the depart
ments we're breeders Of social scandals, and
there were no more chickering's and gossip In o
country sewing society than there was in Uncle
Sans great workshops. Spying talebearing and
petty intrigues used to take the place Of work
The one requisite for continuance in Office
and for the privilege Of being arrogant, in
subordinate and useless was to possess strong
political influence. At the opening Of . cam
paign, such as the one Just opened, the
departments became political stewpans. The
pan and render the most fat The next most
meritorious thing = clerk could do after giving
. substantial money contribution to the cam
paign and clustering himself hoarse about
politics. was to inform on some one else who
had not contributed quite enough or had not
shouted with sufficient lung power. Clerks
felt that they exercised an immense amount Of
political influence and that the duty devolved
upon them to run the national campaigns.
Look through the departments now and il
Will not eecm pOSslDIe tnat eucn q state OF AualrS
ever cid exist. The moral tone has been raised
beyond anything in the past, near or remote,
and the small politician, with his schemes
and intrigues, Ii nowhere to be found. In the
place of lot Of folks who strolled about the
corridors and prated Of influence" there
and women making records at their desks, upon
which their official standing depends.
DON'T cCr ANY FIGURE NOW.
The political power Of the army Of depart
ment clerks is now too Insignificant to be
talked Of They do not figure in the cam
paign except as individuals, and it would
be very difficult to determine which OF the great
parties has a majority in the classified service.
There Is as little political talk and as little
interest taken in politics among the government
employees there would be among the same
ness, and apparently as mach independence Of
thought. There is no furry and excitement, no
exhibition Of anxiety, no forced display Of ac-
tivity and interest, nothing In fact to indicate
that the people in the departments are any
more interested in the campaign than are any
other American citizens. They are not both
cred with visions of collectors of political
nests. and if any should appear, a thing there is
no promise Of as yet, their presence will have
no terror. Not before in the history of the
government has there existed so nearly an ideal
condition Of affairs. There seems to be .
feeling among the clerks that either Harrison or
Cleveland may be depended upon to respect the
civil service law, and there is q very general
feeling Of security. But aside from this sense
Of security the influence of the past ten years,
with a change from one party to the other and
then back, has been very beneficial to the
service. As there was an improve
ment during Cleveland's term over the
terms preceding, 80 there has been an even
greater Improvement during Harrisons time
in office. However much politics may be
mixed up with the outside Offices and those Of
the higher grade, the clerical force at Wash
ington is about as free from political influence
as it could be wished to be.