Evening journal., 1892-12-02

q good many of our officials live beyond
their incomes in Washington. Coming
here for a few years they naturally want
TO make the most Of their opportunities.
They want good houses, servants, social
display and carriages. They can't do
much in this line'on $4,000 or $4,000
year, as ! know very WELL The result
IS they fail behind in their bills with the
butcher and the baker. The butcher
and the baker and the grocer carry them
along, not wanting to lose their trade
and expecting them to pay some time.
Bat here comes this horrid election and
upsets all calculations.
The time has come to restrict credit
and pay up. The family az the seven
teenth auditor is panied to discover that
since election their grocer has changed
his plan Of doing business and really
must have cash. in advance. The ninth
assistant secretary of the exterior de-
partment is called on by the real estate
agent and informed politely but firmly
that the rent must be paid promptly
hereafter | have heard it estimated
that the tradesmen Of Washington will
lose half q million dollars in unpaid ac-
counts as a result Of the election. HUI
man nature is pretty much the same the
world over, and there is among every
class Of people and in every community
percentage who have the disagreeable
habit Of leaving town without thinking
Of some Of their outstanding obligations.
Some of the officials who have been
living pretty high on small salaries are
now retrenching Retrenchment and
reform is the order of the day with them,
for they are trying to save up enough
money to get ont Of town with. A good
many of them win leave their pianos,
their silver plate and their horses and
carriages behind them when they do go.
have in mind at this moment one
of1icial-a good fellow he is, too-who
was hard hit by the election. A month
ago he was riding in fine style in a fine
carriage. The truth is it was not his
own equipage. He rented it by the
month Renting of private" carriages
by the month is quite business in
Washington. A week ago l saw him
walking down town through a driving
rainstorm, a most disconsolate official
compared to his former self.
AT the stable where keep my modest
horse and cart l accidentally learned the
sad truth. Ny official friend has not
paid his carriage rent promptly, and the
day after election the owner Of the
equipage served notice that unless the
cash were forthcoming orders for the
carriage and pair would not henceforth
be honored. So my friend now walks
or rides in the plebeian street car.
These are only few Of the thousand
ways in which the election tragedy has
left its mark upon the good people Of
Washington. The people Of the capital
are always against change for these
reasons. But the law Of compensation,
which is such great factor in the affairs
of all nature and civilization, applies as
well to officialdom and the city Of fed
eral salaries.
AS matter Of fact, every change of
administration in the national govern
ment builds up the capital city. A change
of the party in power every fourth year
would in half a century make this one
Of the greatest cities in the country.
4 This is so because about one-half of all
the officials who lose their places by
party change don't leave Washington at
/ all-some don't like to leave because
/ they have learned to love to city; others
can't get away because railway tickets
and freight carriage cost money. They
find some employment in Washington,
( go into some business, or make some
turn that enables them to remain here.
/ l think / could mention by name z
score Of men who were turned out Of
Office eight or four years ago, and who
have remained in Washington long
enough to thank their lucky stars they
1 lost thoir official heads. Since getting
ont Of Office they have built up business
for themselves and become infinitely
mere independent than they ever We're
as lazy pot boilers and department
drones under Uncle Sam.
OF course the election tragedy was
/ felt at the White House, but perhaps no
more keenly than in thousands Of other
homes in this capital. The best story 1
have heard about the White House fam
/ lily and the election-and il is a trne
st0ry-has little Benny Mckee as its
hero. The morning after election little
Ben was up early for q run in the
grounds before breakfast When he
carle in he noticed that something was
wrong. Every one was in the dumps.
and he saw that his mamma's eyes were
red from weeping.