Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-03
CLAIMS FOR OFFICE.

In applying for office women invariably ar
que poverty. This plea is usually true, but not
always. Either they are lone and lorn or else
they have large families wholly dependent on
them for support. Their political honesty is
not of the highest. Whichever party is in
power thay are on that side. At least half IA
dozen female applicants for places in the treas
ury. after trying to fascinate Secretary Carlisle
with smiles and tinery, have dressed them selves
i'll mourning and come back few DAYS later in
tears. Meanwhile. according 20 their plea, they
have lost their husbands or fathers and are thus
deprived of means. Such cases might have
passed without suspicion, were it not for what
Shakespeare calls their ''damnable iteration"
One young lady brought Congressman with
her to persuade Mr.. Carlisle to retain her in
her place. Being convinced that this influence
would secure what she wanted she was
bubbling over with good spirits. The
Secretary replied that he would try to keep her.
bu. it was possible that she might be one of
the employees whom 1t was necessary to drop
for lack Of appropriation. On hearing this.
according to a messengers description. she ''set
up howl as If stuck with a knife and seemed
as ii about to have tit.
OVER AT THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
Such feminine wiles sometimes work Uncle
Jerry Rusk, while Secretary of Agriculture,
said to The STAR writer:
"You consider me hard-headed and practi-
cal business man. but | am a d--n fool where
petticoats are concerned Men address to me
the most piteous appeals for employment, and
l coldly refuse But little woman In a black
dress will come into my office. flop over on nv
desk, burst into tears, and the first thing
know I'm hustling around to find position for
her with comfortable salary
However, female Office seekers sometimes
adopt stronger methods. Only the other day
a woman offered to bet Secretary Morton 81
all she had in her purse-that, il she did not
get the place she was applying for, her state
would go democratic at the next election.
Another insisted that she must have private
interview with Mr.. Morton. The latters facto-
tum Baron Charleson. denied the request, stat
ing that his chief was busy.
"What right have you to say that?' demanded
the applicant, who was an angular person in
striking toSs.
u am ,, his private secretary" replied the
"Well," said the woman. az d like to know if
you or the Secretary of Agriculture is running
this department.
Women sometimes have cheek. clerk in
the Interior Department was discharged the
other day for inetiiciency. She said:
at is impossible / cannot see that it mat
tiers whether | am efficient not. NV gram 4
father was so-and accommodating q great man
Of past generation-'and l am entitled to
support from this government, which ought to
pension me for life, only that have been too
modest to ask for it"
Another applied for place in Hoke Smith s
gift on the ground that she had nursed confed-
crate soldiers during the war.
MY CONGRESSMAN
Women have funny way Of speaking of "my
Senator" or my Representative as men never
do. Some of those who secure places have good
| homes of their own and only want the pay to
| spend on their personal adornment and or
Injuries On one occasion the widow of Union
soldier with two children came to the Secretary
of the Treasury and asked to be reinstated in
| office She said that she did not know why
she should be dropped when O girl in the
same bureau who expended her salary for
fine dresses and banjo lessons retained.