Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-23
BUT DEAD SEA FRUIT.
OFFICEHOLDING IS LIKE TUE FAMED APPLES
OF S0D0M.
Walter Wsllman Shows How |! Brings Loss Of
Money and Place as Well as the Dry Rot
Which Forbids Rscupsraton-Not
an Imaginary Picture.
Special Correspondent. to tn. Rsoi.r.

thankless task TO give advice, but as an
experienced observer Of social and OF
fetal life In this city / feel 1t myduty to
warn my friends who may read this let
ter against making the mistake or their
lives. It is a mistake to seek Office in
Washington, a greater mistake TO sue
coed and TO com here to hold Office.
Since l came to this city / have seen "
changes of administration, each change
throwing out Of public position a large
number Of men. Many OF these have
been personally known to me, and al
most without exception they have said,
with every evidence OF candor, that
their coming here was a blunder which
they would not repeat should another
opportunity present itself. Their YER
dict is that the four years spent In
Washington have virtually been four
years wasted, except that they have
gained experience as TO what TO avoid In
the future.
Considered purely from the financial
standpoint or that Of progress in ones
profession or business, oficeholding,
particularly of~iceholding that takes one
away from home, is a misfortune. The
salaries paid government officials here
look large and inviting on pgper. At a
distance they are quite enchanting. L
can see how one living in q country
town might envy the man who comes TO
Washington to take a government post
at a salary OF So, 600, $4,000 or $4,000 a
year. There are very few places here
which pay more than this. Members OF
congress get only IS. 900 q year and are
able to spend one-half their time at
home attending to private business.
They do not find 1t absolutely necessary
To transfer their domestic establish
ments 10 this city. But even members
OF congress generally find oficeholding
a poor investment. Not one in a dozen
of them saves money, and the majority
more than they earn.
Much less favorable is the position OF
the man who takes an executive posi-
ton at some such salary as that which
| have spoken Of. What seemed so
large to him back in the States dwindles
into a mere p%ittance when he comes
heoe to earn, to draw and TO spend 1t.
Take as a convenient example the case
of a man who is lucky enough, as he
thinks, TO get a 1000 place. lie Is In
deed lucky enough 10 get so good a
place, If a place he must take, for these
are the prizes OF oficeholding, and those
who start out for them generally accept
So 1000, 81, 500 or $4,000 posts in the end.
Accustomed to cheaper living expenses
which are sufficient at his home, the
new official imagines he must and may
easily line in good style at Washington.
He has come down here TO be- q part OF
the great government. He has been
honored by the appointment, and hav-
ing become q man Of Importance he
wants TO live In syle BETTING his station.
This is a laudable ambition and an en-
tirely natural n under the circum-
stances.
Accordingly the new official and his
wife start house hunting. They have
their snug little home in the country
abode. So they conclude they will rent
a furnished house. The first one they
enter suits them exactly. 1t is elegant,
roomy p~rettily situated, comfortable.
They practically decide TO take It,. but
the price takes their breath away when
they hear it-S26O a month. 1--WE don't
want TO buy your house, only 10 rent
it," exclaims the official TO the agent.
Then they look at some OF the modest
houses. The prices range from 5000 q
month down to $50. Those which rent
at the latter price are not very desir-
able. But ever one Of these takes for
rent alone more than one-third OF the
salary.
The wife being Of a practical turn OF
mind concludes that furnished houses
are not economical; that too much Is be-
ing paid for furniture, and that IL would
be better TO rent a house and furnish II
themselves. One Is finally found al a
rental Of $50 a month. and this is far
from the elegant and fashionable struc-
ture they had desired. The wife had
MANNED 70 dc a good deal OF entertain
for tine glitter of Washington society
had caught her imagination-and there
fore a house with spacious parlors was
on her programme. The $50 house Is
only tolerable, but they take II as a mat
ter of necessity, though with great re-
luctance. Now 1t must be furnished.
Here again their exalted ideas had to
be modified. IL chances they have an
opportunity TO set foot within some OF
the fine houses Of the city, and as they
are TO be 10 society they naturally desire
to live amid elegant and creditable sur
roundings.
Before signing the lease for the house
they 20 to the furniture store and get
an estimate on the furnishings. After
having eliminated Turkish rugs, eXpen-
sive hangings and all that sort OF thing,
they find that So, 500 is the best they can
do, and many articles-the wife alone
perceives how many-are still! lacking.
With this condition before them--this
condition instead OF the theory on which
they had started out--they find that
there is but one thing TO do, and this Is
to abandon the house idea altogether
and board. 1t will never do, they con-
clude, to give up for rem and furniture
alone all their salary for q year, for they
know too we'll thas when through with
the furniture they can never sell 10 for
more than . third OF its cost.
Now they go 10 look for a place to
board. They have children, and OF
course the children are 10 come On. The
eldest daughter is to have q glimpse OF
Washington society. The mother IL In
teusely ambitious for her. A pretty sum
has been spent on her education. must
cal and otherwise, aud there are such
great possibilities In Washington society
for a pretty and accomplished girl that
she simply must have q chance. There
fore IL is decided that the family must
hoard ala fashionable place. On inquiry