The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-04-29
BUT DEAD SEA FRUIT.
Officeholding Is Like the Famed
Apples Of Sodom.

| WaIter We1lman Shows How IT Rrines
Loss of Money and Place as Well az the
Dry Rot Which Forbids Recuperation.
Not an Imaginary Picture.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, April 2o.-Just now
many thousands of people throughout
the country are eagerly seeking govern
ment places in Washington. It is a
thankless task to give advice, but as an
experienced observer of social and Of
fetal life in this city feel it my duty to
warn my friends::who may read this let
ter against making the mistake of their
lives. It is mistake to seek Office in
Washington, greater mistake to sue
coed and to come here to hold Office.
Since came to this city have seen two
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 blunder which
| they would not repeat should another
opportunity present itself. Their YER
dict is that the four years spent in Wash
ington have virtually been four wears
wasted, except that they have gained
experience as to what to avoid in the
future.
Considered purely from the financial
standpoint OF that of progress in ones
profession or business, officeholding, par
ticularly officeholding that takes one
away from home, is misfortune. The
salaries paid government officials here
look large and inviting on paper. At q
distance they are quite enchanting. lean
see how one living in country town
might envy the man who comes to Wash
| ington to take a government post at a
salary of $4,000, $4,000 or s., 500 year.
There are very few places here which pay
more than this. Members of congress get
only So, 900 year and are able to spend
one-half their time at home attending to
private business. They do not find it
absolutely necessary to transfer their
sAOAA1SoOAO VI.
even members of congress generally find
oficeholding poor investment. Not one
in dozen of them saves money, and the
majority spend more than they earn.
Much less favorable is the position of
the man who takes an executive position
at some such salary as that which I have
spoken of. What seemed so large to him
ha olx in ho +0+a ~
pittance when he comes here to earn, to
draw and to spend it. Take as con-
venient example the case Of man who
is lucky enough, as he thinks, to get a
$4,000 place. He is indeed lucky to get
SO good place, if place he must take,
for these are the prizes of officeholding,
and those who start out for them gener-
ally accept S., 200, $4,000 or $4,000 posts
in the end. Accustomed to the cheaper
living expenses which are sufficient at
his home, the new official imagines he
must and may easily live in good style at
Washington. He has come down here
to be part of the great government.
He has been honored by the appoint
ment, and having become man of i'm
portance he wants to live in style beft-
ting his station. This is a laudable am
bition and an entirely natural one under
the circumstances.
Accordingly the new official and his
wife start house hunting. They have
their snug little home in the country
and do not care to furnish up another
abode. So they conclude they will rent
a furnished house. The first one they
enter suits them exactly. It is elegant,
roomy, prettily situated, comfortable.
They practically decide to take it, but
the price takes their breath away when
they hear it-4$25O a month. s'We don't
want to buy your house, only to rent it,"
exclaims the official to the agent. Then
they look at some more modest houses.
The prices range from 5000 month
down to $3.50. Those which rent at the
latter price are not very desirable. But
even 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 it would
| Nv DCouCA w ASI1O q uOuSc Ctllu luIulSu 1t
themselves. One is finally found at
rental Of $50 month, and this is far
from the elegant and fashionable struc-
ture they had desired. The wife had
planned to do a good deal of entertaining
for the glitter Of Washington society
had caught her imagination there
fore house with spacious parlors was
on her programme. The $50 house is only
tolerable, but they take it as matter of
necessity, though with great reluctance.
Now it must be furnished. Here again
their exalted ideas have to be modified.
It chances they have had an opportunity
to set foot within some of the fine houses
of the city, and as they are to be in soci
ETY. they naturally desire to live amid
elegant and creditable surroundings.
Before signing the lease for the house
they go to the furniture store and get an
estimate on the furnishings. After hay
ing eliminated Turkish rugs. expensive
hangings and all that sort of thing, they
find that So, 800 is the best they can do.
Il