The record-union., 1893-08-24

the Army There Are Quantities of
lovely Girls and Battalions of Gall
liant swairs. But They Must Not
Marry One Another on Pain of Dis
missal.
The attempt made by the last House of
Representatives, defeated in the Senate,
to lengthen the working hours and cut
down the vacations of employees in the
departments, was inspired by a sentl-
ment which is widespread in the West.
All over that part of the country the
farmers, while deriding the army and
navy, most especially do oDjurgate the
Government clerks at Washington. They
imagine that these servants of Uncle Sam
are so many luxurious idlers fattening
-Et the public trough. 1t was they who
struck this blow at them in Congress.
Very likely the attempt will be repeated
The best thing for the oflice-holders to do
is To form a union for defensive purposes.
There are 23,O00 OF them here, apd their
combined influence would suffice to de-
feat any bill which might affect their in
terests injuriously.
Al Act of Congress making such a
change as was proposed would be an alb
surdity, because any Secretary can, by a
simple order, increase the working hours
OF the clerks III his department to any
extent which he thinks desirable. He IS
an autocrat, even controlling matrimony
among his subordinates. No two en-
,ploye5 OF the Treasury can become hus-
band and vile, both retaining their
places. AS a penalty for mating the
woman must resign OF be discharged, be-
cause it is held that one family ought not
TO draw two incomes from the Govern
nent. John Sherman first made this
rule. one day he summoned a pretty
clerk and said TO her:
You are employed in the Treasury,
while your brother is III the War Depart
lnent II is not right that TWO mem bers
OF family should draw pay from Uncle
Sam. Which Of you will resign?'
The girl looked grave for moment.
Then glancing up with sparkling eye,
abe replied:
Mr.. Secretary, you are employed in
the Treasury, while your brother is in
the War Department as General OF the
Army. Which of you is going to re-
.sign"
Mr. Sherman did not answer the ques-
ton, buthe seemed greatly amused. The
pretty clerk is still in the employ OF the
Treasury. Her brother was not inter-
1ered with.
Propinquity is said to be natures chief
matrimonial agent. Nevertheless, on ac-
count of the regulation quoted marriages
between Government clerks rarely occur
In many instances they have been kept
secret, sometimes for years. To be found
out means immediate discharge Tor the
woman who has committed the otfense OF
signing another than her lawful name TO
the pay vouchers. However, the Secre-
-
.laW from dismissing without cause any
employe. The rule mentioned is not
applied in all the departments. Secretary
Tracy did not approve of il, and several
weddings took place under his regime.
Gftbe lax ways ofthe good old tines
not few odd stories are told. Chief Clerk
HOgg OF the Navy department. relates an
auecuote OF bureau now extinct, which
was conducted by gallant naval officer.
-One day, about p. NJ. the latter stepped
into the room Of his assistant and said
billy, here's a draft of Il very import
ant letter that l am extremely anxious 10
dispatch by the afternoon mail. Please
make me clean copy OF it as quickly a
you CAM
1t being so late in the afternoon, "Billy'
was resting. He looked up sleepily and
replied: "Why, Commodore, l have al
ready written two letters to-dayw
We'll, then, Billy" said the Commo-
0OIbs never uAlLlu O-nlOIIOW W III 90
as we'll"
Clerkships in the Department of State
are considered the most desirable. To
begin with, the eincumbents are never dis
charged without being provided with "A
. COnsulship or some other place. Their
employment carries a certain amount of
social position with il. The most con-
spicuous of the young swells in Wash
iugton are employees of the Foreign
Olhce." as they like to call it. Beaux
being greatly in demand here they have
more invitations than they can accept
With small salaries and no prospects
they would be regarded as ''detrimentals"
i'll other cities, but here they are at the
top OF the swim. Good manners and the
fact Of wearing pantaloons constitute sat
isiactory claims to recognition in local
ciety. They get their dinners at other
peoples houses, see all the plays that are
going without paying a cent, and enjoy
HEcellent opportunities for marrying the
licn girls who fairly swarm at the Capital.
They are not even expected to send a
bouquet in acknowledge gment of the en-
tertainmenJ they receive.
The work of a clerk in the Department
OF State implies no little responsibility.
A wrong word IN his transcript of a dip
1OmatlC paper might place this Govern
ment in a false position. The business he
transacts is mostly of secret nature. He
may know long in advance whom the
President has chosen for a Cabinet office.
or what warships are about to be sent to
threaten the cities OF a foreign nation. Ii
he tells ybody, and his information
gets out. his indiscreuon may have up
set policy and disarranged q complete
series OF moves which Uncle Sam is try
ing 10 carry out. Happily betrayals Of
secrets by Government clerks have been
very rare.
Though one-half of the applicants for
places in the departments are women.
only one person Of the gentler sex is ap-
pointed for every seven men. There is q
prejudice against female clerks on sew
eIal accounts. Nevertheless some officials
have discovered that they can often get a
~woman Tor 500 year who is more capa-
bic than q $1,000 man. Before the war
the employment OF women as clerks by
the Government was almost unknown.
though they sometimes got copying to do
SL home. The first woman regularly en-
pioyed was put on the rolls OF the Navy
Department thirty-five years ago. She
was a young widow. 1t was a grave
question what should be done with her.
and it was thought best to isolate her, as
II she were contagious. An attic room
was given her, and she received and re-
'tarned her copying by a messenger. To-
day there are Zoo women in the Treas
ury alone. They and others in different
departments are efficient as accountants,
correspondents, hnguists, draughtsmen,
'typesetters, etc.
. In 1861 thecoined money belonging to
the Government gave out and Congress
payable in gold. These were the original
4FNfst- flhaV- in, oh.