The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-04


ton has such vast interests, measured by
the amount of money or number of people
involved
Great Britain would be an execution to
this if all the operations of that empire
were managed from the central seat of gov
eminent in London, but they are not.
Ihree-fourths of the empire is colonial, I'M
der home rule, except i'll certain matters
This is the only nation which does n "busi-
ness" every year of $500 100000. Fix mn
adequate conception of sum of money like
this in your mind, if you can. The chances
are you can't. The greatest business house
in the world. that of the Armours of Chi
cago handles IL million dollars week; the
greatest railway system, the Pennsylvania,
including all lines, 50, 0OO, 900 n week.
Uncle Sans transactions in actual OK
penditures reach the astonishing total of
about Sl0,UO,OOO Il week This amount
must necessarily increase as the wears 20
ny. Not only is the country growing Mt n
prodigious rate, but the functions of uoy-
ernment are being extended to fields I'M
heard and unthought of n few wears ago
The evolution of things is always from the
simple to the complex. with corresponding
and constant reactionary struggle of all the
involved forces to evolve order and simple
lty out of the increased complexity. So it.
also IN the great government of which our
good Uncle Sam stands as the figurehead
Evidence of the order which permcates
every department of the government from
highest to lowest is found in the fact that
the transfer OF March next and the ensuing
Wonths will be accomplished without fric-
ton or stoppagc, and with such ease and
smootGncss that no one concerned with the
operations and not with the place holding
OF the great organization would ,,er know
that change was taking place unless he
was told of it or read it in the public press
Nothing will wait, nothing suffer, nothing
stop on account of the political revolution
The taxes will be collected, the pensions
paid, the contracts let, the navy kept 60
ing, the army run on, the mails be collected,
carried and delivered; the books kept, and
all the infinite operations of government
continue as if nothing had happened.
The American people, greatly assisted by
the American press, haven way of making
Il great ado over the filling of few thou
sand offices, and from the din and confu-
| sion some persons gain the idca that Il
change of administration means Il complete
revolution i'll the personnel of the govern
ment OF the 10000 civil employees of the
government probably 10000 will be ut
their work and drawing their salaries u
| year hence.
In Washington, for instance, where about
| 1000 persons work for the government and
| where the rewards of politics are popularity
| supposed to be bearing down the tree of pat
| ronage, no more than 9, 900 or 5000 changes
altogether are likely to take place during
the four years of the coming administr;l-
ton Throughout the country the changes
are not very great or rapid. Presidential
| postmasters will step out as their commits
sions expire, and postmasters Mt some of
the minor offices rs soon rs their SUCCESSORS
can be agreed upon.
| But perhaps 10000 or wore of the &C, 900
postmastcrs in the country will not be dis
TURNED Mt all, and the great army of letter
curriers', mail carriers, railway and star
route agents will 20 on at their work as if
nothing had happened. Compared to the
whole number OF public servants the num-
Der affected by the political change is small
| indeed.
| This general truth only seems to en-
| phaszc the vastness of our governmental
| machine. Here is a city of 100000 souls