The Washington times., 1894-05-22
PANGS OF DISPRIzED LOVE
Such as Politics Inflicts Upon Those
Who Hang on Its favOrs.
DlsMIssALs WET WITH TEARS
Sad Scenes and Distressing Incidents Charac-
terixe the Realization Of the Party Change
in the Administration Of the Government
Printing Office Saturday and Yesterday.

These are hard times generally, and In
some particulars are very sad times.
The scenes at the Government Printing
memorable in the lives of hundreds OF en-
ployes on account OF their discharge and
because of the departed certainty of pay twice
a month, which in many an instance was the
sole support not only of the beneficiary but
Of other dependent persons, were re-enacted
yesterday morning.
1t was not on account OF the announcement
of a fresh batch of discharges, but it was quite
as bad to many who lost their places and had
not expected it.
A large number Of the employees in some
branches of the great printing and publisnng 9
department generally finish their piecework
an hour before the close OF the office Tor the
| day force Those who work by the day stay
| In until the o'clock whistle blows.
| The announcement of the discharges last
| Saturday was about 4. Is p. m, when the time
| keepers made the rodnds bearing the dread
| envelopes. Apprehension OF the executioner s
| AK had been manifest for some days, but the
wholesale and fell suddenness of the dismissais
was extremely distressful to witness.
| Such intelligent working people a. must be
in such place as the Government Printing
| Office are merry, hardy, easy-golng set OF
| people. ever ready to make light OF hard
| work SO that it promises sure pay. This In
measure is as characteristic OF the women as
| well as the men who work there. Many OF
! them fell by the wayside, "and there we're
| tears and tremblings of distress" among them
| that made the agitation of the beauty that
| gathered with the chivalry at Belgium's cap
| ital on the eve of Waterloo the merest mock
| heroic woe.
| Yesterday morning there were many who
| were not present Saturday afternoon, butthey
| were promptly notified close on the opening
| hour yesterday that their services were no
longer needed. As the recipients OF the
notices made preparations for their de-
| parture from the building, it was amid tear
| stained faces and faces whose owners tried
| to be brave and let the sunshine OF courage
| pierce the gathering clouds OF hopelessness.
As some of the women went down the stair
| ways they sobbed aloud, and some oil those
who remained turned their faces away and
shed sympathetic tears. After all. they were
women, many of them having done heroic
part in the strife of getting on. The tears
did not hurt them; it rather helped and made
the air fresher for future endurance. Yet
there was actual anguish in the blow as 1t fell
on some. Not few OF these women, like
their sex, are creatures of nervous tempera-
ments, and the shock of pain upon them was
as though the lightning that was fatal to
part had prostrated all. What could have
been more heart-reaching than this incident!
One OF the women in the folding room, who
had trouble already at home on account Of
a sick husband and child, whose sole support
she was, had Just received her discharge,
when she was hastened TO her little household
by the message that her husband was danger
ously worse. He died before morning.
Yesterday, as is usually the case when one
of their number is in great distress, SYM
pathetic girls went about and made up
purse before noon, which resulted in most
helpful sum for the unusually afflicted wife
and mother.
If 'uneasy lies the head that wears the
! crown" how easy must it be to hold up the
head that sooner or later will be dropped by
the ax OF the party executioner.