St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-13
ABOLISH USELESS OFFICES.

There is an abundance of work that
might be done at Washington in con-
nection with the pending appropriation
bills that would receive the public ap-
probation and assist in reducing the
public expenditures. 1t is no secret
that there is too great prodigality with
the funds. We have too many public
OfficialS-men whose chief occupation it
is to draw fat salaries while they rem
der no equivalent. There are collectors
of customs who do not take in enough
money in the course of the year To pay
their gas bills, to say nothing of salaries
and other expenses. There are col
lectorS Of internal revenue who collect
next to nothing, and assessors who find
nothing to assess. There are marshais
who never make an arrest and court
officers before whom complaint is
never filed. All of these cost the people
money, and great deal of it.
A step in the right direction has just
been taken by the consolidation of the
duties of the coast and geodetic survey
with the naval and war departments.
The duties of this survey have been
important in the past, but its sphere of
usefulness has been contracted year by
year. Recently there has been little
for the officials to do. Our coasts, both
sea and inland, have been fully defined,
and the future work of the bureau is
merely nominal, and can be performed
by one or two ordinary clerks. Indeed,
custodian for the records would seem
to hn I'M. Of
Yet there are in Washington a large
platoon of men attached to this bureau.
and 1t costs the public S26l.000 year to
maintain it. This is just about $780,
900 more than is necessary, even if the
entire amount is not thrown away.
There are several thousand clerks III the
other departments WHO could perform
all the work connected with this office
in addition to- their present work, and
not feel that they were overwhelmed.
If there is any reform to be made in
this line-the adjustment of useless
or unnecessary offices-it must be &C
complished by the Democratic party.
There is no hope that it will ever be
done by the Republicans. The offices
they are sure to have, not only when
the Republican party is in control, but,
as long as present policies continue,
under the greater portion of Democratic
administrations as we'll. Democrats
have little interest in the Officeholding
business, no matter what party is in
the ascendency, and it should be the
policy of those in control to abolish as
many as possible, and serve the people
by reducing the expenses of the gov
eminent. In this way the favor of the
people may be retained and the party
continued in power SO far as the chief
offices of the nation are concerned, even
if no Republican be turned out. In the
natural order Of things the Republicans
now holding Office will die, and it is
possible that their places may be filled
by Democrats; but this process is too
slow to inspire enthusiasm In the cause
of the party. Next to securing an
honest and faithful performance of the
duties of all public Offices which they
may by accident be called upon to fill, it
should be the duty of the Democrats TO
abolish all those that are unnecessary
as speadily as possible.