The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
MUST UP OR BE FIRED.
A NEW DREAD FOR oFFICEHoBD.
n IN WAsHINGT TON.

hN W UEN8NI " wv = -" ENAsS
istrntion - Temptations Tor Clerks tn tho
Departments-vyayu or the
who Dencd Their Creditors In the Past.
WARRINGTON, Aug. li.-Mr. McKinley's an
nouncement that he proposes to maintain tho
integrity of tho civil service reform Idea has
removed tho nerve-edging dread Of tho guillo'
tine from the bosoms OF many hundreds OF Gov.
eminent clerks in the Washington departments.
But for very many Of them a new dread now
looms up. Tho nows has been promulgated that
this Administrator intends that its employees
shall pay their just debts.
There Ia, Of course. nothing novel in this idea.
II has been a standing order in the departments
here for q great number OF years. Through the
department heads each successive Administra-
ton has mildly declared that the clerks of the
Government should and must pay their credit
ors, IL only to save the Secretaries from
being bothered by cxpostulatory tailors, boot
makers, Rrocerymen, liverymcn, furniture
dealers. vendors, and purveyors Of all sorts.
who, crouchine on Secretaries' anteroom sofas,
c~lasping punches OF dog-eared bills, know how
to wait patiently long hours for opportunities
to waylay the department bosses and I'LL their
ears with hoarsely uttered grievances; and who.
failing in their schomes for personal interviews,
burden the Secretaries mails with heavily un.
derlined letters. subsorvient, pathetic. and Inn
p~erative. But none of these orders has ever
been strictly and unanimously enforced. Some
OF the debtors among department employees
under former Administrations have been called
to task by their chiefs, hardly ever. however,
with the result of their losing their Jobs
or their creditors getting the cash. Ono
Of these two things Is going to hap
pen now. says tho present administration.
PAY your debts or get fired Is the gist OF the
order that has been pasted In all of the rooms OF
a. H., -t,- -N 0~,-. .A-
tory dismissals Of incorrigible debtors have al
ready taken place. and it really looks as II the
clerks must either pay up or accept their yellow
envelopes with whatever resignation they ran.
The temptations presented to Government
employees in Washington to get themselves
head over heels In debt arc vast and practically
irresistible to many.
"Come and buy things from u.s. soy the deal
ers: take them out Of the store; we need room
for additional stock; We don't want any money
until you're ready to hand 1t to US; your word 10
as good as your bond; you can have oil the time
you want; drop In to-day and look over our
stuff, and take It away from here; we don't want
your money until you're on velvet. Gomez
This Is insidious talk for wavering, indccisive
minds; 1t Is talk that has planted many q crows
foot on the faces Of Government clerks. Yield
ing, the clerk does get what he wants, or thinks
he wants, from the credit institutions, promis-
ing to pay what 10 not more than double their
value; he gets his name on paper for the
amount-"a little matter Of form" say the deal
ers. persuasively; and IL the clerk is improvi.
dent by nature, as he very often is. tho root Of
| his future troubles IA planted.
One of Mr.. Cleveland's flrst-term Secretaries
was q gentleman who had never learned the
fonr. sa1 Ts h' All Ks H life. ii It ~ %sst sa aRp at nn the time,
he had been sTirling around nd In a perpetual
/ ipUf0n IN taka nm hig DortfoliO there was n hup
and cry after him from his home creditors.,a
f%ruitleSs hue and cry. for he was SO desperately
eyes, and try to forget, This he did. But in
into the slough Of debt ali the time; his ercditeors
bulldozed him. 80 that during his entire term Of
officer, and an exceedingly mad one into the
bargain. for the persistence OF his creditors irri-
It used to. be fun for the mon attached imme.
diately to this Cabinet officers office to watch
him receive the mon who had long standing bills
gaze ct the creditors with unreasonable digust,
90 II they wore tarnntulas or scorpions OF o
larger growth. endowed with reasoning powers.
himself With scorn, to exude their long stories
ment. When they had quito finished he would
ssss to- the he's devils ESlHe s Sed did 8HF!tfRR hS% any TIL ! sh sboa aG
Els mems. debts. and didn't want to know
anything about them.
% WttS sa A. he w wGsla in %q%Ssst PSn aY : Z ea ats to ds 40;
You for a few suits Of ciothesi HeyJ The order
about their paying their debts H. ; Oh; yes; the
TO his work while he is in this building from 8
o'clock in the morning until I o'clock in the az.
.. to Know about .sSt,s h AN 1 k II yon ae eSn', hin ih or m |nes
him p, for life; hold him up; garrotc him; any:
Good morning :"
There finally came up n case in which this
It was that OF a young fellow-from New York
city, by tho wny-who: with q $500 n year bill
IL Into debt ali over town, and, when he discoS.
cred upon recapitulation how hopelessly he was
submerged. threw up his hands and ii&tly de
and caring not a continental whether he did or
not not - His .ss SrSd ! sGod pees ss E ed tho the Sie %c I Y T b.
off his own creditors. and one and all Of then
met with a reception similar to that described
body. The President Instructed the Secretary
to call the young man before him and give him
settling with his creditors or resigning.
y the Secretary vas Vas obliged 96lise to summon I'll III
y younE m man tr r5On Ns SS~ YORK aGFs ap before hi besm Tne
son" said the Secretary, IL hear you owe
some money!
"well, how about 1t. anyhow r.
Cant pay. sir; that's all; broke"
" these people have been yowling at my dool
here for a long time past, and you've known It
This having been the case. why haven't you
done something, toward squaring up with the
before answer that. sir" said the young
man from New York. here's my resignation. ]
had q Zip on this thing, and so l prepared It
Now I'll answer your question. sir: Because It,
none OF, the United States Governments
damned business whether ! owe 81, 600. 900 oil
10 cents. and because their blasted b~ullyrag
RinR and their attempt to use tho United States
Government as n club TO pound mo to death
gave me a pain. That's why, SIR"
New York with gathering admiration. He rose
from his seat and held out his hand.
SON." said he, "Ill have to take your resig
nation. and I'm sorry for It. for ] hate to lose
you; but you're all right, son. | want you Il
nndorsland right along. first, last. and all Tho
time. that consider you all right, and your sen
timents. sound Lot mo hear how you max,
out And with. another handshake tho younl
man from Now York departed boaming.
A young man from Chicago employed In one Of
the bureaus OF the Interior Department fell into
the rapid swim when he came here four year,
ago. got himself in debt to half the tailors anC
haberdashers IN town. and wound up by landinl
himself in tho clutches Of tho ldpcr,cent..a
month money lenders and curbsIone broker
who abound in Washington. When he final,