The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
THEY ALL ANT PENSIONS.
AN EPIDEMIC Nv THE CITIL SER.
TICE IN WASHINGTON

Government Eunpieyecs Have BETTER PAY nm,
shorter Hours ThRn " orkcra In Civil Life /,
but Vow They want to Bc Taken Care or
In Their Ola AEe-Tbe Pension Fever.
WASHINGTON, Fob. 1o.-The pension fever doc,
not limit its ravages to the Veterans and tho
widows, children, mothers or other dependent
relatives OF veterans of tho civil war. Wash.
ington has 30 much 20 do with pensions in one
way and another, SO many shining social light,
owe some candle power of their brilliancy IN
money drawn from the Treasury, that there is n
pension epidemic. Those who cannot invent
any reasons for an application and cannot work
up n wnr claim can and do agitatc the subject
in tho direct interest Of their noighbors, who's.
prosperity must be for tho benefit Of the wholo
community. 1t is a fact that the prevailing son.
timent here Is that anybody who can obtain n
pension should get IL. Many pensioners nrc en-.
ployed by the Government and this is the home
of hundreds OF others. Tho business OF Wash.
ington stores shows an increase quarterly, when
the pension money Is paid.
II is not at all surprising that this germ dis
ease RACES in tho community. Within the bin
brici building where pension claims nro filed
considered and allowed there is an army Of
clerks, who handle tho applications. affidavit,
and certificates that come from every section
of tho country. As these documents are never
subjected to n disinfccting anti-Rcrm bath, thu
pension microbes are not destroyed, but enter
into the veins of tho clerks. Their contact with
othor clerks causes the disease to spread until
virtually every person in the service Of the Gov.
ernmcnt has a case Of pension fever for which
there is no euro.
Whether e civil service pension list was ever
contemplated by the civil service rcformep
docs not appear from the dull. vague and pc
dantic pages of Dorman b. Eaton's book, which
is the Bible of tho reformer. But the reform.
-
able efS " and lI prowinr sentiment at Sa, for a ,V ~e "a '" Oost,ir.
movement Indeed. in favor Of pensions or ha,t'
service of the United States. 1t is not n new
movement. hut II has hnd n recent fresh i,n,m,..
and 1t has achieved n very positive victory.
Now its favorable prospects arc discussed when.
ever two or more clerks are gathered together
and It's progress is regarded as gratifying. OF
its ultimate success the employees of the Gov.
The recent victory is the action of Secretary
of CLERKS and other emnloveos IN Tho olnosiaos
. | c,erAs anu o'ner empio'eeS IN tho CLASSIFIED
the principles of the reformed service and ,hs
carefully fostored sentiment of reform. II va,
brought to the attention of Secretary Gage that
many of the ,lerks who had been in the depart.
ment for years had become old or diseased or
had 80 lost the freshness necessary to the prompt
transaction of business that the work of the dc.
a mechanical manner which showed a loss Of in.
terest on the part of the clerks. For the hes,
and plastic minds are needed. Under i fbe y.
form rules, which:havo kept many in the service |
long after their usefulness has ceased, the places
turning out the old, to starve to death. Age
and disease, which have made them unfit for
this work, have made IL impossible for them IA
get or perform work outside. Instead of dis.
missing them. Secretary Gage has virtually re-. |
They have not been told that they need work I,
more. but they are assigned to light. unimpor.
This II is iu regarded de- 1 by ali who i ARE are in inI the os civil l' scs:
vice as a form of pension or retirement on nav. |
in the absence of a positive pension law. Tie
that Is resorted to by a congregation when il
wants to get rid of an old preacher without turn.
Everywhere in the departments this action Of |
Secretary Gage is hailed as the beginning Of a a
tanned that It is the logical and inevitable re.
suit and an essential part OF civil service re-
did not contemplate such a thing It was because
they were short-sighted. It is believed that it
IA life tenure ALWAYS and naturally means
retirement with part pay or a pension" said
for a civil list. .The principle If established in
the case Of Judges and Of The officers OF The army
sons in the civil service Would be to make an IN.
lust and unwarranted discrimination We have
nothing to do with the question OF cost"
persons in the community drawing ncnsion
money is to set others to- figuring out some way
to enjoy the same privilege. The fuel that The
widow Of a General keeps seven servants and
entcrtains magnifcently" and that the widows |
Of former Presidents and army officers. and
even members of Congress-, draw either pcn.
sions or a considerable gum in hulk excitcs envy
and.a passion for Government aid. j, is not
only Washington people, but also United states
Consuls and G%ovcrnment employees elsewhere
who favor a life tenure and retirement with nay,
Hnw anttralv tho lnotr;,o - En,or,,rnnk
sunnort s em.i pidy ,g .ne ha aoc.rln N,o Of no m0Tern inyns
here is shown in The answer that Is often made |
to the argument that the EMPLOYEES of the Gov.
ernment have no more claim for sunport than
other people. The reasonable view Of The case
by outsiders Is that The persona in the service
OF the United States are better Maid than pri.