St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-01-21
LIFE IN WASHINGTON, D. c.
Two Sides to Every Question

conservative congressman, realizing
that they cannot make changes to
suit all parties, and dreading return
to the so.called spoils system, have
decided to let it alone; but younger
and resolute western men, knowing
the strong undercurrent Of feeling
against it, and feeling the injustice
OF the present arrangements, and
hearing the many predictions that
itscontinuance under this last regime
would cause the disruption of the
republican party, have made strong
effort to modify it by removing the
false garb placed on some of the de-
partments last year, so that it may
no longer be farce on the system.
Senator Gallnger, who is bright,
thinking man, voiced the feelings of
many intelligent persons when he
declared that every Office should be
open to citizens of the United States.
We have listened to many discus.
sions on all sides, and being silent
witness, have enjoyed the various
theories and arguments advanced
on both sides.
Upon President Cleveland's advent
to the White House the first time, it
was currently reported that the
South had adjourned to Washington
to receive the appointments to office
and 60 as foreign consuls, and many
were rewarded for their great zeal
to serve their country. But when
"the West" last spring visited Wash
ington for a similar purpose, they
found little to receive. President
Cleveland had gone out of the city
and the White House and closed all
Of the doors, and when the office
seeker asked for some position, he
was told "there were no vacancies,
few die and no one resigns" He
looked round and remarked, when
professional man becomes as feeble
and superanuated as those men, they
retire from active business; if they do
not, the public will soon do it for
them" But he learns that it is diff
ierent with the government clerk, the
older he grows the more tenacious
he becomes of his position. Younger
clerks in the same department feel
ill.natured because extra clerks are
not employed to make up this de-
6ciency, they must have heavier
duties. The chief OF that department
often finds it a troublesome problem
to know exactly how to harm onize
both parties. He dare not suggest
or report such an old man as too
inhrm to be of use as a clerk, for he
belongs, very probably, to some old,
arstocratic Southern family and
carries a strong political influence.
"Oh, yes" remarked the younger
clerk, "he has soft berth, but the
rest of us have to work"
Others query, why are certain
class put in by favoritism, 80
styled" allowed to fill the best paid
positions in the government employ
for life term, when Others, equally
worthy, often better educated and
mentally equipped, are obliged to ac-
cept inferior positions with low sal
aries? The usual reply is, "a lack
of political influence"
Secretary Gage has lately evolved
a plan to have an age limit of 70 and
then to receive certain salary. This
is claimed as equivalent to a pension.
This subject OF giving pensions to
aged clerks has been agitated in
Washington newspapers for the last
two or three years. The bill last
year planned to make the new and
younger clerks allow a certain per
cent of their salary to be set aside as
a fund for the aged clerks and
brought an outburst of Indignation
from them which did not look favor.
able for its passage. Others de-
clared there was vast difference be.
tween giving pension to soldiers
who had risked their lives for their
country and those who had simply
sat in their offices and worked in the
employ OF Uncle Sam and lived in the
most beautiful city of the United
States. A third declares that the
Pension building is the largest public
building in Washington. and it woulc
be a dangerous thug to begin to
grant pensions to department clerks
for il one receives one the number.
would not be limited to Washington
t for custom house officers, postmas
ters long in the service in all parts o
the country would soon demand tn,
same thing and we should soon hav,
, to build another Pension building
2 A manufacturer from New England
inquired, ibid they diminish the sala
ries of the government clerks durin,
the hard times in the country P
i Certainly not" replied one of tn
e clerks. WELL" said the New Eng
# lander, II guess they are about tn
q only people in the country who hav
had regular income, paid once il
d two weeks, and you think they ough
IS to be pensioned for living here an