Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-14
COMPLAINTS FROM CLERKS
Government Employees Object to Being Con-
tinually Criticised.
Congressmcn Called to Account for
Their Free Ccnxure of Uncle
Sans AsHistants

| The government clerks are kept in n
state of mind" throughout each session
| by the unjust attacks that are occasion
| ally made upon them as a class by mem
| bers OF Congress in the course of debates
| on the civil service law and kindred TOPICS
| The Star is in receipt of several communi-
I cations on the subject from EMPLOYEES of
| the government, who resent the sugges-
| ton frequently made that they are over
| paid, under-worked and, in general, enjoy
| luxurious privileges without giving ade-
quate return. The Star gladly publishes
these letters. An American" writes thus
An Un-American SYSTEM
AS your paper has always shown itself
| willing to voice the sentiments of the peo-
pie, and has the gratitude of the people
Here ana elsewhere in our great country
ior many victory in subduing public
huisahces wish to direct your attention
10 the expensive and time-consumirp CON,
troversfes which have but the one object
namely, modification of office-hold;pg. For
humber of weeks your paper has devoted
| a soouiy snare of its space to the various
IDEAS and labors of Congress on that SUBJ
1ect, and now appears a new bilr ,intro-
duced by Representative Doekery) intend
! ~ us -, ~ supJect every government employe
S<Np-i4iAdliui dl certain periods.
Inc examinations which people must
pass al present to obtain a position are
such mat the successful applicant must
s serts aa be Of ample ability to fully
earn every dollar of his or her salary. If.
before qualifying, every congressman
shouio nave 10 pass an examination, the
extent or which is proportional to his saI-
aiy ana mat Of $1,000 clerk, this country
Nouiu PROBABLY remain in an electoral
state Tor an indefinite time and the SIC
csss1ui candidates would undoubtedly en-
ao!e the press to furnish its patrons with
Items of Congress doings more Interest,"
ing than at present. The object of Con-
sfesS mas been TO make rules which will
give to the nation the best labor in the no.
S doeo 81 ranging i frem s72o upward. But
uoeS not the nation expect some substan-
lai service and brain work from the re-
clpient Of 5000 per annum?
nat benefit TO the people at large is A
n,nnd5 IN government positions? The
monetary questions, some reconciliation he
tween capital and labor, the Hawaiian
E .ioii, the Cuban question, all occupy
.he nations mind. but Congress has no
time Tor ~them while a few constituents
ciamor for some means by which tbev NAV
receive position payment for helping
~ procure the one to which 5000 and more
are attached.
press OF our country recall to the mind of
Songress the duties to perform which ii
IA mas oeen assembled? 1t is business of pub
TIC, not individual, interest to which Com
gresS should attend. The .spoils' have been
| Tor years the all-important question in CON
sfess, and people are becoming tired of this
MS s. ul-Ahlerlcan way of treating holders
OF o1nces which belong to the nation NOT
10 the congressman Would any American
IN private life accept the vigor and best eff
torts OF man and then, after having bene-
| Hted thereby. turn him out on the world
When age comes upon such an emnIo,a3
our military officers receiving a much
hlgher compensation for their la hors ave
penslohed at old age, but our civil officers
n
military officers are to be turned ont after
having given their strength for the puhIic
interest. 1t would certainly be more cred
liable to Congress to be at least hrp.ra
rather imam un-American. and to issue the
verdict that any government clerk he shot
| at a certain age
NO enterprising American will e..,oIov
man whose health and strength have hee.,
| spent for the interest of another hut ,,anv
an American can be found who manages to
| 1lnd work and bread for his empIove who
mas grown Old in his shop or office and who
ny former energy and usefulness has made
himself deserving of a safe berth In his old
days. why should not the man or woman
VINO works for Uncle Sam have the sa me
o ~, IN ms or her employer as tie
one IN other occupation, who feels that a.;
long as he guards the interest of his en-
ployer- the employer viii guard hs?'
The Terrifying Superior Official.
Another correspondent, signing himself
'X. y. "" writes:
1t is observed that considerable spcca
mas recently been given in your paper to
communications from various sources con-
oerninS the clerks in the executive de-
rartinents, almost all describing in glow
irg language the luxurious lives easy
hours nnerai salaries and general worth
iesSncss OF the employees OF the govern
ment when compared with factory hands
hucksters, house servants. statesmen, brake
men, etc.
Ia fc
person in ten reads the articles referred
to. their publication affords pleasure TO
the writers and no one should object to
sucn cheap amusement. 1t is. however
possible that some of the writer's of the
essays in question may be in error as re-
CARDS the persons of whom they write
lhere are many thousands OF government
employees in this city, and but few of them
deserve the things written of them. True
there are unworthy men and women in the
departnents. as there are in every walk
OF life, but the percentage is small. Much
mat is published in newspa pers or spoken
by men of small calber. who through
their manipulation of dirty politics hold
positions in Congress, results from the
ignorant vaporings of newly created Off
Gals who are temporarily in charge of
divisions, bureaus, etc. in the departments
ard who are regarded with contempt by
their subordinates who are their superiors
IN everything except official position AS is
Well known, the higher places in the gov
erhnent service are exempt from the civil
service laws. and as result they are flied
by the appointment of men who have
claims on the appointing power and who
could not successfully pass an examina-
ton for NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. clerkship
These men invariably fall into the error
of looking upon the department service
where high order of mental ability is
required. with the eye of an overseer on
western farm, southern cotton field or
New England factory. Their capacity is ex-
hausted when they formulate an order for
bidding smoking or prescribing rules to gov
ern absence on account of sickness. They
speak of the clerks. but for whose brains
their ignorance would be exposed, sneer-
irgly. as did an Indiana chief in the pen
sion bureau who described the employees
OF his division as "a passed. of gals an
fellers." True, none of these creatures
last very long, but while they remain they
make life so heavy for the Departments
clerk that a salesman in a shoe store or
dry goods establishment or bell boy in
cheap hotel is a nabob in comparison.
"But if the little tyrant in temporary
power in the departments is a contempt
bile creature, the loud-voiced congressman,