The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Government Employees Preparing
for Heavy Fight for Pension A.
ter Twenty Years Service.
James S. McC art hv.

WASHINGTON, D. C., July l.-As the
fierce and scorchinc rays Of Old Sol
beat down uron the farmer, mechan-
;c, AID la5orer. ard as merchants, doe,
tors. lawyers. editors. and preachers
wait patiently fer crop gathering
tine fci. wha: !: due them. and as the
sweet. ocntle and modest matrons and
ma;:,yr~ Of The country and ST'2l!
town, busy themselves in the lrrita-
til" heat nf ,nmmer preparing pre-
serves. joi';:>. and pickle: for i';'
winter. aid :hout their othe" house
held I:lie>. government clerks ard
officials, WIN 90 to VIII ut nlit
"'clock in !??o morning an,' quit nj
half past four in the afternoon, and
who have easy times at the hardest
and who have thirty days vacation
81! ;ln1ty days. sick leave. with pa;
car'r iea:, &C planning all schem'
ing to ',rce he ?"comin@ Congress to
pass a law retiring them after twen-
ty years. service upon a pension OF
two-thirds Of the pay received by
them at the time Of retirement. They
claim that they are as much entitled
this consideration at the hands OF
the government as those Of the army
and na;y. ard j O. propose :" =" -
Ter it GOOD and strong when the sta
tc<men assemble under the great
i ne &c first Monday in December
II. oder 10 insure srrt esS Of their
:cilamt.. these crafty employees OF
Uncle Sam have adopted the methods
employed by the high tariff boodlers
to force Ccacress to do their bidding
They have employed a press agent,
whose duty it is to get matter in laud-
alton Of the scheme into papers
throughout the country. They have
adopted the lobby plan also and
when the law makers get here again
they will find trained lobbyists lying
in wait to impress upon them the
Righteousness of the cause. Mr.. States
men will also be besieged by clerks in
their individual capacity. They will
tell ::,im that they have just lots Of
friends back home ready to annihilate
him in the event he refuses to sup
port their bill. Women clerks, sever
al thousand Of whom are on the gov
ernment payroll drawing easy money
in sums from 5000 to $1,000 per an
nun. are counted upon to WELD great
Influence in the fight. Blondes, natur-
al and peroxide, charming brunettes,
ard clever auburn haired lobbyists
will swarm the corridors of the capl-
tol for the purpose Of enhancing CHI
valrous Congressman into voting to
create a civil pension list for the Uni
ted States. Jolly Grass widows, who
boast that they tired Of shaving for
poor working men, and who have Sc
cured nice, soft jobs, with big pay,
under the government, will be on
hand to cajole doubling legislative
Thomases into falling in line for "the
just rights Of the poor, downtrodden
government slaves,'' as they are
wont to characterize themselves.
Of course, everyone wishes to see
justice done government clerks, both
male and female, and no one would
deny them salaries commensurate
with the actual labor they perform
But when it is proposed to retire
them upon a pension, after twenty
years. service, with fat pay, it is
quite natural that the taxpayers OF
the country will raise a terrible howl
about it. The burden Of the tax
payer is already too heavy, and 1T is
expecting too much Of him to stand
for this outrageous proposition.
The government clerks claim that
they can not lay up enough out OF
their salaries to keep them in their
old age, but when it is known. that
the majority Of them live in costly
and richly furnished houses, ride to
and from work in handsome automo-
biles and carriages, their appeals for
this special and nefarious legislation
will fall flat.