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

James S. Mccarthy.
washington, d. c., July 1.-As the
fierce and scorchinH rays of Old Sol
beat down upon the farmer, mcchan-
lr. and lahorcr. and as merchants, doe
tors. lawyers, editors. and preachers
wait patiently for crop gathering
i!Hc Ter what l. due them. and as the
sweet. gentle and modest matrons and
mai;'Hn~ Of ;hc country ami >rall
town. busy themselves in the irri.a-
ting heat rf summer prcrnrrnr pre-
serves. jH;'&'~. and pickle. for tic
winter. and :hout then ni.lr" house
held 'tl it>. ;"nvcrnmcn: clerks ard
o!liriaiS. VII" 80 to " ,.'i> III Iii
"'rl"ri IN III" morning an,' quit at
half past four in the afternoon, and
who have easy times at the hardest,
and who have thirty days. vacation
AZ! ;'niy 1ay>' ~irk leave. with pa.
each ,ra:, r"c ;:l:nning at schcm.
'n% to 'rrt he !"cominT Crn."~s. to
pass il law retiring them after twcn-
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
to this consideration at the hands of
the government as those of the army
aud na'y. ard i"r prorose y 49,
:cr II "ond and strong when the STA
tc>mcn assemble under the great
i ne - first Monday in December.
n. ".dcr t" insurc srrtc*S Of their
>ril"mt. these crafty rlIr;ryres Of
Uncle Sam have adopted the methods
employed by The high tariff boodIcrs
to force CH3;rcss to do their bidding.
They have employed Il 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 bcSicwcd by clerks in
their individual capacity. They will
tell nm that they have just lots Of
friends back home ready to annihilate
him IN the event he refuses to sup
port their bill. Women cicrkS sever
al thousand of whom are on the gov
rrnmCnt payrrll drawin" easy money
in sums from 5000 to 81 500 per an
NUM-. are counted upon TO wiclI great
Influence in the i"hi. Blondes. natur-
al and peroxide. charming brunctlrS.
a"l clever auburn haired lobbyist ;
| will swarm the corridors Of The capi-
tot FOR the purpose OF enhancing chi
valrouS Congressman into voting to
create civil pension list for the Uni
ted States. Joll v Grass widows, who
boast that they tired Of slaving for
p"or working men. and who have Sc
cured nice. soft jobs. with big pay.
under the government, will be on
hand to cajnle d"ubtin" legislative
| ThomaSes into falling in line for "thc
just rights Of the poor, d0wntrodIcn
government s!aveS,' as they are
wont to characterize themselves.
or course, everyone wishes to see
| justice done government clerks. both
male and female. and no one would
| deny them salaries commensurate G
with the actual labor they perform.
But when it Is proposed to retire
them upon Il pension, after twenty
years. service. with fat pay, it is
quite natural that the taxpayers of
the country will raise terrible howl
about il. The burden of The tax
payer is already too heavy, and it is
expecting too much Of him to stand
Tor tins outrageous proposition.
The government clerks claim that
they can not lay up enough out Of
their salaries to keep them in their
old are. 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~
bilcs and carriages. their appeals for
this special and ncfarious legislation
will fall flat.