The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-30

Washington that one Of tho plans
for national economy calls for the
dismissal OF $4,000 OF the 100000
government employees. mostly clerks,
whose discharge will mean an an
nual saving Of nearly half billion
dollars.
The taxpayers will be glad to learn
of the proposed economy, but our
object is TO try to make the clerks
glad too. The first ten years of a
government clerks life in Washing
ton he lives in mortal fear that he
will be fired; the next ten years he
regrets that he wasn't. and the rest
of his life he laments that he was
ever hired.
The work is not hard, the hours
are short, ana so is the pay. The
government clerk accumulates moth
ing except some choice stories Of the
political influence he Yields back
home, and most of his spare time
is spent explaining to the senator
and the new congressman how the
influence of his friends and rela-
tives elected them, and why he should
be promoted to the $1,000 class.
Two young men are applicants for
the office III. postmaster in the same
country town. The congressman gets
job in washington for the one that
was disappointed. He meets an at
tractive young woman in the de-
partment who draws the same pay
he does and boardssat the same place.
They go to work at the same time
and quit at the same time. Usually
they have their prunes together at
the same time in the morning. They
are cultured, attractive and con-
genial with one another.
They decide to marry and con-
tinue working and boarding until
something is accumulated and they
can quit the clerkships and leave
Washington forever. They do ac-
cumulate something. Instead of two
living on the wages Of two there are
three, and then four or more, living
on the wages of one.
They haven't gotten ahead like
they thought they would and they
can't afford to give up living and
take a chance OF going without
job. So they go on, not unhappy and
not discontinued. for ambition has
been worn to shreds; the door of the
future has been closed upon them
and they become a part of the lost
tribes of Washington. Their iden-
tity has been lost back home; the
congressman is looking after the for
tunes of the new recruits. and pro-
motions go not to help the man pro-
NOTED, but to help the man who
makes the promotion.
Under the old method Of grading
no person who could not pass sat
isfactory examination in Republican
ism could make a passing grade for
a civil service job in Washington.
There were mighty few Democrats
in the departments when Woodrow
Wilson was elected, and the few that
were there denied it. 1t is one of
the peculiarities of the government
Clerk that he belongs to the party
in power, and while he never votes
he never fails to celebrate the cleo
ton of the successful candidate.
Whenever there is change in adj
or congressman or
senator is defeated, a tragedy is en-
acted in Washington, For every |
person elected there are scores of |
jobs at his disposal as patronage, |
and his followers rally about him, and |
like hungry wolves snatch the bread
and meat from the hands of the fam
lies of the men who hold the jobs. |
The longer they stay the harder
Il is to break away. For this rea-
son the Democrats will not have so
much difficulty in establishing
themselves in their former occupa-
ions in private life. For this they
should be profanely If they can not
be devoutly grateful.