Complex sentence: The name "Orpheus C. Kerr" was a play on "office seeker;" at the time, political "offices" were seen as plums, involving relatively little work and regular pay, and were used by political parties as rewards for faithful party workers.
Split into simpler sentences: The name "Orpheus C. Kerr" was a play on the term "office seeker". At the time, political offices were seen as plums, involving relatively little work and regular pay, and were used by political parties as rewards for faithful party workers.