Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-10-09


Offices, &C., have been called upon to contribute
money to defray the expenses incident to the pend
ing election, we have no knowledge to Justify us IN
affirming or denying. If they have, however, they
have only exactly followed the precedent set them,
for many years back, by the Democratic party with
which this and all such practices have originated
a precedent which we so little admire, that we have
no hesitation in ayowng our opinion that the Wings
would have honored it more by AVOIDING than W
following it, We would not deny to our wing
friends. any more than we would deny ourselves,
the pleasure of contributing money towards defray-
ING expenses of an honorable character required to
aid the dissemination and vindcstion OF their prin-
ciples Of this character we should consider the
nrntinp and distributing of such instructive docu-
ments as cannot be placed in the hands Of the Peo-
pie through the newspaper press If money is en-
ployed by Wings in any other way, we are not
aware of it ; nor are we aware that money for such
purposes is raised in any other way than by volun-
tary contributions of true-hearted Wings.
The Democratic organ published in this city (the
"Union has, in its paper of yesterday, an article
crying out against what it calls forced contribu-
tons" in the form of a taxation of clerks IN the
custom house at Boston, in small amounts, towards
a fund to pay expenses of this sort II tells
a story, on the authority of Boston paper, that
three clerks in the custom-house OF that city,
who refused to contribute money for this purpose,
have been for that reason dismissed from othce.
These three clerks may have been dismissed from
Office for this reason since the Boston Post says So
But we shall not believe it until it be proved; and
should it prove to be true, certain are that such
prescription will receive no countenance or appro-
baton from this Administration, or from the Wings
as party.
The New York Evening Post has something of
similar story to the clerks in the Post Office in
that city; except that the " Post of New York
falling short of the Post of Boston-fails to pile
up the agony" SO high, by adding the circumstance
of dismissal from office for contumacy in refusing to
contribute money when requested by their friends
and fellow Wings to do so.
Now whatever foundation there may or may not
be for the compassion expressed by one of the
"Posts," and the copous indignation poured out by
the other in reference to the practice of subordinate
public officers contributing money towards the ex-
penses of elections, either municipal or general we
cannot allow the Democratic party to plume itself
in regard to these practices at the cost of the Wings
until they have some right to do so. In the case
before us they have no such right as we shall show
tho levying of forced contributions on civil officers
and employees in the cities for party purposes being
an invention of the Democratic party, originating in
the palmy days of Jacksonism, and during that
dynasty being most Systematically arranged anC
more tyrannically exercised than it has ever beer
VAN buren, or Mr.. Polk, or the Administration
which filled up the space between them
We call one witness to the stand, and could cal
more Of them to the same effect, if repetition o
the same evidence could add any force to the test
mony which follows.
At the Session Of Congress which commenced in
December, 1888, Select Committee was raised by
the House of Representatives to examine into GER
tain alleged defalcations and misapphcaton of the
public money by Public Officers at New York. The
Report of this Committee, accompanied by mass
of evidence, which was submitted to the House of
Representatives at the same Session. contains the
following testimony, amongst much more of the same
kind, fully sustaining what we have above stated,
that the practice of evyng contributions for party
purposes originated with the Democratic party.
Mr.. DAVID S. LYON, Deputy Collector Of the
Port Of New York, being examined by Mr. WISE, Of
Virginia, testified as follows
Question Whilst you Deputy Collector at the port
Of New York. you called on, officer Of the
custom-house, to contribute any Of money
70 party political objects if So what amount Was
such amount from you, called for in consideration Of
your salary from Government? What proportion did il
bear TO your salary Did you pay it, hnot, why not
Who called for such contributions Were other subordi-
mates in the customhouse, to your knowledge called
TO contribute in like manner? For the support Of what
party were these contributions called for? Was any
directly indirectly, Of remova held over these
officers yourself for failures grant such contribu
tons
MIR. Owens OBJECTED to the interrogatory
The question, Shall the inerrogatory be propounded
was put and decided in the affirmative the yeas and NAYS
having been called for by Mr.. Owens Yeas: Messrs
Curtis, Dawson Harlan, Smith WISE Nays: Messrs.
Owens Wagner
AnSr0. have frequently been called contribute
10 political objects while deputy collector A. an
officer Of the custom house The uas from tcet,
dollars 10 one hundred dollars The tar pro rata &C
cordng to salary II bore proportion Of from 10 nj
per cent frequently paid part Of the amount; wher
il was too high and than could afford, urgeC
them reduce IT, In instance, where
twenty dollars Mr. Swarwout told the collector Of the
that ten dollars enough for to pay. For few
years back have not paid any thing the general
mt.ee because could afford TO pay the amount
sessed, and because could not conscientiously onge