, 1870-10-31
WASHINGTON.
Secretary Coz and Campaign Assess
meutA :


- meutA
The Letters In the Case.
Washington tf. ss, Correspondence o} the Ci,sein-
matt Ga:ettt-
The three letters given heloS furnish the htstor1
OF the controversy bctHeen several political cnu1
m,t'tes and Secretary Cox upon the subject o1
making forced Contributions fur campaign pur.
pos s.
In the csse Of tho Congressional Committee. the
is,ue vas Joined because Of posttEe violation Of
PROMISE given bY the Secretary Of the commit
tee that the rtquests to the clerks In tue
Int rtor Department should he for voluntary
cont1tbutiars Mr. Plass had called upon General
Cox, snd asked for a list Of all the employees OF
the department, with statement Of their salar-
itB. The General, after stating his views on the
eubIect Of assessment, agreed to furnish the de.
sired list upon the promise Of Mz. P!att that the
call made upon the clerks should be for voluntary
contributing. 4 few days after Secretary Cox
Wah surprised to learn Of a circular assessing !
per cent OF the salary of each elnn.o5e, coupled
with wh0t everyone understood to be threat 0!
removal against all who failed to pay.
Regarding the Pennsylvania committee, t. Il
Gulclent to say thas lis conduct was t,per.lne
AID coLtempsiale Throughout, ard stuals 1nale
itself the willing tool OF disrerutaale nen.
IT'S proper 10 asid that the ohio committee co1.
dlaly euorsesi the position assumed uE SECRETARY
Cox. The Congressional and I'.unsr!yania com
niitees luinel 10 uuitel tati1e agaist The Secre-
taty:
SECRETARY coz TO 1HE Observation-Disclosures
(coly.l
DEPARTMENT or TNK ISTEgtQEx}
WAsHlsuToS, D. T., J1Ei =, 1,7U.
DEAR Slh. In arcurta1ce with Youe req1rst
l iulNa1t herewith Tell OF tie Officers anu
eu pioyes uf ta1s department. In dung 80 i
hsg 10 repeat whH, said 10 yourself ant Me.
laasi, VIZ: That in my ef1utts to bring aoUut
All inpres enent Of :Ae c.yil service IN this de-
pHtntrt, hc it 10 he n,rsoluteiy essential nut
pltyts that they holu thei: places su ,,ect u r.
Naval III lack Ut e1ficehcy or iutexr1tS anu that
10 Subscriptions to political 1uu,is s1ou Of po-
or Industry IT. laekltg-
3lr. Pia1s ASSURED me, aud understood you
70 agree win hlu', snaI the llst w4s only de-
sifeu in c1der tu xlte your committee the
opportunity to inv:ie such a. fcls entirely free
10 do - 70 contribute to support the work
!oo. M S, = ana not p m
t.at rnsnJ our clerks hare AT shey can DO to
tpaAe a bAIe exist nee ou: OF ;hcis ealatIe3.
SHOULD be entirely usn thing to have the app.ica-
II Ii Put CD any ctGtE basts, even II old not
.ink, Is 10. TIN: aug compulsory assessment
HGi;u he political sntnura.ts. aod productive Of
;;.:e rat .rrslce to tue Kepuican i,arty by ri.
l. : The ktaadatd 1t qualification uuons c!Stl en-
| Iiv,eS, md putting each Clerk upon hla Eler1t
a,an- fnr .inbt Gent tr pv:lu tug, shaa ey the
eApg:l.iluse Ut l1any times the amount OF tsuncS
they could p s-islf .nultu.r- SrsJ respectfully,
| 5tut OlciieiIi strrant,
lion. ]. ". Cleasieulnr, Secretary Congressional
Republican tuMml,tet.
| SECRETARY COX TO THE rgSSsrLvAStASs.
DEPARTMENT OF THE 1srEEioR,
| wAsutSt;TeS, d. T.. Sept $, ;S73 I
SIR: an N y tt;t Vt four letter of yesterday
tEa1&c's pt1sottn. ~Ltteip Iou reqasst that per-
lssun t'e prarttti ycus coz tnll.et to csil upon
| she ftR1,syISsu!sns In inls department for The
Iuf1tse u sr!'cisirg nurslF voluntary suhscTtp-
stu, from .hese Il. l,x asle and w':itox to give
Permit n:e 10 tas III reply, tbs, this IL the third
applica1t, III this SOFT receiver hy NC iron, you,
aTse lie r vz IL Tsat th 0iss psps
sion WAS granted with the suie condition. that
III, tute'f fiiAott shoH1d be really voluntary. ani
that The asAuciasisn should uot ats:rupt Iii a1y
who may tet unate to subscribe t,ste!: funds Of
who itas CHEESE another chanle, for their all.
1 -ftG asG Lot n:staksn IN assHn'n2 thas | fer! a
very 'tn !itt Test II lne SUCCESS VI the Ktputt:-
cln cause throughout iile country: anil l,.s 10
as..te 3GE that If II the Interest ot that caust
thut have br'Nsc.t evesy TORN Of assessment
ut,+h snr tHlalits of LNc-ls Us notic Vi r1istnr
| luEtas (; T I.uifisal purposes
1slnc. nj, t+l.tve the at,ealp's made this year
u levy such aett tssiueIta have ulttauy hurt lne
| pa II HnIiy shlt! tlHrc than the ASSESSMENTS. II
| collected, ccu.sl ut Up IT.
| 4ue iLeEuhtAE tillaE y appealing 10 Tue C0tlt1-
| II. sotutp ittt fer The honesty and economy Vt
eAt a'!rnh: i tatnr. among ether things. rtEatd
L ciyl: Ee!yice telurin v lttcn shall pu: the EN-
.,es 81 ths !. rsrtmeuts tn resc;ct 10 .he mat
Nehs;GF. useu Secretary IT Siatt III lsil as uttnX
esseltlal 10 at hencst anl thsiits administration
Ct ms sspafnsni, r; and he issp Esgse:sl
| subsfatCe OF political Euce. 81 for tile shadow
1fn Etpuhltt al party will preserve its poFtt
aLd prestige nn!. ty c0utnuEg to .,e the psrtT ri
the E'sht. End LEEDS tn c cxcrt.iinrly cat:ious ot
tioSatioGr tn wrong directions, ike tae one !
vely respectfully, Jour ol,e,,lent servant,
W. A.. Short, Ee1. Chairman @ cciani,sec. ys Gtc.,
fcLnrylsania Republican Association:
| SACkE7AltY cox 70 THE OHIO COMMITTEE.
DErax7sEsi Or 7uk INTERIOR,
/ NAsH!sG1oS. y. t., Aug. 10, lssn.5
My DEAN Str: My delay In M,lswer1cg yours Of
| the 81 thst- has been oNing TO the p!eAs of my
MCtk heie, which has prevented INT getting time
There sccnsI to bc no nrrs, u tls,e .hru. ant
before was Eea.i5 u reply ths. subject hai nc
ctl one 81 such gcneEh! u 5cu. hlou anil agitation
IL the sevc!al dspas asttueats :ha. thought 1t wns
wise to Iotk little more closely tato the els:o,
Of such askcstncnts fseforc Btttng.
| Your conmitic. request full list Ct the names
| " tfaFhEts OF the government IN this depart
! nisht appo:nsed from Ohio, with tie AMOUNT of
saiaI5 1nI naIe 81 contity. &c-, f1on which
taea Was appointed, . for the SUPPOSE Of nlAk-
1 :hx snall assessment upon them for
Sta1e aEd Congressional campaign purposes"
Atter varrfus coasi itraiion Of thu III t,:eE.
VIVA The sttuiEGst aes.re u s:co:..l evcsy tight
hEc1Etst II b:half Ct the Rcpl 1!Ic1l orkaa:z i
tiun 10 which we have great Il couaraon tnte.-
cst. an constrained To- t:eeiue complying with
Mo 1t Ie right 10 ID 50, and therefore not To-:
| fie ndyaufaet hf the KcpHt'fc1u parry. which
eaa rAly eNi:t ts con ino'ns 10 b. the chatnpioa
Ttr ccsi>'esa..2Is wlica lead me to this coac1u.
SION Msy he summed up IN tw.', namely:
| !. Atal slch sssess1,ents are directly apsa4o,
titf!c tO tt civil service reform. which belieyt
IT. he &C imperative ntressity that the Repuhli.
cHu patty. as the proi.r party Of true reforms,
s9E nos irnSer delay to make 1t part Of taeii
: Becausc the specific asscssnea, you now
pspnose to make o1 bella1f Ut tnr Stlte Cen,rai
u 1l1nlss.e Is u, iDa9rss,uu Ia hat ,lssecs1vu
u ihe atstF EI; I. ie:n.:i ne u say tha', afer
sa1tcw h4f c+rrful exa:ntlIatfnn ct tie s'ilsc:
tanu"t lsa:n t:.-: anything stMuaE 10 AL a5ScS4.
I'M ut ftF jlry si, npu The s.le ks aui eul-
iases nf m: .ssa stnen. vas .xsr uaslc p;lur "a
eRlt u conl.hlstt+. Ht thc clerks t.e:rse v..s
"a'siiE n;on tstrr fslix IL reEs0n, and rrlutat.
'ng srts tse1,p:ioss ~ rsrssqen:al c,n:esL
This gear, for fhe ngst Il. ;, tn.r!trks h11e re-
cxlytG c:rcrsa: + utu thr CO. gfeSsoual .,o1.mtt-
te HAiuf the anlttst uich Is a<$tss4I Il per cent
gu their it.c cnn:>. aa's tod:rsnas src ex-
| lec1aitan of te>l.o:se IN hl: hutaotatlye
sltntlat assessments have teen rece.ycd-lc one
re y & Pr ssat ssns .oas';s a. ines tx
men ~ travel To tact AcyrIaf St1sts, ar their own
sAhnse, !nE The purpose IT to'iuv. have not
H'atu hs ls's1ct ana c"uftv a4ssSsIntuts yef, but
hi4'ss 81 70 sea'un Wny ehes shon.d nos follow II
thT 1sa sths.a Is az 5se.Gtizet;. ...
.n1.a I'LL .,,n ~ "a,cn 'ae lot !tes!-
~, ~ as nesn suEIoss's 70 ~ l.ss!o,rl *aa
tnn .ns ~ .h ne.. u1e asEs u re VnloA1a.
49, ~ y, t eiie sAeeftte " tas!t u"a Pa1ts' "
] ~ "11 atsi IN cI!trs ufIt u!9tStts ~ PeAIeei.
l,us IL hss never t"!ote been a-tainei nav
| III saA5lrs ot chFelllusa1 c:nr!cses we're
.utu " WHICH c''Iaihhte:s y .ae PETTY na-
RI
thn. lfhitett, tie whole business has hee1t Hne
| whtra 1s>iect for The neral sense oi The cofn-