Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-11-29
POLITICAL BLACKaIAIL.

How the Radicals Pay ELECTION Ex-
penses-Tax Levied upon official
Stealings a system of Fraud :
spicy CorresPwadence.
From The New York Nation--Radical. -
We publish perhaps one of the most
singular bits of correspondence ever laid
before civilized public. 1t shows the
agents of the party in power not only at
tempting TO levy blackmail-for this is
what f" assessments y on oficeholders
amount to--but actually rating the Office
holders ability to pay, not by the amount
OF his lawful salary, but by the supposed
amount of his stealings. Gen. Barlow's
salary as United States Marshal was &c.
600, and this was all that he, as an honest
man, could or did make out of the place;
but others have made out of the place as
much as $4,000. Indeed, in political
circles" this is well understood to be the
value of the Office 20 a "pfaeticaI man. "
The Republican State Committee last
year, however, while flooding the State
with stump speakers. to inveigh against
Democratic corruption, nddeclsim about
the economy, honesty and efficiency with
which the revenue was collected under
Republican auspices, were actually send
ing around circulars in which thieviugs
were recognized among the legitimate
gains of a government servant, provided
he paid his party dues upon them. In
the particular case before us the commit
tee happened to light upon one of the
class of officials for whom the President,
In, laa vi n L. - snsr sr,,
showed an honorable aud hopeful predi-
lection in making his ppointments---a
man who served the country in peace as
he served it in war, because he loved it,
and not because he was unfi! for any
other occupation, and who held that the
moral obligations of a government official
are the same as those of man in any
other position of life. Accordingly, he
resisted the attempt at eXtortion, and. the
time for it having apparently arrived,
lays the matter before the public.
HOW THE THING IS DONE.
The following correspondence, which
explains itself, was begun by the receipt
by Gen. Barlow of the usual printed
circular, calling for money towards the
election expenses, the blank space for the
amount being filled in with the words,
"$1, 900 for yourself and subordinates:
NEW YORK, Oct 90, 1S69.-James B.
Taylor, Esq, Treasurer, etc.-Dear Sir:
l have received a communication from
Hon. Hamilton Harris, chairman, ETC.,
requesting a contribution of 81, 900 from
me and my subordinates TO the Republi:
can fund
presume this amount was fixed upon
under the impression thf.t this Office wss
very lucrative to me and my deputies.
My income from the Office can by no
possibility exceed Sc, 000 The general
rate of assessment on salaries l under
stand to be two per cent, and / inclose
my check for Sl2O, being at that rate.
Whether in or out of Office, l am desirous
of contributing whatever l can afford to
the necessary and proper expenses of the
party, and | regret that i can now only
afford to give this amount
As to my deputies they must each con-
tribute such amounts as they feel able to
do. cannot impose it upon them as a
duty, and cannot undertake to collect
anything from them. l have submitted
the communication TO my subordinates,
and you viii, no doubt, hear from them.
Francis C. BARLOW,
United States Marshal.
GEN. BARIow's CHECK RETURNED.
Room E, FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL, NEW
YORK, October %, 1S69.-Major General
F. c. Barlow, United States Marshal:
Dear Sir-I am in receipt OF your com
municalion of the Goth inst, to James B.
Taylor, Esq, treasurer, enclosing check
for $120.
The great discrepancy between the
amount of the check and the amount
asked for by the committee would render
it, in the opinion of the committee, an
act of great injustice to the other govern
ment officials who have already responded
TO the calls made upon them, TO accept in
its present shape your contribution. ],
therefore, by order of the executive com
mittee, return the check to you, express
ing the hope that you will reconsider the
views expressed in your communication.
Very respectfully, your ob't serV't,
JAMES W. HUsTED, Secretary.
p. S.-The assessments made upon the
government officials in the State are not
made upon the ascertained income of
their respective Offices. J. w. II.
GEN. BARLow's REPLY.
NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 1869. Hon. James
w. Hustled, Secretary Republican Slate
Committee-Desr Sir: l have received
your letter of this date, returning my
check for 1920, on the ground that the
acceptance Of it would be an act of in
justice to the other government officials,
who have contributed more literally.
You also express hope that 1 will re-
consider the views heretofore expressed
by me in the premises.
! cannot afford TO contribute larger
sum than the one l have named, and that
may not seem diecourteous to the com
mittee, l desire to explain why cannot
change the views heretofore expressed.
do not consider that the holding of q
public office creates any obligation on my
part to contribute anything, and whatever
do give is not given on any such ground.
AS private citizen, interested in the sue
cess of the party, have always been de-
sirous of giving what | could towards its
proper expenses; and were out of
Office | should give more now, because /
could better afford it. Any person who
holds public Office in this country, and
gives all his time and energy to it, con-
slider underpaid if he receives only the
honest salary of his place. / know that
/ lose money every day that / am Mar
shat, and for that reason l shall shortly re-
sign. The fact that | am working for the
public for less sum than l could earn in
my private business is rather a reason
why | should be relieved from assess
ments than why l should pay them, and
this applies, in my opinion, to all public
offices that know anything about-,hey
are all nderpaid.
You speak of the ascertained value
of my Office, " as distinguished from its
salary, which is only $4,000. 1 don't
know from where you asCertained its in
come but / do know that whoever has
received more from it thau Sc, 900 per
annum has not received it honestly. l
should be sorry to believe that dishonest
gains of public offices were so recognized
aud accepted as matters of course, that
they are made the basis of expected con-
tributions.
What l have said here will also ex-
plain why cannot impose on my depu-
ties the payment OF contributions as a
duty. They fully earn every penuy they
receive, and l cannot recognize the right
of the Government or the party to call on
them for any sum whatever. Ipre5ume,
however, they will gladly contribute
what each feels himself able to do. l
make this explanation with eatire respect
for the views of those gentlemen whose
opinions on this subject differ from mine
My views may seem QuixOtic aud uureas-
enable, but am firmly impressed with
their soundaess, and we must all act on
our own views of what is right. The
check for 1920 is at the service of the
committee if they feel that they can aG-
cept it. Very respectfully,
FRANCIS G. BARLOW.