The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-09-09


a crime; when the Office holders by up
pointment were taught that, although
they were not to be deprived OF any
right of citizen, on the other hand
they were not to use their official lnfiu-
ence t, promote the interests of Il party
and to carry elections. But how is II
now? Not only-are these office holders,
appointed by the President or the heads
of Departments, expected to use their
official influence in elections, but from
the highest to the lowest, from the sec
retaries to the humblest clerk or messen-
ger they are taxed in order to raise an
election fund. hold in my hand u let,
ter from highly respectable citizen OF
Washington, which shows how the Dusl'
ness is conducted, and / invite your spe;;
cial attention while read the material
part of it.
"Smator Allen G. Thurman
"MY DEAR SIR: / herewith enclose q
circular, one of which il to be sent to
every employe of the General Govern
ment in this city. This il one of the hist
issued, and was sent into the Patent
Office. The next department that re-
ceiyed them was the Treasury. The
head of each bureau is compelled, wheth-,
er willing or not, to furnish the signer OF
the circular (who is the Postmaster), with
"A list of all the employees in his depart
ment, and they are taxed one per cent
on their salary, mainly to raise funds to
send into Ohio"
Here is the circularto which this letter
refers, signed by the Postmaster at Wash
| ington City, ]. M. Edmunds, and who,
Notwithstanding his official position, is
secretary and chief manager of the Re-
publican Congressional Executive Com
mittee: .......
"UNIoS REPUBLICAN, CONGRESSIONAL !
"ExEcUTIvR COMMITTEE, 7
"WAsmNGToN, D. G., Aug 3, 70. }
"DEAR SIR: In view of the approaching
Presi lential campaign and the Slate cleo
tions which are to occur the coming au.
tumn, this committee has been directed
to provide for the immediate and thor
ough reorganization of the Republican
party, and the circulation Of such docu'
ments as will be essential for, the work.
Assuming you to be Republican, de-
sirous of maintaining the ascendency. OF
the Republican party, and thus securing
the benefit of Republican principles, and
that to do this, you are willing to con-
tribute, to a reasonable extent, in pro-
yiding the necessary and legitimate
means to support the Republican party,
both in the form of personal effort and
in the contribution of money, we hope
you may be willing to send to the com
mittee (14) fourteen dollars to be ex-
pended as above indicated.
"The committee desire to enter upon
the duties at once, and it is of the utmost
| importance that they be able to make up
| the list of contributors and those who
will take an active part in the work, and
to Judge the extent of the means to be at
their disposal by the first day of the
coming month.
"Please reply under cover of the en-.
closed envelope, and greatly oblige the
committee and your obedient servant,
81. NJ. EDMUNDs, Sec'y,
Now, fellow-ctizens, what think you
of this? What think you of a tax levied
on the whole body of officials in the De-
partment at Washington, men, women
and children, several thousand in num-
Der, to raise fund wi h which to control
the election in Ohio2 What think you
of the clerks and employees from other
States, from thirty-six States besides
Ohio, being forced to contribute from
their scanty means to influence your elec.
tion2 ! say forced to contribute, 1 call
the contribution tax, for woe be to him
who refuses to make it; his official life
would probably be of the shortest dura-
ton after such refusal At least that is
the common belief, whatever the heads
of department may declare, and the con.
sequence is that, willing or not willing
the money is paid. ',.
Let me read to you an extract from an
other letter from gentleman in Wash,
ington, of the highest character, who
writes to me under date of the 22d inst
as follows: ..,..I .ur.
81 am told that Edmund's committee
have raised over $4,000 for the Repub
liCans in Ohio, by assessments on the
office holders here chiefly. He is {
model postmaster, and sends his agents
through the Departments with lists fol
voluntary contributions and instruc-
tions to black-mark every refuser."
What commentary is this upon thu
promises of civil service reform, of which
the President and radical leaders were
lately 80 lavish, and to accomplish which
Congress appropriated thousands of dol
lars of the peoples money
HARD TIMES. .....
We are in the midst of what, for wan
of a better name, is usually called "harC
times" Business in almost every de
partment is more or less paralyzed, anC
the consequence is that capital embarked
in production makes very limited or ever
no returns, and we are panied almos
every day by the sight of laboring mer
without adequate and remunerative em
ployment. This is sad state of affairs
and one that requires the best efforts o
able and candid minds to discover it
causes and point out remedy. Now
although l do not in all things agree " It'll
some of my Democratic friends as t
either cause or remedy, | do agree tina
our Radical rulers are, in great degree
responsible for the evils under which the
country suffers 1t was they who Sc
the example, for the first time in ou
history since the Constitution was formed
of making moneya legal tender 1t wa
they who procrastinated returnto spe
Gle payments, which many able men be
lieve might have been more easily
achieved in 1869 or 1870 than it can b.
now. 1t was they who stimulated tn,
construction of thousands of miles o
railroad in advance of the wants of tn,
country, by profuse subsidies of land
and bonds, and thereby expanded thu
credit system to a degree never befor,
known in America, and which could hav,
but one result, bursting Of the bubbl,
and a stagnation of business for years
1t was they who gave to the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company its power tC
issue bonds and mortgages, and thereby
enabled it to defraud thousands upoi
thousands of the people, and to the ex
tent of millions upon millions of money