National Republican., 1876-06-07
SOUTHERN REPuBLIcANs.

| Last evening large and good representation
o. the members Of the Southern Republican As
soeiation was assembled at Clark's hall. Mr.
Charles Murphy filled the chair, and Mr. L. ].
Barnes acted as secretary.
| The meeting being opened the reports of the
several committees were received. The treasurer
reported s4s.s5; expenditures, sS; balance SI5.s5
The following gentlemen were admitted to MEM
| bershtp: Charles w. Gardener Missouri; Richard
White and @. A. Newton, Virginia; Mark r.
Brainard, Alabama; R. d. Mitchell and E. II.
Sutton, North Caroline; N. O. King, Kentucky,
and W. II. Fisher, Mississippi.
those Pee asTs appointed to ascertain
reported that ali the States represented in the
| association. except Maryland, have nowhere near
the number Of employees in the Departments
they are entitled to by fair apportionment,w while
the District Of Columbia has one thousand and
eighth-nve clerks and employees, not including
view view Of the the case induced Senator clayton to IN.
troduce a bill to obtain more equal distribution
Of the apportionment throughout the different
Your committee beg leave to report that they
have prepared q statement, herewith submitted,
Of the number of officers, clerks and employees in
each OF the executive Departments Of this city,
the number to which each State would be entitled
partment. This report is from onicisl sources
and is reasonably accurate. 1t shows that none
| one (Maryland) has anywhere near the number
OF Officers clerks and employees TO which 1t would
be entitled under fair appoFtionment, while the
| District of Columbia has LOSS clerks and en-
| ployecs in the Departments, not including those
in the Government printing office, Of whom no
register could be obtained. Another fact is
shown by the register and that is that the few in
| the Departments from the South are generally
| in subordinate positions
| AS the duties and obligations of the citizens of
| all the States to the General Government are
precisely similar, your committee can see no
not be fairly divided among the citizens Of the
various States. This view OF the subject has i'm
| Iroduced the following bill:
| "Be ii enacIed Gy Iae Senate and House of Rep
| rcsentdtires Of the United Sidtes of America in
| Congress assembled, That the appointments in all
| the executive Departments of the Government
shall Ie SO arranged as to be equally distSibuted
Territories and the District of Columbia, accord
ing to population.
| Should this bill become a law It will in time
provide a remedy for the evil Of which we COM
plain and will, without doubt do more to elevate
the civil service than any other act as 1t would
secure in all the Departments from every State
men of ability and talent as employees. And
pass, all the Western, we'll the Southern,
States interested in its becoming law, they
being equal sufferers from the rapacity which one
Of the evening journals of this city defends, by
alleging the incapacty Of any but citizens Of this
District to serve the Government.
Your committee, according TO instructions, WIS.,
tied the President, and presented him the follow
ing letter: |
To His Ercellency Ulysses S. Grant, President Of |
At a meeting Of the Southern Republican Asso- |
ciation held in this city on May 2, the following
ResoIred, That the committee whose duty It /
made to ascertain the number of Southern /
Republicans in the various Departments is here |
by Instructed TO prepare as accurate n statement |
as practicable of the number of employees in each
DEPARTMENT of the Government at Washington |
and also the number in each Department from the /
States of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mis-
sssippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri,
Tennessee and Kentucky, together with the num-
ber that each of these States would be entitled to
according to representation in Congress; and that
o copy of this statement be delivered to each Re-
publican Senator and Representative in Congress,
TO the President of the United States and the head
of each Department, and TO the chairman Of the |
Republican State Central Committee of each of
these States; and that the Republican Senators
and Representatives and the charmen of the Re- |
publican State committees are hereby requested
to urge amore equitable distribution OF the public
patronage upon the basis of actual representation,
and that we appeal to the President and heads Of
Departments TO recognize the just claims Of
Southern Republicans TO an equal share of the Of
In conformity with that resolution, we have the
honor to present to you table compiled from the
ees in each of the executive Departments, and re-
spectfully call your attention to the inequalities
existing In the distribution of the public patron
age being we'll satisfied that you will, in due
time, apply the proper remedy.
4 !abte was presented showing the number Of
employees in the different Departments.
ISigned by the committee.
They also called upon the heads Of the Ex-
ment prepared. In every instance they were
courteously received, and they think each OF the
gentlemen visited Is impre sSed Justice OF
the claim made by Us that the patronage Of the
Government should be more equally distributed,
and the committee asks to be continued that it
nishing a copy Of this report to each Republican
Senator and Representative and to the chairman
OF each state central committee Si eaeh S SIate
the Agricultural Bureau is included with the In |
terror Department and the consular and diplo
register by States is kept at the Government
printing .ofice, so that we could not give the
number employed from each State.
f N. HILL Chairman,
RICHARD DILLON,
LUCIEN ]. BARNES,
DAVID kELErT,
w p. PElRCE.
.tdn,.t The following resolutions were offered and
Rssoircd, That in every effort made by the
Southern Republican Association TO secure an
equal representation for the Southern Republi- |
cans in the various Departments of the Govern |
ment we expressly declare that VIC do not desire
gress in favor Of those already hereafter to be
made Of the soldiers and sailors Of the Union |
army and navy, whose gallantry and good conduct
cannot be too much commended
Resolved, That the thanks Of all Republicans
are due. and the thanks of this association are
hereby rendered, to Hon. Powell Clayton, Senator
from Arkansas, for the bill introduced by him t. |
secure equal representation for the people of all
ask the Senators and Representatives in Congress
to make this bill law.
ReSoired, ihat Committee of three lawyers OF 1
reDort NJ re appointed TO inquire INTO and
report the law OF the various States in this |
arsceiation and of the general government upon |
the subject Of officers, clerks and employees in
the executive departments temporarily residing |
in this city, voting in the States from which they
are appointed. Z. W. Hill, of Arkansas: W: p.
Pierce, Of Georgia, and s. 5. Gardner, of Ala
b8ma, were elected.
Hon. ]. Z. Bryan, of Georgia, was introduced
and received an honorary member. He then |
was requested to make an address, and responded |
at some length in some well-tmed remarks, being |
frequently Interrupted by manifestations Of ap- |
plause.
Amer the transaction of uniulportant business
the meeting adjourned.
Comparison.