Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-07-25
TnE New York Saa, and its kidney

of papers are making an unnecessary
ado about the discovery of the fact
that two paid and cancelled checks
for five thousand dollars each, have
been found among the old papers of
the Ohio State Central Committee,
with the endorsement of Il. u. Hayes
OH their back. II seems that Zach
Chandler, Chairman of the Republic
can National Committee, collected
this money from various contributors
and sent the checks direct to Hayes
for Legitimate expenditures in Ohio
during the presidential campaign,
and that as the checks were for some
as yet unexplained reason-made
payable to Hayes order direct, il was
necessary for the latter to endorse
them over to Gen. Wikof, Chairman
of the Ohio State Central Committee,
which was done. and the money leg
Ultimately expended in paying speak
ers like Schurz for canvassing the
State, and the thousand and one other
items Of necessary expense rendered
absolutely Indispensable in all cam
paigns fought with will to succeed.
The purpose of this ado, is to make
Schurz and the President ridiculous,
because they have recently issued an
order prohibiting officials from med
ding in political campaigns, and es-
pecially forbidding assessments ON
ofice-holders for political purposes, it
being assumed by these critics and
fault-iinders that large portion of
these ten thousand dollars was col
ectled arbitrarily from oflice-hollcrs
for political purposes.
Now we happen to know something
about these political assessments, hav-
ing been frequently their subject, and
as frequently have promptly respond
ed in aiding the canse of the party in
proportion to our ability, and the
character of the salary being received.
No party, any more than a church,
can, in the nature of things, be self
supporting. Speakers are to pay.
Halls are to hire. Livery teams to
get out the vote are necessary. Post.
ers are be printed. Torches, ban.
ners, ETC., are not furnished gratuit.
ously. Cannon, powder, etc, cos,
money. Documents, speeches, &c.
are an important and necessary item
of expenditure to enlighten the peo.
pie, and impecunious country job
offices cannot furnish their time, labor
paper and ink for nothing.
j All these expenditures and many
others which will readily suggest
themselves to the mind of fair and
reasonable man, must be met if til,
party desires to succeed. Therefor,
county, State and National Commit
teemen naturally presuming that mc1
enjoying the patronage Of the part,
would like to contribute to maintain
: that party, are in the habit of sending
these officials notices requesting then
to contribute in proportion to the
! cmoluments of their offices. And W,
have never yet known Of case wher'
an officer did not regard the invita-
] tion to contribute pleasant duty
!. except 1t might have been on the par
OF an unworthy whelp, who probabl,
, got into Office without merit, who
when boy, crawlcd under the ten
: into the circus, and, who, when Ii
: comes to die, will likely slip by sain
: : Peter without ticket.
! IL the party is right, it is Just q
n right and necessary to contribute Il
its maintenance, as IL is for the men
bers Of the churches to contribute 1
. pay preachers, run their churche
Il and meet the other necessary cxpcr
r. ditures of their organizations.
o All this stuff about enforced polit
q cal and official assessments is tho bale
o est sort Of demagoguery. We don
. believe that one single officer hs
. been removed during the entire r