Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-08-06
Spicy Correspondence.

George G. Gorhap, Secretary Of the u 5.
Senate, and VIM. Henry Smith, collector
Of customs at Chicago, ezp!ai1s itself:
"HEADoUARTERs OF TIE REPUBLICAN
CoyGREssIoSAI. COMMITTEE, Washington, u.
@, Jnly y, lS7s.-Wl!iam Henry Smith,
ESQ.,, Collector, Chicago. Ill.-Dear Sir: have
seen in The New York World an a,Iu=ion to an
alleged interview between yourself and some
newspaper reporter, in which you are repre-
sented as chsracterizing me as scouudrel.
blaekmaier, g., because OF printed circular
received by you from the republican cougres
sonal committee, signed by ne as its secre-
tsry
"As the circular il coucbed 10 entirely c0ur.
teous language, and merely requests co1trl.
button for campaign purposes, l cannot believe
that you are correctly reported l locl0Se
paragraph from the ST. Pau! and Minneapolis
Pioneer Press, giving portion of the pretend
ed interview. | do rot kHoW ia what paper
the publication was orig inally made. As you
are stranger to me, | have no reason TO sup.
pose that you have used the language the pub.
LEGATION referred to representation to have done.
I call your attention to the matter that you
NAV have an opportunity to disclam it if you
choose to do so. Yours, &c.
GEO. G. GoRHAM.
Sec. Rep. Con. Committee"
"CCsToM HOUSE. CHICAGO. ILL.,, Collac
tors Office, July 80. lS76.-George G. Cor
ham, esq, Secretary National Republican Con-
eressionsl Committee, Washington, d. c.
Sl: have to hand your letter Of the cath in.
slant, inclosiog paragraph relating to assess.
ments. Referring to the question you raise, l
beg to say that l did not make use OF the Ian.
guage attributed to me. AS to your circular :
| am opposed to political assessments, aud have
notified the employees Of the government under
me that they are to regard themselves free as
all othe. citizens are to contribute or not con-
tribute, az they choose to the support of pohti-
cal organizations. will not take up your
time with argument 10 support OF this.
"Suficc it to say that the abuses growing out
Of the system Of enforced assessments were
considered grave enough by the leaders of the
republican party to move them to promise
reform in the civil service 10 the national con-
veutiou in 1875. If most of them made the
promise only to serve for campaign, expecting
it to be broken later, the republican party and
those who believe in its usefulness in the cause
of good government may not be held blameless.
Meanwhile you will observe from the copy OF
Senator Vorhccs's speech, which | enclose,
| that the opposition are making use Of your cir
cular. Respectfully, WM. HENRY SMITH.
"WAsHINsToN, y. c., Aug. 9, lS76.-Wm
Henry Smith, esq.,. Collector, Chicago. Ill.,
Dear Sir: Yours Of The 30th ultimo received.
I am glad that | was correct in the assertion
that you had been slandered in the pretended
newspaper interview, and that you had not
made use of The offensive language attributed
to you concerning me. did not at any time
believe that you had done SO. As to the cir
cuar, it contains no word. expression or lnnu'
endo conflicting 10 the least degree with the
views expressed 10 your letter. There has been
no assessment The circular simply informs
those to whom it is sent that this committee
has been appointed to DO campaign work; dWells
upon the importance Of the election OF republl'
can nominees; soliclts aid, Ito be used mainly
for the dissemination OF documents,) but does
not demand it Dor claim right to do So
Money never takes to itself legs 10 walk into
the treasury of any association, political, relgl.
Gus or benevolent. Those who solicit subsorlp.
tons for such associations, as is we'll known,
lave no power to coerco, even it they were dis
posed to do so.
The circular Informs the reader who the
treasurer Of the committee is, aud furnishes bis
postof;ce address. |: could have emansted
from the pen of the most eXacting civil service
reformer, aud, SO far as relates to federal off,
Gals, it underwent the scrutiny OF the very
embodiment OF civil service reform and was ap-
proved. MIR. Curtis has criticised it In Harper S
Weekly, but his editorial denounccs the clrcu
lar for what it does not Contain, steadily insist
ing that it would be perfectly right If it only
contained precisely what it does contain. This
committee has not L this circular, or outside
Of it, orally or ia writing. directly or through
agents. pursued any methods for tho raising or
money at variance either with the Cincinnati
platform, the Presidents letter OF acceptance,
the editorials of Mr.. Curtis or your letter to me.
INV owe services arc rendered willingly and
without compensation, at some Inconvenience
and With great personal discomfort, on the eve
of nv retirement from Office. and without any
selfish motives whatever. The democratic cIltl-
cisms upon and Misrepresentation oil tho cir
cular ought not to weigh anything 10 the minds
of fair men as against the circular itself, which
was written for publication, and which, bad
fattered myself, contained rather neat stump
speech against the democracy, calculated 10 let
a little light into the benighted mind OF the
averaee democratic reader If there be any such
person. [ trust it will have at least ono loser
ton in every newspaper in tho country.
"You are az oficeholder under President
HAYES and am not If the democrats carry
the lower House believe he Will be expelled
from his Office, unless it is prevented by force
and bloodsbcd Whether there would be
spirit enough left in the North to resist the
Northern and Southern democracy 10 such cri
sis can only be determined when, if eeer, that
crisis shall unhappi!y arise. Certainly you are
as free to sit by with folded hands and see the
administration forced into fight for its life as
other republicans would be in such an event to
sit quiet by and see the belgereuts fight it
mt No. 7 trust Won will feel under no com.
pulsion to contribute to the campaign fund.
Your failure to do 80 will not. assume, bring
your official head to the block.
I'm conclusion venture single suggestion,
which is. that have never seen the expert
ment tried of clergyman standing up 10 his
pulpit while the contribution box was being
circulated and informing the congregation that
he could see no reason why man should give his
money away, and that those who refused were
Just as clever fellows as those who gave. The
cergymen who abstain from this dampenlng
policy havo never yet been accused of attempt
iL>g by their silence to cause the robbery of