The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-15

Political AssessmCnis.

Every department and bureau ut Wash
ingtun has been thoroughly oanvasscd Tor
subscriptions To- the Republican campaign
fund. as If to illustrate HAYES civil ser
vice order of June %, 1877. which declared
mo assessment for political purposes on
officers or -uborlinatcs should bc allowed"
Tho methods for raising money are precise
by those which were practiscd under GRANr.
Tho salaries are all regularly assessed 10
advance at fixed percentage, TO bring a
certain amount into the treasury of the
Congressional Committee, OF which that
eminent rcfurmcr CHARLES FoeTER Is now
the directing mind
A collector. who receives five per cent on
the toll he gathers In. goes around with
book into all the public offices, takes down
the names OF the subscribers, and Mt the
close Of the month those signatures are
recognized 10y the discussing officer as au-
thority To deduct n certain portion Of the
regular salary uf the clerks. Nearly all the
chiefs Of bureaus and divisions, who draw
large pay and perform little service, have
set an example To their subordnatcs by sub
ecrihiug more than the sum Assessed ON
their salaries, in order to make their loyalty
Conspicuous.
At first there was n partial resistance to
the assessments, under the dclusion that the
civil service order had some meaning, and
that those who obeycd its letter and spirit
would bc protected. That errorof judgment
was soon corrected, for 1t was discovered
that every person who refused Ia be- assessed
was reported, and JONI SHERMAN ordered
summary dismissal in his department and
Its branches as the penalty for rccusancy.
The sixth Auditors Oillcc, which settles the
Post Office accounts. and IL known rs tho
Botany Bay Of the Treasury, with three hun
drHl or more clerks, WIS selected AZ the first
point Of attack; and after one removal for
this cause, the whole force fell in and even
sought to subscribe as measure Of self
protection.
HAYES gave his name to head the list ~
contributors, which of itself was warming
Ia the whole army of olicchoIdcrs that they
were expected TO do likewise. But he has
not yet paid in a dollar to the fund He IL
willing enough to see the poor clerks made
Ia pay, but with fifty Thousand "A year and
nearly everything free that makes up the
sctual cost Of living. he locks his iron
chest and ntimatcs that his namo alone
ought 10 I've sufficient because his example
put tens Of thousands into the political
exchequer that might not have got there
without II.
lie has shown himself in this matter 10 bc q
double fraud. First. by encouraging assess
ments which he had formally declared
should not be allowed. Secondly. by lend
ing his name without making it good with
money value. The consistency of his
character has been maintained in this du-
plicity. Ii he had been an honorable man
even after the crime by which he reached
the Presidency, HAYES would have seen
made good the advances Of money which
ZACH CHANDLER had loaned for his benefit
after IOHN SHERMAN and others failed To re-
deem their pledges. But ne never lifted a
finger to pay what every gambler, even,
would have regarded a. debt Of honor
and dismissed it M a triilc unworthy " at
tcntion. He first began by cheating his OPP
ponents, and now he cheats his friends.