The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-05-08
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
W WARRINGTON, J
May l, 1881

WAsH1NGroN,
May l, 1881
EDITOR DEMOCRAT
What was left of civil service IL.
form in the brain of Mr.. Hayes has
gone up in balloon. One of the
members of the Republican Congress.
sional Committee visited the White
House to ask where, under the sup.
posed rules laid down, by Mr.. Hayes,
the sinews of war for the coming
election were to be secured. Mr..
Hayes told the member that the Of.
fee holders would contribute, ought
to contribute, and that he when an
Office holder had often contributed.
He insisted only that ofilce-holders
should not be compelled to contrib.
ute by threats of removal. What
this amounts to any one can tell who
knows anything of Office. holding
With this language ofMr. Hayes be-
fore them, we shall at once have q IA.
per going through each Bureau Of
the various Departments 10 some.
thing like this form:-aThe under.
lsigned agree to pay to the Republi.
can Congressional Committee, for
use il the Fall elections, ten per
cent. Of our salaries for the months
of May, June, July, August and Sep
TENDER, 1875" The paper, let "
say for the Tenth Auditors Office, il
signed first by J. Smith, Auditor.
next by Jones, Deputy Auditor, next
by Robinson, Chief Clerk, then BY
the heads Of the dozen Or so divis-'
ions In the Bureau. On each of them
the appointment clerk will have 4
little distribution. This system
brings the money. No clerk dares
to refuse. This style Of business Is
so much more sneaking than Zach
Chambers open bull.dozing that
Chandler really deserves to rank a.
an honest man and a reformer beside
1.-The powers that be.
The matter of funds being thus
disposed Of, the member of the Com.
mittee expressed the opinion that
i Mr.. Hayes is much misunderstood
man, a good machine politician, and
deserves radical support. So We
have practically an end of any effort
at reform. It is in order for Mr..
Hayes to step down and out as re-
former. BY doing so--by openly
; using the common Republican means
of carrying elections-he can sub.
stantia!iy unite his party. Consent.
ing to the use Of such means, with.
out personally and actively taking
part, he may still do much to harmo.
nize The party.
Now, what are the Democrats do
ing in the direction Of providing for
the Fall electioLs? The control of
the House for two years depends on
those elections. The prevention Of
another fraud like that which sent
Hayes to the White House, depends
on them. The power to reform
abuses Of the Government for the
next two years depends on them
So far as the Democrats Of the pres
ent House are concerned, it is only
fair to say that a majority of them
seem to have generally done what
they could to make victory easy this
Fall. The more exciting and i'm
portant questions will come when
, the appropriation bills are finally
= acted on, and then, We may hope, the
party in the house will stand to-
gether.
In this general commendation,
!. however, no one ought to overlook
R the tremendous fraud Of which the
! = House was guilty on Monday, 10 the
n passage Of a bill throwing away five
d or six million dollars on "river and
harbor improvements" If one par
ty only had been guilty in this mat
ter it would be condemned without
8 redemption. Both parties were air
it" however. The pretext upon
which many voted for this extrava
gance Was that the money would pu'
laborers to work. The history o.
- such appropriations is the history o
frauds and enormous private for
:, :. tunes, not Of prosperity to labor o.
business.
A man not heretofore mentioned
was nominated for Collector At New
= Orleans. He was not, it is said, th.
: = choice Of any Of the Republican pol
!, iticians of the State, and they threat
If en- trouble. His name may hav'
haon anloofnd HI, lnffnrH Rain1