The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-25
AT OUTsPOKEN CONGRESSMAN.
Tho Hon. D. Wyatt Aiken Explains his
Views and Action on the Political Assess
ments Bill,
WASHINGTON, March Is, 1880.


In your issue of the 18th inst, appeared
the following:
SOME MORE "FooD FOR THOUGHT"
"Is it possible that Congressman Aiken
favors the infamous system of assess
ments upon public officers for political
purposes? We cannot believe that he
does. But if he does not, why did he
move to lay on the table the Anti-As-
sessment bill, having as his followers
all the Republicans and only two Demo.
Gratis, Moore, of Massachusetts, and
Wells, of Missouri"
OF whom do you make this inquiry
Is it of me, or of that public whose opin-
ion you would, l fear, haply if you
could, mould to my demerit? There is
an insinuation always shrouded in inter
roeatories submitted as you submit the
above, that to my mind suggests sinis-
ter motive in propounding the inquiry.
If, however, in this instance this impress
sion is groundless, and 1 am mistaken in
my view of the matter, will only be
pleased to know 1 am incorrectly i'm
pressed. But as Sam Scott, the Catawba
Indian chief of my boyhood days, would
say under similar circumstances, "1t
smells like it."
During the extra session of last spring
the committe on civil service reform re-
ported bill prohibiting assessments
upon public officers for political purposes.
Another feature of the bill was to make
it penal offence for such officers to allow
themselves to be assessed for such purpo-
ses. The discussion upon this bill con-
sumed over two weeks of the extra ses-
sion, and caused much 'bad blood" be-
tween the two parties, resulting in re-
peated and continued abuse of the South,
and the Confederate Brigadiers" in the
House, with never friend from the
North, glorious Democrats though they
be, to raise his voice in our defence, save
few words from Gen. Tom Ewing of
Ohio.
Asa special order set for certain day
this session this bill came up again, and
had monopolized more than weeks time
since the 1st of December last. Mr..
House, of Tennessee, made an exhaust
i've speech of two hours and halfagainst
the civil service reform policy OF Mr..
Hayes, and indirectly in favor of the bill.
Similar time was allowed the Republi-
can side of the House. That was con-
sumed, and the member presenting the
bill moved the previous question. The
Republicans demanded further time to
discuss the bill, and large number of
Democrats were disposed to grant it.
The gentleman (Hostetler, of Indiana
having the bill in charge persistently re-
fused, and the Republicans began to
"filibuster" by refusing to vote at all {;
and the Democrats not having q quorum
of the whole House present, had the
point made upon them after every vote,
that Quorum was not present" A call
of the House was ordered, and 243 men,
bers answered to their names. Another
vote was ordered, the roll called, about
130 Democrats voted, but no Rpublicans; (;
and another point Of order that there was
no quorum.
At this stage of the contest saw an
evident disposition on the part of the
Democrats to open up discussion again.
Cui bonoe Simply to allow the Republi-
cans another opportunity to abuse the
South, and shake numerically the
poor old tattered and torn bloody shirt in
our faces.
Meantime the bill had been so loaded
down with amendments from both Demo
Gratis and Republicans that its author
would not have known his bantling,
wrapped as it was in its variegated gar
ments.
Then it was that I rose and asked if
it would be in order to lay the bill and
amendments on the table? Being told
that it would be, I made that motion,
which was lost by nine votes; but l be-
lieve the defeat of. my motion has ac-
complished what 1 desired-the with
drawal of this stupid bill from the con-
sideration of the House. I had opened
the way to more practical and useful leg
islation.
But as you have forced me into the pa
pers again, let the whole truth be told.
After my motion was made, and the
House in great confusion were wrang-
ling over some points of order, the au-
thor of the bill, (not the member having
it in charge, but the author) came to me,
and asked me to modify my motion.
And no less than a score of Democrats
voluntarily said: "Aiken, if you had
moved to recommit I would have voted
with you, but / won't vote to table the
bill" And this was the voice of the en-
tire South Carolina delegation,
Do you comprehend the difference? !?
Had it been recommitted to the committee
it would have remained in Democratic
hands, and could have been amended
satisfactorily and presented in q different
garb in the future; or itcould have been
smothered in the committee, and would
never have again been heard of. But to
have laid it on the table would have been
voting to suit the wishes of the Republi-
cans, and, therefore, an acknowledged
ouasi-defeat of the Democratic ajority,
which would have had tendency to
demoralize the party.
There were not a bakers dozen men,
bers that thought the bill wise; nay,
more than half the Democrats thought
it unwise, indefensible, and would prove
adead-letter upon our Statute books if en-
acted into law. But the party had sworn
the "horse was sixteen feet high," and
they proposed to slight it out on that
line" l was not in at the swearing, and
thought it not wise to take the oath.
That's all there is about it.
One word further. There are over fif-
teen thousand clerks in Washington; per-
haps ten thousand are men, and all of
them are Republicans. Suppose each
one of them gave ten dollars for cam
paign fund, as they did last summer to
elect Foster governor over Ewing in
Ohio, there will be fund of 100000.
How will you prevent this amount being
raised? This bill says such an assess
ment shall not be made.
Suppose these clerks know that their
continuance in Office depends upon Re-
publican success next Fall, and they 60
forward and voluntarily give $40 each,
thus raising 100000 for the Republican
camnaipn what stems would YOU take 10