The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-09-15
Bleeding the Boys.
how the Hopeless Republicans are Rachng
the Poor Government Clerks.

the Cleveland Plain Dealer makes
this interesting report
The Republicans are wriDging every
dollar out of the Government employees
that it is possible to get iu order to
obtain the cash that is needful in this
campaign. They are not stopping
with the clerks, but are wringiDg as
sessments from every person who IN
any way receives money from the Gov
ernment. Secretary McPherson's man
was even goiog around among the
soldiers who are stationed here with
his little book, but the officers heard
of it and promptly fired him out. The
clerks are bled mereilessly. One Of
them said to-day that there never
before had been so burdensome tax
put on them for political purposes.
ssWhy." said he, ''it amounts to rob.
berry. I have only my salary of 81 200
a year, oat of which | have to pay
rent and keep W family. l have al
ready paid three assessments. l was
assessed two per cent. early in the
campaign by McPherson's committee.
Then afterward I was called on for
another two per cent. for the national
committee. Now Mcpherson sends
around the hat for another two per
cent. That makes six per cent. OF
my salary, or s72, that I have paid
into the political pool. But that isn't
all. I'm from Maine, and the State
Committee have sent down here twice
to assess US. I've paid $50 into that
fund. Then, whenever there is a
meeting or anything of that sort here,
we have to pay for it. The ratifca.
tion meeting the other night was
paid for by the clerks. I had to shell
out $40 for that. Then there are
other calls on US almost constantly
Altogether I've paid at least $3.50 for
campaign purposes 50 far and it is a
good ways to the election yet: and the
howl for more money is louder than
ever every day."
"What becomes of the money p
20, I don't know. 1t goes 20 pay
campaign expenses I suppose. That
is, the most Of it does. It sticks tc
the pockets of a good many people
that have the handling of it, too.
There's a good many politicians who
make good living out Of campaigns" "
"Why are the assessments so heavy
this year"
"Nio.e money is needed. There are
more places to put it. There is
a bigger list of doubtful States aud
the emergency is greater. You see
this is the first time the Republicans
have had to fight for their lives in
Maine as we'll as Indiana"
"Do any of the clerks suffer by
these exacticns of uoney?'
"Mapy of them do. It's shameful,
too. I know many who can't pay their
rent and who are in actual need of food
and clothing. It's a terrible hard
thing for man with family 10 take
money that ought to be used in pro-
viding for them and pay it into a
campaign fund"
"But you are not obliged to pay,
you know \
"Well, f you were clerk you'd
mighty soon find out. We all under,
stand that it is a contribution, of
course, but we understand we'll
enough, too, that we've got to pay it.
The man who refuses to come down
with his assessment will get his walk
ing papers before he knows what he
is about. We've got to grin and bear
it, and that's all there is about it."
He WAS coNFIDING.
An officer of the Post-oGce Depart
meDt, it seems, walked up the wrong
passenger. The Buffalo Courier mar
rates as follows:
A well-kuown Buffalo merchant
who has just returned from business
tour through the West, relates an in.
cident of mis- journey which is not
without political interest. On the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, between
Mansfield and Toledo, this gentleman
made the acquaintance of an official of
the Post-ohce Department who had
come from Washington on an official
mission and was travelling with young
Mr.. Hayes, the Presidents son. The
official, taking it for granted for some
reason that our friend was a Republi-
can-which he isn't by any means -
became quite confidential as to the
political situation, and the Buffalo
man encouraged him to 60 Oh with
his revelations. The purport of these
was that in Office holding circles at
Washington the belief was steadily
gaining ground that Hancock is going
to be elected; that discouraging news
had been received from Indiana, while
the hope of carrying New York had
been virtually abandoned; that Mr..
Garfield was not considered as strong
in Ohio now as was MIR Hayes in
1876, and that, in fine, the prospect OF
electing the former was conceded,
away inside, to be decidedly slim.
The expectation Of Hancock's success
was so strong, the official further in-
timated, that nearly half the employees
in his (the post-offce) department
had declined to pay their party as
sessments. A good deal more to the
same effect was poured into our Bufa
10 friends ear and he parted COM
paDy with his informant convinced
that he had been afforded a genuine
glimpse of toe true inwardness of
oG,;re IN thn anen,v'S camo IT, NAV no