The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-25
AT OUTsP0KEN CONGRESSMAN.
Tho Hon. ID. Wyatt Aiken Explains his
Views and Action on tho Poiitioal Assess-
Inenta Bill. ,Fl
WAsHINaroN. March 1n

w WAoU1No4ON, u4aTCD 10, lSOU.
10 the Editor Of The Ne,cs and Courier. !.
In your issue of the 18th inst, appeared
the folloTing:3
SOME MORE "FooD FOR THOUGHT
"Isit possible that Congressman Aiken
favors the infamous system of assees
ments upon public officers for political
purposes? We cannot believe that he
coei. But il he does not, why did he
I,ore to lay on the table the Auti.As.
seasment 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? I?
Is it of me, or Of that public whose opin,
ion You would, / fear haply If you
conld, mould to my demerit9 There is
an insinuation always hrouded in later
rogatories submitted as you submit the
above, that to my mind suggests q sinis.
ter motive in propounding the inquiry.
II, however, in this instance this iinpres.
sion is groundless, and am mistake in
my view of the matter, will only be
pleased to know am incorrectly i'm.
pressed. But as Sam Scott, the Cstawba
Indian chic. of my boyhood days. would
gay under aimilar circumstances. .tIt
emells like it.n "a. ass..39Tl i7l
During the extra session of last spring
the committe on civil service reform re-
ported o bill prohibiting assessments
upon public officers for political purposes.
Another feature OF the bill was TO mako
it, penal offence Cor 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 If the South,
and tho Confederate Bfigadiefs'' in the
House, with never aeIfieiid. from tho
North, glorious Democrats though they
be, 70 raise his voice III our defence. save
few words from Gen. Tom Ewing of
Ohio. ..li8 e4lF' 1880 -
Asa special orderset for certain day
this session this bill came up again, and
had monopolized moro than q weeks time
since the Ist CT December last. MIR.
House, Of Tennessee. made an exhaust
i've speech'o of two hours and half against
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 O large number of
democrats were disposed to grant it. Z
The gentleman (Hostetler, of Indiana,)
having the bill in charge persistently re-
fused, and the Republicans began to
"hiibqster" by refusing to vote at all ),
and the Democrats not having auoruni
of the whole House present. had the
point made upon them after every vote.
I'M x-,uu ~ III
of the House was ordered, and 249 mem.
bers answered to their names. Another
vote was ordered, the roll called. about
130 Democrats voted, but no Republicans: }.
and another point of order thnt there was
no quorum. iea&A .-ls -aSstf IsIr' I,
at this stage of the contest saw an
evident disposition on the part of the
Democrats to open up discussion again.
Cus 6onoy Simply to allow the Republi.
cans another opportunity to abuse the
South, and shake numerically the
poor old tattered and torn bloody shirtia
our faces 8R3 = eia4 So ,7'fs
Meantime the bill had been so loaded
down with amendr,ents from both Demo.
Gratis and Republicans that its author
would not have known his bantiihr.
wrapped as 1t was in its variegated gar
menta. 90
Then it was that 7 rosa and asked if'
Il would be in order to lay the bill and
amendments Oh the tablet Being told
that 1t would be, / made that motion.
which was lost by nine votes but 1 be-
heye the defeat OF. my motion hau ac.
complishet whet I desiredL-the with
drawai of this stupid bill from tie con-
sideration of the House. I had opened
the way 10 more practical anu useiui leg
islstion. it !
But as you have fcrced me into the pa
pers again, let Tie whole truth be- told.
Aiisr my motion was made. and The
House in great confusion wers wrang-
ling over some points Of order, the au-
thor OF the bill, (not the member having
1t IN charge, hut the authorl came to. me-,
and asked me to = Sdiiy I my motion.
And no lees than d score of Democrats
voluntarily slid: aAikeii, if YOU had
moved I y. TO ecommis I would hase voted
With y6us but I won { vote 10 table tho
ibiii .g And this was She voice Of tiS en-.
tire South rolina delegation. ys,iA
DO you cotqpreh end The, digarenceP ?
Had dit been reconmitted 60 the committed
~ w9nld have remained in Democratic
nands, aud could have been amended
satisfactorily and presented IN different
garb IN the future; or itcould have been
smothered in the committees, and would
never have again beeh heard of. But 10
have laid IL on the table would nave been
voting to suit the wishes ofthe Republi-
cans, and, therefore, an Acknowledged
quasi defeat of tho Democratic mpiorityl
which would have he'd q tendency f6
dempralize the party.
There were not a bakers doyan mem,
bers TINT thought the bill wise: nav.
more sls.. .sS Es5T1iutEists Thought
1t unwise, ifidefensibIe, and would provo
adead.ietter upon orr Statute books If en-
acted into law, But the party had swo.f,
the horse was sixteen feet high." and
they proposed to tight it out, Oh that
line, trhh mt In az the essaar;ne. and
thonght IL not W;se to take the oath.
That's oil there is about Il,
One word further. There are over fif.
teen thousand clerks in w Yashington; per-
haps ten thousand are men,. and ali OF
Es7i:: i: !;:rrcsss each
one OF then, gave ten dollars for a cam
paign fund, as they did last summer 10
elect Foster governor uysr Ewing in
Ohio, there will be fund of 100000.
How vii. you prevent this amount being
raisedY This bill says such an sasess-
nient shall not be made. n
Suppose these clerks know that the;r
continuance in ofice derenda npon Re-
publican arcce5s next Falss, and they no
forward and voluntarily give 500 each,
tnns raising $500, 600 for the Republican
campaigns what steps would you take to-