Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-28
Minority Report Of the Wallace Com
mittee.

The Republican minority of the Wal
lace Committee of the Quilted States
Senate have submitted u report ON the
subject of political assessments, and
criticising the bill recommended by the
majority of the Committee. After
quoting its full text they say:
This is, in short, II proposition to prohibit
any employe or person holding Office under
the Government Of the United States from
contributing money or other things of value
for political purposes either with reference to
National political questions or those of the
states. 1t is based on the theory that the use
OF money contributed by certain class Of
citizens lotliceholder5) in Il political campaign
IS crime, Whlle money contributed by non
othcehOlders and used for the same purposes
Is not crime. If this bill shall pass no man
holding public Office can be connected with
the public political press; he cannot contrib
ute to pay ordinary and perfectly legitimate
expenses of political meeting. This class of
citizens cannot contribute money for printing
and distribution of political documents; can
not contribute money to form and support n
political club or society for the dissemination
OF the most wholesome political tenets con-
corning tho rights of man. The establishment
ana support Of reading-rOOm stocked with
political works would be Il crime, and must be
treated in the same way as that of cOntribu-
tion of money to corrupt voters and destroy
the purity of the ballot Why should this
class of citizens be deprived of Il privilege
conceded to all othors2 Is there more danger
in contributions Of men in office than from
those VINO are striving to get iny This bill is
lndefensihle on any principle 1t is abhOrrent
TO all ideas of right and is in violation OF
rights of tho people granted them by the or
ganic laws of the land, The purpose of the
bill of the majority is not to prevent oOntribu-
tton of money TO enlignten people on political
questions, but 10 secure a monopoly of such
instrumentality to men who are seeking office,
and assatl those VINO hold Office. IL should be
entitled " A bill 10 compel political infOrma-
ton TO be paid for from single barrel" The
Committee might have found on its file evil
0pupp of urgnt nbugn5 in pDDnpptiDu with hp
election of 1873 II might have found that
very many citizens were murdered in
cold blood because they attempted 70
vote as their Judgment and conscience direct
ed they should. In short, the Committee had
on its files unoontrudicted testimony 10 show
that tricks, subteriuges, manipulation Of bal
lots, Justification of returns, force, violence,
fraud, forgery, perjury, blllOt-bON stutling
aud murder were rcsorted to in many sections
OF the country du Ing that election to defeat
and set ut naught the viii Of the people. Yet
to correct these evils, directed not simply
against the purity Of the ballot, but against The
very existence Of the ballot, the Committee
appear to have no concern. Was II because
the political party that mas prohtod by these
wrongs is the party to which the majority of
the Committee belong, and the same party
that so recently attempted to repeal ali laws
thar had for their only object the objection Of
the purity of the ballot and the safety Of the
voter such anxiety TO saVet people frOmthe
evils of political assessment by Il party that
has illegally refused 10 lusent to any legislu-
ton that will prevent intimidation of voters |
the making of false returns, and various
frauds so recently practioed 10 secure the
triumph oil that party, subjects the Committee
TO a well-grOundad suspicion OF a desire to !
make political capital and to prevent active |
and Intelligent officials of the Government |
from contributing Ia the success of the party
that has hOnlred them with offices, rathert thlu |
20 correct evils now existing, or that there Is |
reason 10 fear may exist In future.
The minority report concludes by recon- |
mending the passage of bill dhe provisions |
of which are quite vOluminousl prescribing |
heavy penalties Of fine and imprisonment. moi |
only for levying of compulsory political as |
sessments by Government officers upon their |
employees, but also for numbcr of specified |
oifcuses against the freedom and purity of /
eleCtiOn' including bribery and Intimidation |
of voters at National elections and the hearing |
of arms ut any public meeting held for the |
discussion Of political questions with reference
Presidential Electors.