Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-15
Political Assessments.

The New York HraH calls it "rob
bng the cradle" and says:
How terribly in earnest the party in
power has become in its efforts to "save
the Union may be imagined 10y the re-
port published yesterday that even the
little pages of Co. gress had been as.
sessed ten dollars each in order to help
the glorious work along. 1t has been
said that the great Napoleon 50 ex.
hausted the fighting stock of France
that when raising troops for his later
campaigns he spared neither the cradle
nor the grave, and the party OF moral
IDEAS seems to be in the same condition.
# has assessed every body else that it
could force TO the point Of payment; If
now it has been compelled to pick the
pockets of small boys it ought TO see
that the time has come to drop cam
paigns that are fought with money and
try one fight at least on principle.
Principle, indeed How can a party
expect to win fight with weapons to
which they are strangers, the use OF
which they do not know The Repub-
lican party feel their own impotency in
a struggle fought en- principle, and
hence the recourse to mercenarles--
"civil service reform placarded on the
foreheads of the leaders, while the
messengers bear to the desks ot small
officials the political demand Of your
money or your life" Senator Van
Wyck offered the following in the
United States Senate on Monday, which
was promptly objected to by Senator
Plumb, and had to lie over for day
under the rule, but which we hope will
be pushed To adoption or rejection, so
that the country and the poor assessed
officials may know who these highway.
men are:
Whereas printed circulars are being
sent to officers, clerks. and employees in
the United States service stating, among
other things:
"Under the circumstances in which
the country finds itself placed the com
mittee believes that you will esteem it
both privilege and a pleasure to make
to its fund a contribution, which 1t Do
hoped may not be less than --. The
committee Is authorized to state that
such voluntary contributions from per
sons employed in the service Of the
United States will no; be objected to in
any official quarter.
Please make prompt and favorable
response to this letter by bank check or
draft or postal money order, payable, '
&c. and
Whereas Congress in the year 1876
enacted that no such contribution
should be solicited or collected by one
officer from another, substantially de
nouncing the practice OF sucn assess
ments and contributions
Received, That the Committee on Civil
Service ADD Retrenchment be directed
to make full investigation and report
whether such notices are served upon
persons IN the naval and military a.
we'll rs the civil service what amount
would be realized by this assessment OF
. per cent. on the annual salary OF per.
sons in the United States service =
what additional legislation is necessary
to protect persons employed in the ser
vice of the United States from such
assessments or contributions
Whether the payment by any person
in the United States service on the de.
mand in such printed notice will not be
substantially violation Of the statute
referred to.
Also, by what authority the printed
notice alleges that such assessments
twill not be objected to in any official
quarter