National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-05
Contributions for the Campaign.


do for theirs, namely Toputsomething in
the 'contribution-box, In the churches
it is not usual for the preacher to address
his congregation in angry hostility to the
custom of passing around the hat. He
does not sneeringly call the gifts
OF his auditors assessments" or pre-
tend that what they give is
through fear. All this would more
properly come as the prompting of
satanic imps, doing the evil bidding of
an influence adverse to the church cause
In our party we have kindred imps, who
are always ready to put q stone in its
shoe. They are never weary of retarding
party work. They are divided between
the spteful and the dyspeptc They see
the marshaling of great host to carry
into effect principles and measures by the
election of men known to be devoted to
these, and il irritates and ofIends them.
These small conspirators are always try
ing to cut and dry things for the party,
and are always failing Then they roll
up their virtuous eyes, and refuse to
abide by the decision of the majority.
They suddenly find that for two or more
persons to agree in advance as to what
they will advocate in q convention is
q sin. Indeed, the convention is " a
machine" For any man (nota reformer)
to persuade another to vote as he does is
machine method" A central commit
tee, appointed by convention to act for
the party under certain we'll defined
limits, is, to these pure beings,
what the scarlet woman" was to wor-
shippers in conventiclcs in Cromwell's
time. But all these things are trihcs
compared to the horrors of tho contri-
bution-box. 1t is there that the occulted
guilt of the Republican party doth itself
unkennel. True, no man gives anything
unless he chooses so to do. But truth
like that is never allowed to deprive
these moral blowers of their own horns
of the luxury of pulling back on the
party's coat-tails. In every State, county,
and township in the United States each
political party has committee engaged
in canvassing to ascertain the relative
| strength of parties, circulating docu-
ments, healing discussions, securing reg
istration of voters, instructing subcom-
mittees as to bringing out voters, provid-
ing halls, printing, and music for public
meetings, endeavoring to make converts,
printing tickets, and finally Watching
election polls to guard against fraud, and
after election seeing that neither care
lessness, negligence, nor crime shall pre-
vent the proper returns of votes. All
this work requires much time of many
people, and the expenditure of little
money in each place, making in the ag-
gregate large sum. This money is col
lected by national, State, county, and
lesser committees. Men in office and
men not in Office contribute willingly.
There is no compulsion about it. 1t is
begged as money is begged to build
churches and hospitals, The solicitors
vary in the earnestness of their appeals.
This does not make the gifts any the less
voluntary The applications to men not
in Office are made by the local commit
tees. Men in office are appealed to by
the Congressional Committee. They
stand on the same footing with other
members of the party. Is there any
reason why man employed by the Gov
ernment should not be asked to con-
tribute to religious, BENEVOLENT, or
political society of which he is
member? Men in Office are
usually appointed from the ranks of
the prevailing party, as they should be,
and they do not lose interest in party
success because they are so situated.
Why should mans mind become
blank when he accepts public employ
ment? Why should he refrain from
participation in the choice of officers by
popular election2 Why should the con-
tribution-box be passed by him, as
though he had not as good right TO
give or withhold as others? We defy
the self-styled civil-service reformers and
all other enemies of Republican party
success to show any instance where
failure by an employe of the Govern
ment to respond to call by the Con-
gressional Committee ever led either to
his removal or his discomfort. The stale
cry about the assessment of Federal
officers is lie out of whole cloth, if by
III.
1t is only intended for the ears of the
timid and the uninformed. II is the
most insincere cant imaginable, and is
mainly indulged in by those who really
desire the defeat and destruction of the
Republican party.
We hope that Republicans throughout
the land will be ready with the contri-
buttons which are sure to DO asked of
them, and that those who, in the division
of work, come under the attention of the |
Congressional Committee, namely, the
Government officials and employees, will
be just as liberal as though they were
not holding places of which n Demo-
cratic victory would deprive them as re-
morselessly as one would drown blind
puppies.
What the Republican party needs most |
to learn is that its enemies are not con-
irving for its success. 1t is just as sinful |
to hold public meeting as II is to take |
up collection TO pay the necessary ex-
pense of it. When any cunning rascal
tries to make either Of these things APP
pear wicked and corrupt he ought to be
ridiculed and denounced, instead of being
concilated and apologized to. 1t is
amazing that such impudent trickery
should pass current with the most credu-
lous.
THE EPennsylvania malcontents whomet