The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-07-04
NUMBER Ri.
Blood Money in Politics.
New York Snti


Dishonorable as has been the record
OF the Republican party and of its sncl
cessive administrations since the 6rst
term OF Grsntism in levying forced con-
tributioDs on off1ce-holders for political
purposes, the present experience in this
respect surpasses all former develop
ments. N
The pages in the House OF Represen.
tatives, the scrubbers in the Treasury;
the poor stitchers in the Government
Printing Office, ard the counters 10 the
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing, most
Of them very poor and helpless outside
of their actual employments, have all
been taxed.
The circular from the Republican Con-
gressional Committee expressly fxes the
levy in every instance, rating it at two
per cent on the salary, whatever it may
be No discretion is permitted to the
ofHce-holder. The widow and the Or
phan, the soldier and the civilian, are oil
treated alike, and are put on the same
footing with the ward politician. Tue
demand means paw or go. There is no
halfway house. Compromise for.pov-
erty. for sickness. for distress, or for
suffering, is not tolerated.
Section 1,546 of the Revised Statutes
provides as follows:
"No officer or employee of the Government
shall require or request any workingman in
any navy yard to contribute or pay any money
for political purposes. nor shall any working
man be removed or discharged for political
opinion; and any officer or employe Of the Gov.
ernment who shall offend against the provis-
ions of this section shall be dismissed from the
service of the United States
This law was intended to protect the
mechanics and other workingmen in the
navy yards against partisan extortion.
But il is treated as dead letter on the
statute book. Mr. Cox told the House
of cauker in the BROOKLYN yard who
came to him for advice, saving he had
been assessed S2l. "He asked me-"
said Mr.. Cox, sin the simplicity OF his
heart, whether he should pay that sum
or take The risk of being turned out /
told him that / would not embarrsss his
family or embsrrass his politics; that I
believed il he could stand 1t he had bet.
ter pay it to the miserable committee
rather than have his family suffer-"
There are thousands of similar cases.
The Boston Herald few days ago, re-
ferring to this subject, said that "the
employees in the Chartestown navy yard,
some 700 in number, have received each
copy Of the same letter, calling upon
them to contribute prescribed sum, va
rying from $l1 for the common laborers
to S25 for the workingmen OF higher
grade"
Various amendments were proposed,
by the Democrats to the Legislative, Ex-
ecutiye. and Judicial bills that would end
this atrocious blackmaiing on the 30th
Of the present m,nth; but they were
uniformly declared out of order or were
voted down. Cauting Mr.. Kassof, with
hypocritical phrase and smooth exterior;
pretended to be very willing to co-opea
rate with Mr.. Cox "to stop the oppres-
sion, If there be any, upon the subordi-
mates of the Government"
Instead of uniting with the reformers
iu an effort to stamp out this robbery of
the laboring men and women in the pub.
lie service, he informed the House, "I
desire it to be done by carefully prea
pared law" He knew that such law
could not possibly pass a Republican
Congress, but he wanted the repute of
being opposed to a system which bis
votes and his indirection have helped to
rivet on the practice of his party.
Mr.. Kasson and all others like him,
who make cheap professions about civil
service reform, are never ready to aid
any practical present movement. They
insist upon measures that they know not
to be attainable They are the very
worst enemies of reform.