The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-24
Blood Money In Politics 4.

| Dshonorable as has been the record of the
Republican party and of its successive Admin.
istrations since the first term of Grantism in
levylng forced contributions on Office.hOlders
for political purposes, the present experience
IN this respect surpasses all former develop.
ments
The pages IN the House of Representatives
the scrubbers in the Treasury, the poor stitch.
ers IN the Government Printing Office, and the
counters In 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 Congress.
lonal Committee expressly fixes the levy in
every instance, rating it at two per cent. on
the salary, whatever it may be. No discretion
is permitted to the ofice.holder. The widow
and the orphan the soldier and the civilian,
are all treated alike, and are put on the same
footing with the ward politician. The demand
means pay or go. There is no halfway house.
Compromise for poverty, for sickness, for dis
tress, or tor suffering is not tolerated
Section 1916 of the Revised Statutes pro.
vides as follows:
mo officer or employee of the Government
shall require or request any worklngman in
in any navy yard to contribute or pay any
money for political purposes, nor shall any
political opinion; and any officer or employee
of the Government who shall offend against
the provisions of this section shall be dismissed
from the service of the United States"
This law was intended to protect the me.
chanics and other wOrkingmen IN the navy
yards against partisan eXtortion. But 1t Is
treated as a dead letter on the statute book.
Mr. Cox told the House Of calker IN the
Brooklyn yard who came to him for advice,
saying he had been assessed S2l. "He asked
me-" SAID Mr.. Cox, "in the simplicity Of his
heart, whether he should pay that sum or take
the risk of being turned out. told him that
would not embarrass his family or embar,
rass his politics; that believed II he could
stand it he had better pay II to the miserable
committee rather than have his family suffer"
There are thousands of similar cases. The
Boston Herald a few days ago, referring to
this subject, said that "the employees in the
Charlestown Navy Yard, some seven hundred
In number, have received each copy OF the
same letter, calling upon them to contribute a
prescribed sum, varying from 81 for the com.
mon laborers to $25 for the workingmen of a
higher grade"
Various amendments were proposed by the
Democrats to the Legislative, Executive and
Judicial bill that would end this atrocious
Matchmaking on the 30th of the present month
but they were uniformly declared out of order
or we're voted down. Cantlng MIR. kasson
with hypocritcal phrase and smooth exterior,
pretended to be very willing to cooperate with
Mr.. Cox Ito stop the oppression, If there be
any, upon the subordinates of the Govern
ment"
Instead of uniting with the reformers in an
effort to stamp out this robbery OF the laboring
men and women In the public service, he In
formed the House, ~ desire it to be done by a
carefully prepared law He knew that such
a law could not possibly pass Republican
Congress, but ne wanted the repute OF being
opposed to system which his votes and his
indirection have helped to rivet on the prac
tice Of his party.
| Mr.. Kasson and all others like HIM, who
make cheap professions about civil service
reform, are never ready 10 aid any practical
present movement. They insist upon meas
ures they know not to be attainable. They
are the very worst enemies of reform.-Neu
| York Sun.