The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-07-22
Political Assessments

Our esteemed contemporary of the La Sale
Press, who was for three or four years post
master of that city, gives Dit of his own val
liable experience illustrating the Jay Hubbell
standard deliver system Of voluntary contri.
buttons by government Office holders towards
maintaining healthy republican national
clectioneerlng fund. The article as exhibiting
the degradation to which modern republican
ism has reduced American politics, is very
good reading
PoLITICAL AssEssMENTs.--The recent dis.
cussions of the political assessment business
in the papers, aud the exposure OF the stand
anddellver" method practced by the Repub.
lcan Congressional Committee TO raise funds,
has awakened considerable Indignation among
honest people and there is some prospect OF u
reform OF the abuse. II is reported from Wash
lngton that the Attorney General Is preparing
a paper on political assessments, which will
be signed by the President or the Secretary of
the Treasury and ISSUED as an Executive order
or promulgated by the Attorney General rs an
opinion BY which all office holders may be
governed. 1t will take the ground that all as.
sessments tor political purposes must be vo-
untary, and that no onp need fear dismissal
because OF their failure 10 contribute. his
sounds very well, but the question is, eau this
Administration be depended upon 10 stand up
against the Congressman IN enforcing such or.
dcrs, any more lnan the Hayes Administration
could In carrying out high sounding civi! ser
wee reform doctrine?
Ii Is customary with Republicans 10 de
pounce the JaCksunlan dGctrIHc that "to the
vlctors belong the spoils," but we lali 10 see
wherein IL Is any more odlous or contemplate
49, tl,. at haa
ticcl oy the successive Republican National
Committees during the last fifteen years, in the
manner IN which they have brought the pres
sure of their influence 10 bear upon the little
office holders and clerks 10 compel them 10
shell out a large percentage OF their little sal.
aries to help the party keep possession OF the
governmental spoi!s. voluntary ContriDu'
mons may be we'll enough in theory, but as a
rule they nave been involuntary, and instances
are not rare where those " hO Jailed To respond
TO the rira,lcal demands with sufficient aacrlty
were spotted or threatened with the loss OF
,heir heads
IS illustrative of the uncoLsciouaOie cheek
with which this assessment business Is some
TIMES carried on, We VIII mention case
which happened in tins state during The Pres
identlal campaign ot 1876 y certain person
hnldIue little government Office, whose
salary and commissions amounted 10 about
twrut, five hundred dollars altogether, ont oi
which he was obliged To pay clerk hire, rent
and Incidental expenses To the amount ct about
eleven hundred dollars annually, was called
upon Ivy the National Republican Commi'e,
To rcmit without delay, three hundred dollars
tor the purpose Of furnishing campaign docd
men,s aud for other expenses. That demand
had scarcely been studied over beiore tht
Republican State Committee notified siio
official that he was expected To contribute tw,
hundred dollars for campaign expenses IN this
state. Next came the Republican County
Central Committee who modestly requested
the sum of one hundred dollars for county pur