Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-28
POLITICAL BLAcKMAIL.
Reply of George william Curtis to
Hubbslts Challenge.
Hos Clerks, erand Boys, Women and Girls
10 Government Employ are Bled for
the Good Of the Radical
Party.
THE QUAKER CITY, As AN.ExAMPLE.


Party.
THE "QUAKER CITY, As ANEXAMPLE.
NEW YORK, June 27.-The Hon. George
William Curtis has written the following
letter to the Hon. J. A. Hubbell:-
Hon. Jay 4. HubbeR, Chairman and Treas
urer, Ge.-Sir: have received your letter
of the 22d inst, in which you comment
upon the circular Of the Civil Service Re-
form Association, advising certain EN-.
ployees of the government that they may
render themselves Liable to legal penalties
.shonld-they yield 10 . requisition TO pay q
specified part Of their salaries into the
treasury of your committee. Upon this
suggestion you remark: The law is mis-
stated in your circular and the alarm you
seek to create is without justification in the
law. Your counsel, to whom you
vaguely allude, either misunderstands or
perverts it" 1t seems to me, however,
that man who lives with his family upon
$500 or 5000 a year would find it much
more alarming and confusing to be sum.
moned to pay per cent of that amount
than to be told that such payment might
lead to legal trouble. II. indeed, there be
any question Of comparative manliness and
honor in the transaction it strikes me that
Virtually TO Threaten
lsborers in navy-yards and elsewhere,
clerks, errand boys, and even women and
girls in the public offices, to whom am in.
formed that circulars have been sent, that
they are in danger of dismissal If they do
not surrender part OF their wages. is con-
duct quite as open to the charge Of want of
manliness and honor as the act of warning
such laborers that the law probably pro-
tects them against the demand.
You remark that you "disdain shelter
behind any cover" You will not, there
fore, attempt to hide under the pitiful pre-.
tense that the assessment Of two per cent,
or other specific sum levied by the Con-
gressional Committee, is an invitation 10
make q
"V0luntary Contribution"
It is stated that sc, 900 or more of the circu-
lars OF your committee have been sent out.
have personal knowledge of them as adj
dressed to employees of the government
from Kentucky to New England, and they
are undoubtedly daily mailed to every part
of the Union. They are apparently ad.
dressed exclusively to public employees,
and those employees undoubtedly under.
stand that the alternative is that OF pay
ment or dismissal. The demand is issued
by committee which knows that such is
the general understanding in the service
once pleaded with asuperior officer against
the injustice Of this assessment upon poor
men, earning small wages and reduced TO
despair by the demand, and he told
me holly and plainly that for every
one who did not wish to pay there were
Fifty Persons Ready 70 Take His Place
with all its membranes. 1t is not neces-
sary for me 70 point out TO you that this is
practically a sale OF the public service to
the highest bidder; that 1t destroys the self.
respect Of the public employees, and that II
is necessarily fatal TO honest politics and
economical administration. III the wages
OF the public service are too high, let them
be reduced. But by what right does conf
mittee of an irresponsible club OF members
of Congress levy party tolls upon the pub
lie employees, under pain OF dismissal? You,
sir, are chairman and treasurer of the Re
publican Congressional Committee. what
party authority constituted that commit
tee? In what way is it responsible to the
Republican party? II a levy of money is
to be made employees of the Gov
eminent for the benefit of party
treasury-which ! hold to be a perilous
abuse-it should be authorized by those
whom the party designates for the purpose.
1t is certainly not duty to be assumed by
any committee of members OF the party
elected for another purpose. Ii such
committee may demand per cent oil
wages, it may
Extort 20 Per Cent. Under the Same
Terror.
Other similar committees may do the same
thing, and in fact the public employees are
now subject to various demands OF the
kind. The money thus coerced by irrespon..
sible committees is expended in ways OF
which there is no public account. 1t be-
comes often a vast corruption fund drawn
from the public treasury by the party in
power, to secure the continued control OF
the government This is dangerous blow
to free institutions, and the general kpowl-
edge of the abuse necessarily destroys pop
ular confidence IN the honesty of elections
and brings US face to face with catas.
trophe. r..
Undoubtedly there are legitimate polite
al expenses for every party, and IN a Tree
country everybody should be at liberty 10
aid and to refuse to aid his party. But the
public employees of the Government are
usually selected in way which practically
Depriyes Them Of the Liberty Of Giving
or withholding such aid at their pleasure.
IN man knows he holds his place by per.
sonal favor, he will naturally propitiate
that favor in order TO retain his place. lt
was the knowledge that the liberty OF the
office holder in this matter is thus impair:
ed which led Congress to pass the act OF
protection to which our circular refers
That act recognizes. as universal experience
and the reason OF the case shows, that q
Government employe whose FAINT
deluded by the phrase voluntary
contribution, and fears that he cannot re-
fuse to paw without taking the risk OF dis.
missal His refusal, indeed, would not be
alleged as the reason, but it would be the
reason and to say TO an employee as
the circular of the Congressional Com.
mittee says, shat his contribution Will not
be objected to In any official quarter, Is
merely to tighten the screw. 1t is hint
to him that the demand is known and APP
proved by those who can dismiss him. You
assert YOUR willingness to ask the Presi-
dent TO ask the opinien OF tho Attorney
General; but your circular has been sent
to the employees in the Attorney Generals
Office and it distinctly assures them by nee
essary implication that
The Head OF the once Does Not Object.
IL you read the newspapers carefully you
are aware of the very general public con-
demnation of the practice OF political assess
ments, and they are condemned for the
precise reason that such assessments are
not what they pretend to be-"yoluntary
contributions" III you asked me to con-
tribute to your treasury, am private cit
izen and can give or refuse without sur
fering; but II you and your associates ask
nv neiehbor, who is employed in the Gus.
tom house, for contribution, be feels that
he is in danger II he declines. This 10 the
infringement OF the equal liberty OF citizens
inevitable consequences make it threaten
ing 20 the public welfare. The association
of which have the honor TO be president
will spare no lawful effort to restore that
equal liberty TO every citizen.
Respectfully yours,
Gro. WILLIAM CURrIs.
Preident Of he Neu York Cirii-serrioe Refor"
Association.