St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-06-23
Political BIack-MaiI.



1t is not easy to write with patience
of such practice as this. That it has
been done before does not make it more
tolerable. That it would be done by
the Democrats if they were in power
does not make it any more right when
done by the Republicans. TO call it il
system of "voluntary contribution" is
the tlimsiest of pretences, which is not
even intended to deceive. Is there
any Republican laborer outside of the
Government employ, earning Sl.75 a
day, from whom the Congressional
Committee would look for a contribu-
ton of SO? Are there any other wage
earners who would he expected to CON
tribute IL weeks wages each toward
the political expenses of the party
And if there are no other labOrerS or
wage carriers of any class of whom
such contributions or anything like
them can be expected, why are they
expected from the emploeys of the ma
Wy yards There can be but one an
swer. The Congressional Committee
anticipate that the men who receive
these circulars will not dare to refuse
the contribution which is asked OF
them. The circular conveys no open
menace, but between the lines every
recipient will read warning that if he
does not comply his place will be filled
by some one who has keener sense
of his obligations to the party. The
dread of losing his means of support
will drive many u man to reason that
it is better to give up one weeks wa
ges than it is to lose his situation alto
gether. And it is upon this pitifuI
dread that the Congressional Commit
tee build their expectations of receiv-
ing the bulk of the assessments which
they have levied upon the meanest of
tice-hOlders. This is despicable. 1t is
shame that the servants of the Gov
eminent, under a well grounded dread
of losing employment, can be called
upon to stand and deliver by politi-
cal committee. 1t is Il shame that
this can he done boldly, and Will
scarcely an attempt ut concealment
1t is shame that it can be accOmpa-
MED by the declaration that sit will
not be objected to in any official quar-
ter" And yet, despicable and shame
full as this whole business of political
assessments is, it remains true that il
is a legitimate cOrollary of the exist
ing system of filling the public offices
From the Springfield Republican,
Some of the specials from Washing
ton report surprise among certain Re
publican congressman that Jay Hub
bell is levying assessments on every
body. We do not think this surprise
is becoming. Jay Hubbell is not q
stranger to his associates. He was
chosen by them in caucus upon the
cOmmittee,-th caucus which is pre-
sided over by Robson, which nOmi-
mated Keifer for speaker and which
has done nothing creditable to the
Republican party. Mr.. Hubbell was
selected for this business by those
who know what he is and what he
would do. His associates know that
he did not scruple in the last campaign
while upon the same committee t.
write to the presidential candidate OF
his party, asking for pledges in behalf
of Gen. Brady, the second assistant
postmaster general, who would be q
subordinate of Gen. Garfield if the lat
ter should be chosen president. They
know that he thus unblushingly tried
to entrap his candidate, whose honor
should have been dear to him, into
pledges which would have been an
embarrassment and a disgrace, and
they know with what anguish of soul
Garfield afterwards saw the narrow
escape he had had, when he realized
the full magnitude of the star-route
disclosures. Gen. Garfield, moreover,
did not wholly escape. His short re-
! ply to Hubbell in behalf of Brady il
one of those letters of shame which
his best friends would recall. 1t is
one of the foul flies in the ointment OF
his character which was caught by
this same spider, Jay Hubbell.