Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-06
PoI,tical Assessments of OffleehOlders

Political Assessments of OffleehOlders
There is a statute on the books OF the
United States prohibiting the collection
by s. government. official of assessments on
other government employees for political
purposes. 1t is a law, too, so direct and
positive in its prohibition Of the practice,
that it cannot even be evaded by techni-
calities. as Gen. n. NJ. Curtis-who is
connected with the government customs
service in New York, and who, as Treas
urer Of the Republican State Campaign
Committee, collected certain political as
sessments from his fellow employees
recently found out to his cost, when. on
being tried for the offense, was found
guilty of a misdemeanor, and subjected
TO a fine of five hundred dollars.
Notwithstanding this law, however,
and the fsc. that even United States
courts sustain and enforce it, it seems
that the Republicans, with their usual
cunning, nave found out means to
evade it. This is to be done by
arranging 50 that the assessments on
Federal ofieeholders for political pur-
poses shall still be levied, but shall be
collected by persons other than Federal
employees. As previously Eoted, the
Republican Congressional Committee in
Washington-a committee composed of
members Of Congress have issued a cir
cular TO employees at the capital notify
ing them that each one, even down to
the pages, is to be assessed ? per cent. on
his salary to raise fund to be used in
this falls campaign. Besides this, 1t
/ has been announced that employees in
the various Federal departments have
also been assessed, or, to express it more
politely, have been invited to contribute
out Of their meagre wages, sums for cam
paign expenses, and this is done by or
der, OF suggestion. of this same Republi-
can Congressional Committee.
Here then is presented to the country
the singular spectacle of a committee,
made up of members of Congress,
and many Of them members Of the very
! Congress from which this anti-assess-
meut law emanated, engaged in devising
schemes for deliberately violating the
spirit if not the letter of that law. The
object Of the passage Of the measure in
the first place was to protect lily paid
government employees. who are supposed
at least to give a quid pro quo for the
wages they receive, and preserve them
from being robbed for the purpose of
keeping the Republican party in power.
Yet, because the law makes it a misde-
meanor only for "a Federal employe" 10
be the gatherer of this political tax on
his fellow employees, Republican Con
gressmen hasten to take advantage of
this laxity of phraseology, and to evade it
by appointing members of Congress, OF
persons not coming directly under the
designation Federal Office holder" as
such collectors.
1t may be true that when members OF
! Congress stoOp to levying and collecting
assessments of S24 from doorkeeper OF
SO from a page for use in a Republican
campaign, they are not liable to the same
punishment as a government employe
would be for the same offense, but there
is no doubt that they should be- The
spirit of the law is manifest, and there is
certainly a strong moral obligation upon
Congressman to discountenance its vio-
latiOn. But experience has time and
again proven that moral obligations and
all else are wholly subordinate in the
eyes of Republican politicians to sell
fish and partisan motives, and therefore
it cannot be expected that they
will not lend themselves to violating any
law which initiates against party inter
ests, provided they can manage to es
cape punishment The only way to pre-
vent them from so doing. therefore, is to
make them directly amenable to law,
and this statute under consideration
should be so enlarged in its scope as TO
include members of Congress as well as
government employees within its reach,
and their punishment should be even
more severe than that of ordinary offend
ers. The idea that members of the
United States Congress should encourage
and instigate the violation of United
States statute is simply disgraceful.