Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-08-27

for the dominant party; ana these cases
had reached thousands before the roooer,
like audacity was developed, which coulo
say to an official Of that party: Your
money or YOUR place" But before the de.
alCation OF the first spoil system collector,
Swartyout, had reached million, the poll
teal evolution OF bis Office had become
savage enough to make that demand. In
sn Investigation of his frauds by the
Twenty fifth Congress, We find the hrst IN
stances in Federal politics OF assessment
extortion-though in stealthy fashion,
upon the theory of Mr.. HubbelIs commit
tee.
Statesmen Saw the Danger.
On the 10Th of March, 1871, Mr.. Webster,
as Secretary of State, by order OF President
Harrison, issued instructions declaring
that "the payment of contributions or
assessments on salaries or official compen-
sation for party or election purposes, Will
be regarded by him as cause for removal. y
But Tyler came in and Webster went out
only few days later; and in 1872 assess
ments were vigorously enforced at the New
York Postoffice and Custom House; 1t seem
ing 10 be law of descent that every sue
cession of Vice President should embolden
the friends of this extortion.
II took time TO harden the public mind,
long accustomed 10 honest methods. to that
kind of robbery. But it got hardened slow
". Mr.. Calhoun saws, a little later, that
what a few years since would have shock
ed and aroused the whole community, Is
now scarcely perceived or felt, when 1t Is
openIy ayowed that the offices are the
spoils of the yictors." This liberation OF
saya9ery in removals made assessment col
IectionS easy. If the Democrats did not
yery soon-as the Republicans are now do
ipg-extend the eXt0rtion TO otfice-o boys,
ianitors, messengers, navy yard laooreis
and washerwomen-they certainly maze II
quite general, at least as early as Buch-
anans administration, during which II was
Enforced without Mercy or Shame.
His New York collector vigorously enforced
assessments, and in four years removed
three hundred and eighty-nine out OF his
six hundred and ninety subordinates.
Then. frequently, the Government disburs-
ing officers paid the assessments before the
public official got his pay. In those stall
wart times party managers had theceurage
of their theories. An eXtortion commit
tee, chairman, collector, or postmaster
would have looked upon himself as pol
troon, if after demanding an assessment 10
save party he had shrunk from removing
a messenger boy or washerwOman who de-
fed him by refusing TO pay it Greed and
effronte.y have survived, but courage ana
consistency are no more. -.
General Dix had noble sense OF public
Justice. A letter from him to the chair
man of an aldermanic eXtortion committee,
now before u.s. dated October -, 1860, when
General Dix was postmaster, IS worthy the
attention of both Mr. Hubbell and Assistant
Postmaster-G General Hatton:
II have received your letter, says the
General, SOLICITING the privilege
of assessing the subordinates in my office.
may say of majority OF them that
the assessment proposed to be made upon
them cannot be paid
without Pinching Their Families
who are entirely dependent upon their
salaries. cannot consent 70 be the lnStru'
ment of wringIng from their necessities the
means indispensable to their daily wants.
| think, moreover, this system OF
assessing Subordinates j. all wrong.
Referring the aldermen 10 men OF means
- the proper persons TO pay, he adds.
= shall regard it as my duty 70
protect them This subUrdinates) from sys'
tenn Of political eXtortion disgraccful alike
TO the Government and the country; and he
kept out the assessment collectors. The
po<tal officers now threatened by these cX-
those of ls6n. and their places are not the
gifts of chicftainS or congressman, but
prizes won by themselves in manly compe-
titions of merit.
We do not mean TO suggest that the poll
tiCian class of New York ever accepted the
views OF Gen. Dix. On the contrary, they
have enforced assessments savagely, Ill that
way gaining the money which has carried
elections and supported corrupt rings and
factions. The committees OF the alderman
ic demagogues with whom New York has
been cursed, have rivaled the committees
of Congress and Of the State Legislature
in the mercileSS industry with which they
have robbed salaries and wages. Every ward
and district. and not these alone, but every
candidate, pot house patronage monger and
chicftain, had an assessment committee or
agent. Not chimney sweep, ash cartman,
scrub wouluu or messonsNF hHF np the pub
lie nay rolls, If even the school teachers
and chapialnS, escaped these
TbiQuifIOus Assessment sharks.
1t was then their custom to stand by the
pavmaster and exact the pillagc before the
iahorer got the means for his Sunday din
ner. Long and frequent vacations were
given on the condition that the salary I'M
earned should 20 into the cXtOrtion fund;
and not infrequeutly was Il portion OF the
salary pledged to the boss for his making
the appointment. Removals were held to
be as certain consequences OF refuSals topay
as deaths from the bites OF mad dogs. The
money bribed alike the press and the cleo
tions. Tweed. CardoZo. Barnard, and the
whole saturnalia of pillage crime and cor
ruptiOn were the fruits.
The Republicans inherited that system.
In the early glow of noble sentiments they
pa, b,- 1890 q Rapublicln Com
gressional committee for assessments was
created. we believe, after Democratic mod
ell. This sanction by Congress carried the
extortion down through the life oil the
party. In the proportion that principles
were neglected and abuses increased, assess
ments, made larger, were more mercllessly
exacted. In the sixteen moRths, from 1869,
Grinnell, as collector at New York, re-
moved SO out of his S92 subordinates; aud
Murphy, his successor, in about the same
length of time. removed 33S.
1t was bad enough for bosses, chieftainS and
rings to hold all the gates OF appointment
so that none save their minions could en-
ter; but despotism was made complete only
when power was added to exact from all
within as much money for their own Use
rs these
Despots and Patronage Mongers
chose 10 demand. III was one Vi llle lutOVt-
rable wrongs of despOtic British kings that
they enforced "benevolences,g gifts and aids
from officials and citizens under various
pretences, an oppression which the stalwart
British people arrested by the Petition OF
Right under Charles |. But our stalwartism
is of another sort. which takes sides with
the king or makes itself a hydra headed
deSpOt.
The federal salaries paid at New York are
more than -. 500, 900, and the Republicans
have generally CONTROL d the State patron
age. The Democrats dominated the city
and county where the annual pay rolls are
about $40. 500 900. The whole stock in trade
to BE- assessed was, therefore, from $l4, 0OO,-
COO to Sl5,O0,00O The temptation OF the
managers of the opposing parties to come to
a correct agreement for plumber, divi sion,
and impunity was great indeed. That such
an agreement was made and executed as to
assessing the police force and fire depart
ment and dividing the spoils-if not as to
the school and health authorities and 9TH
erS-is quite certain.
How much money was obtained altogeth-
er, yearly, is one of the secrets Of the plum
derers. One per cent on $4,000, 900 is 81 40
coo. But il l. certain that as much as s
per cent. in year was sometimes de-
manded
And to Large Extent Collected.
A circular before us, signed by John Kelly
4 -. :. "a an,