Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-08-30
Kick Out the Assessm eDf Col
EectOrS.

Philadelphia Press, Aug. "a
The Republican party has no easy task
ia the present compaign. 1t is divided
in this State, it may be in New York.
in Ohio it confronts great social ques-
rion. and in every State in the Union
it has special difficulties to face Its
control of the next Federal House has
been challenged by the blunders Of its
Speaker, the bad management OF Con-
gressional committees and an extrava-
gance in which both parties shared;
but for which there is grave danger
only one party will pay the penalty.
At such iuncture, to Insult tho moral
sense of the country and estrange its
own independent vote by chasing
down unpaid assessments in Depart
ment corridors at Washington is one
of those political blunders which ap-
proach the weakest of all crimes-su-
icide.
Yet this is what the Congressional
Campaign Committee is doing. Vol
untary, unsought contributions for
party purposes from office-holders are
likely for years to come to have an
evil SAVIOR, so far has the machine by
its exactions degraded free citizens in
their country's service. Partisan as
sessment circulars are bad enough; but
the inquisition of the assessment list
and the personal pressure of ''stand
and deliver" at a Department desk are
outrages for which the Republican
party may suffer; but for which it is
not responsible 1t opposes them. In
this State and in New York it has
solemnly condemned them in its plat
form through the country the great
majority of Its members are opposed to
assessments, and the Congressional
highwayman who are treating as party
loot the salaries paid out of public tax
alton are destroying and degrading a
party which they could never have
created, and which under their policy
would never have existed. For this
is the double political crime involved
in the compulsory collection of party
assessments. They involve the assump-
tion that public Office is not a public
trust, but party perquisite, reward
for party service, held on party fealty,
and they assume additional treason to
free institutions that great party can
support itself only by levying toll on
taxation, direct or indirect, and cannot
depend on free popular support. Not
by such aid nor on such theory did
the Republican party early succeed. 1t
will fail now if it relics upon them.
Arguments of this order do not ap-
peal to many of the men at this bad
business; but they should be persuad-
ed by the simple fact that every man
engaged ia it is injured by it. Civil
Service Reform in not yet a "stand or
fall' question in this country. We
are not, on the whole, inclined to
think it ever WILDE. But It is already,
beyond all peradventure, an issue on
which public men must stand right or
they suffer thereby. Year by year
bad record on this point is coming to
be damaging to an Administration or
a public man Politically, assessments
are a bad Investment They do not
pay; and while we are particularly
anxious that the Republican party
shall not be put through bankruptcy to
demonstrate the fact, we are also
anxious that Republican leaders shall
not endanger their future. o: a Repub-
lican administration wreck its record,
by collecting assessments or enforcing
their collection. A genuine service
will be done the hopeful Republican
leaders on the Congressional Commit
tee If their collectors are kicked cut of
the Departments, and the scandal
ceases out of the land. Nor can the
Administration do more for itself than
oy doing right in this matter. One
lass, it is true, will always be in favor
of assessment-the thieves and strik-
ers. 1t is not, of course, true that
Every man in favor of assessments is
! thief but every thief is in favor of
Dorsey, we know, be-
eves in them, and probably every
nan indicted with him does, too We |
ldvise President Arthur to be on the
,ther side
Insurance.
~ YY