Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-27

the Boston custom house, and a demand had
been made there for an aggregate Of $4,000.
1t had been sent to the armory at Springfield
and an assessment Of $18 made upon each ar
morer in that institution. It had been sent
to postoffices, custom house collectors Office,
and other government institutions in New
York, and the branch of public service there
located, which has earned exceptional credit
by reason of its freedom from the debaslng
arts of political assessors was again to be
plunged into the mire from which it had so
laborously emerged. II had been sent to the
employees at Chicago, to every postmaster in
the country; at least he had returns from al
most every state east If Nevada. To neD en-
gagged in government works in Ohio at Mari
eta, the demand had been made for part of
the daily wages OF the men there employed in
cutting stone for the dam. Department clerks
have been assessed In various amounts OF from
$18 to $50. The circular had been sent to men
engaged in day labor on the capitol and through
the capitol grounds, and IS and So had been
assessed upon them. The government print
ing Office had not escaped. The circular had
been sent to every name upon every govern
ment pay roll whether the amount paid was
great or small. Ladies in the departments earn
ing a mere pittance and little pages of the
house, and perhaps those Of the senate, had
been directed to stand and deliver the amount
pcCLCu Hull buCms A4O COuAu AIAo64nS oAoo
he saw this brave committee going
to one of the little pages and
Se q the county, agp sad t5e
excellence of the Republican principles, and
by his dread of the restoration of the Demo-
cratic party to power to make contribution
Of; TO make diversion Of SO in order to
avert such terrible calamity. II this was
not sad picture Of partizan tyranny and
degeneracy it would be in many Of its aspects
broad farce. 1t would even be better for
the country If the Republican party would
thrust its hand in and boldly abstract public
money and charge it up to soap.
The assistant attorney general with great
deal of gasconade had said he defed and spat
upon the existing law because it was no law,
as he could find no authority for prohibiting
voluntary contributions for lawful objects.
The man who in the face OF the Republican
committees circular could talk about volun-
tary contributions, was either aentirely igno-
rant of Office language or Of the substance
| of things, and in either case discussion with
him would be useless. The treasurer of the
committee, Representative Hubbard, whose
name was appended to the circular, HAD denied
having violated the law prohibiting as
sessment, because he was not an executive Of
ficer or employe of the government, but q
member of congress. In this position he was
relying upon decision made in the last CEN
fury; that senator is not liable to impeach.
ment. If the case was taken into court that
gentleman would probably find II he had not
landed somebody in the penitentiary he had at
least brought them perilously near to the
verge of conviction. Possibly he may escape
upon technicality, but his culpability in
inviting and inducing violations OF the law by
others will remain.
Senator Conger replying to the allusion to
himself by Senator Pendleton, denied that his
Questions to the resolution when it was
originally introduced, was that Republican
political assessments were justified by like
practices heretofore on the part of the Demo.
Gratis. He explained that what he had said
was, that he had documents before him to
snow that the practice had been In existence
when the senator was in congress, and the
Democratic party had power to make assess
ments. He added that in the period referred
to, a number of leading Democrats met on q
Sabbath day to declare who should be turned
out OF Office for not paying assessments.
Senator Pendleton replied that Senator Con-
ger could not find in all the Democratic his
tory anything 60 small and petty and so WIDE
spread in all its ramifcations as the present
course against the purity of the ballot box
and freedom of election.
Senator Allison in reply to Senator Pendle-
ton said the senator's remarks had been based
upon grave misapprehensions. The contribu-
ton called for by the circular was an entirely
voluntary one and the circular itself, save as
to dates, was an exact. transcript OF that
which was issued by the Republican .n national
congressional committee Of 1880. The
statements then made and those
now made had reference alike
to the impending presidential election. In
Difference to the wishes of President Hayes the
committee then refrained from making assess
ments, and the language then used had now
been re-adopted. Every man to whom the
appeal had been made was entirely at liberty to
decline to contribute, as he would be If he held
no Office.
Senator Beck-Do you believe officials will
be permitted to remain in their positions II
they fail to contribute?
Senator Allison replied that was the point he
was coming to. In the earnest and exciting
struggle Of 1880a circular was sent alike to
those who were, and to those who were not en-
ployes of the government. the only distinc-
tion observed being as to those who were sup
posed to be willing to contribute to Repub-
iican success. OF the vast number OF those
employees throughout the country, say lOO,-
OOO, only II, SIG made any contribution or . lit
tie more than one-tenth. He now In his place
asserted and challenged the senator's from
Ohio and Kentucky (Pendleton and Becky
to point out single instance
to disprove his assertions. Not one
office holder who failed to contribute in 1880
was removed from the office for that cause.
His own sincere conviction was that not one
man had been disturbed in his place on that
account. This was the most convincing
proof of the character of the appeal then made
by the commission. 1t was his belief as q
member of the present commission that no
officer or employee would be disturbed here
after because of an unfavorable response or
neglect to respond.
The time for morning business having ex'
pired, the discussion was temporarily sus-
pended, and the bankruptcy bill was taken up.
The bill was Immediately laid over In conse-
uuence of the absence Of Senator Ingalls,.
The house concurrent resolution for hnal
adjournment July 10th was tabled Temperate
" without dissent.
Debate upon political assessments was then
resumed.
Senator Hale said he with other Republican
members had authorized the Republican circu-
lar and he had no apology to make. 1t called
simply for a voluntary contribution In exact
with the circular from the same
source heretofore, and had been addressed to
a willing constituency, ready to contribute its
mite rather than see the Democrats gain con-
troll of the next congress. -
Upon the conclusion of speech by Senator
Van Wyck, which was vigorously applauded
ON the Democratic side, the subject was In
formally laid aside until tomorrow.
Senator Logan presented conference report |