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

hell and his committe. affirming the same
rights for those in the public service which
belong to other citizens, insisting on the
same protection from those inSul ting de-
uapdS for money BY the miuions OF Con-
Vressiopal committees which every other
Citizen would resent and declaring they
would not pay one cent so long as they are
made the subjects OF claims Tor specihe
sums assessed arbitrarily against them, or
are apprOached differently from other citi-
ztns. there is good reason, we affirm, to
believe so lust as assertion Of self-respect
and the common rights of citizenship would
he received with a popular applause, which
would oyerawe the adminiStration-if Ii
can BE- thought to connive at the extortion
would even shame the members of the
committee hack 10 their duty as legislators.
But what right have We to expect the hum
bier officials to be patriots and martyrs,
when s... r.
Members OF Congress Uphold the
Abuses
by which the manhood of so many Of them
has been impaired for more than genera
ton?
The charge for Mr. Hubbell to answer is
not one concerning the number of officers
having the appointing power who have had
the nerve to thrust out the subordinate
who has stood for his rights. IL Is that the
demand made by the committee is illegal,
unjust and emoralizins-unworthy the
legislators Of fifty millions Of people, and
offensive to the best membership and fatal
to the purity and prosperity OF his party.
To this charge Mr.. Hubbell attempts no
answer He does not seem to comprehend
either the sense of justice or the state
manShip from which il springs. His shift
about nOn-removals is but an indirect con-
fssSion of guilt For, unless he adopts the
code of the Spollsmen, that might makes
right in politics. lie must, on some theory,
claim that it is intrinsically right for the
committee to enforce the tax, and conse-
quently the duty of the officials and labor
ers to pay il. How stands his plea on the
latter theory? So high and imperative is
the obligation to demand and to pay, that a
grand National Congressional Committee"
of sixteen members, drawn from both
houses, must be created in order to COM
bine their wisdom and power for its en-
fOrcement. BulldOZing and tissue voting,
The Fate Of the Republican Party,
the prosperity OF the nation, are declared
| bv Mr.. Hubbell to depend upon it, Yet,
| with an unquestioned power TO make re-
movals and plain duty to do so, upon
| his own theory, il his demand = not COM
| piled with, his committee las he claimsl
| allows any clerk to spurn that demand and
| any tender OF door or gate to slam 1t in
| the face Of the committee with perfect im-
| punty.
Mr.. Hubbelrs defence reduces the whole
| proceeding either to pitiable begging, in
| which q committee of Congress appear,
| hat in hand, on their knees, before the
| floor sweepers and messenger boys, equally
! ready to accept a sixpence or cuff, or to
| a pOmpous attempt at extortiOn by false
pretenSeS.in which nothing is in danger ex-
| cept the honor or reputation OF those who
present an unjust claim which they have
| the power, but not the courage to enforce.
| Here is a scene for Mast. Mr.. Hubbell APP
pears To have no more sense OF the ridicu-
| ious than ne has of justice. II this puSil-
lanimauS shrinking from removals, when
they might bring millions to prevent bull
doing and tissue voting, TO fill the pockets
of members and to purchase glorious We
tory for the Republican party-had been
made charge sgainst the committee, It's
force would be apparent; but that such COW
ardice should be pleaded in defense, only
| such a chairman could make possible.
But though the extOrtiOnlStS no longer
dare remove-or let it be known that they
! secretly threa ten TO do SO-they yet Gun.
! ningly cOutrive TO make the fear OF removal
a terror to their victims.
The Public Servants are Solemniy
Warned
| that nothing but their money can save the
| Republicans from defeat when the wicked
| Democrats will remove the whole of them.
/ That pitiable suggestion l. made in a
stealthy form in Mr., Hubb.lrS circular;
| and the only influential New \ "rk journal
| which has apologized for assessments has
| adroitly used that argument, and that
| alone.
The true rule a. TO raising money for
! party purposes is not difficult 10 lay down.
| The duty of all citizens Is the same,
| whether holding office or not, TO make
/ reasonable contribution of time and money,
! according to their ability, for the support
| of sound principles and Of parties who are
| faithful to them The officer should have
! q fair salary for his work. His obligation
| to paw money for q party is neither in
! creased nor diminished by the fact OF hold
| ing Office. Parties are inevitable, and,
within their proper sphere. useful. They
r.eCI residents, GOvernUIs,
bers of Congress and OF Legislatures, thus
controlling all policy and all legislation,
and, as a consequence, drawing INTO
activity, in their ranks and rewarding men
of honorable ambition. The subordinateS
in the Departments who represent neither
opinions nor interests-whOse party views
are immaterial for their vOrk-should be
| selected on business principles, without
peril OF being ConScripted into the working
gangs Of any party or OF being pluudered
| for paying its expenses.
| A party needs money for legitimate pur-
poses; and no party which is faithful to
its principles and gives the people worthy
| men for office and good administration.
| will ever appeal to its members IN vain Tor
| the money really needed.
IL Is Machine Management
! enabling manipulators to monopoliZe
| politics as a business, to eXtOrt money
! from the public servants, to spend ii cor
| ruptly and to deprive the people of freedom
| of action. in its conventionS-which has
| made worthy citizens refuse to trust party
leaders with money.
Never have parties been more vital than
they were in the period before Jackson,
when assessments were unknown. Neither
here nor in any other country are party
lines more clearly drawn or Is fidelity TO
PARTY principles more complete, or admin
! iStratiOn purer, than in Great Britain,
| where assessments are not attempted. AT
this moment, in every part OF the MON,
PARTIES are faithful and vigorous, and ad-
miniStration is honest, in the precise degree
that assessments are unknown and parties
rest upon the free action Of their unofficial
members. The demand for assessments
| MUS IlN StItukiu III tilC SiCCN VI Nu'SANoii''
and manipulatOrS for money for purposes
for which they dare not ask it, and OF
which they dare not give account.
It's q libel Upon n People,
who more literally than any other support
their schools and charities, and who alone
support their churches by voluntary sub
scriptions, to say they will refuse anything
needful to maintain in healthy life those
great parties without which all history shows
liberal government 10 be impossible. 1t is
an insult to such people to pretend that
the better party will go down If it be not
sustained by eNtortion from the public
service.
The Republican party was born of de.
votion to great pripCiples,-by fidelity TO
which. unaided BY assessments, itadvanced
to power over a party whose treasury was
kept full BY eNtortion upon the public
servants and never did the power of the
I new party begin 10 wane until its mercenary
and partisan managers reproduced the old
Democratic methods for paying expenses.
What can be more preposterous than for a
! party in power to say IL must resort To as
| Sassn,sntS IN fivht its adversary which has