The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-06-29
SENATOR PENDLETON.
Speech Against Partizan POliti-
cal Assessments.

WASHINGTON, June 27.-There was a
flavor of interest in the proceedings of
the Senate to-day, brought on by Mr..
PendletOn, calling up resolution pre-
Viously introduced by himself, relative
to the partizan political assessments
levied on Government employees by the
Republican Congressional Campaign
Committee. Mr.. PendletOn opened the
debate in speech of nearly an hour. 1t
was very strong arraignment, and
agreeably disappointed the Senator's
friends and the advocates of Civil Ser
vice reform, and was highly cOmpli-
mented by his political and other OppO-
nents of the measure. .luL L.rJ4aI Iau
He began with the statement that
when he offered the resolution he did not
know the facts in the case. There had
been vague newspaper reports that the
Republican Congressional Committee
was about leVying assessments on Gov
ernment employees, and was distributing
circular which contained implied
threats in case the demand for contribu-
tiOns was not acceded to. As soon as
his resolution was printed in the news
papers the circulars sent out by the
Committee came pouring In to him from
all quarters, from persons who had re-
ceived them and who appealed to him
to help them. He held number of them
III Ills Uduu, anu Ichu OI16 bO b1b OoudIe,
making a running comment on its Ian
guage. 1t was party, he said, from be-
ginning to end, and the country no
where entered into it. The Committee
say they are authorized to appeal for
contributions to the Republican expense
fund. He asked who authorized them,
and answered "Manifestly those who
have the powor of appointment to or
dismissal from the positions held by
those to whom the. circular is addressed"
The wording of the circular-that 1t
would be privilege and pleasure to
all interested in the success of the party
to cOntribute-he dwelt upon. A bles-
sed privilege and an exquisite pleasure
it was that the Committee gave their
employees an opportunity of enjoying !;
but lest they should not enjoy it suffi-
eiently, the Committee fixed the amount
to be taken at $50 worth of pleasure
He read the statement about voluntary
contributions, and said they are voIun-
taTy as the passenger makes to the high
Waymen when called on to stand and
deliver. Voluntary as the surrender of
the man of the world makes when he
meets the Grim Reaper, and feels the
cut of his scythe. He added "While the
contributions will not be objected to in
any official quarter, a refusal to con-
tribute will meet with disapprOyal in all
official quartera.R hIIH '..uld lDyda yIl
On reading that part of the icircuIar,
in which the Committee appeals to all
who look with dread Upon the pOssibil7
ity of the restoration Of the Democratic
party to power, he said; Who looks with
dread upon that prospect 2 N No sensible
man In the country to-day did so. In
the last two Presidential elections the
people were aboIlt equally divided and
In the election OF 1875 o majority Of the
people had voted to restore the Demo
cratic party to power. The notification
10 employees to forward remittances to
Jay A. Hubbell gave him the opportunity
to say that the assistance the Committee
wanted was not honest work or infu-