The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-07-20
National Americana
ST. LOUIS, June 80


ST. LOUIS, June oU.
Editor National american:
As your paper seems to be nobody s
organ, rides no hobby and has opinions
Of its own which it is ready to give,
will you give us your views on the
question of political assessments? ?"
1 like your paper because it is not
afraid to give it's real sentiments with
out regard to their effect. Yours,
J. n.
The National american is nobody's S
organ, it rides no hobby and treats all
questions fairly and honestly. 1t has
an opinion upon political assessments
and has no objection to give it. We
bclieve that two parties at least, are
absolutely necessary to the life OF our
country. It costs money to keep up
these parties and we believe it to be
the duty of the members of either
party to furnish this money. 1t is no
more the duty Of church member to
pay church assessment than it is of
a Republican or a Democrat to pay a
party assessment. We remember the
time when there was as much hubbub
made about church assessments as
there is now about political assess
ments. Those reformers who de-
nounce these assessments on the
ground that the employees assessed
are in the employ of the government,
and not of the party, fail to take q
common sense view Of our politics.
The people in this country rule.
What we mean by the people is ma
iority of the people. If that majority
at presidential election is Democrat
ic, then the Democratic party is the
government. Ifit is Republican, then
the Republican party is the govern
ment. Every four years the people
determine which party shall rule the
country. If they decide to change the
rule from the Republican to the Dem
ocratic party, they mean to say that
they want the country governed upon
Democratic principles. In this case
the people are the Democratic party.
Hence the nonsense of the common
assertion of the outs that President
should be the president of the people
and not of party, and that govern
ment clerks are in the employ of the
people and not of the party, is appar-
ent. 1t is the party which elects a
president and that party is the people.
Notwithstanding the fine spun theo-
ries of George William Curtis and Carl
Schurz, it requires very little common
sense to understand that if the party,
the people, choose to put the govern
ment into the hands Of the Democrat
ic party they want Democrats to fill
the offices and places Of trust and
profit. 1t is not the business of a
Democratic president to please the
Republicans, it is his business to
please the Democratic party-the peo-
ple--and so long as he. does this he is
true servant of the people.
If this theory is correct then every
employee Of the government, at this
time, must be presumed to be a Re
publican and owes that party his
Share of the money needed for party
purposes. As to the mode of collect
ing this money the assessment plan is
evidently the best. Both parties have
for many years adopted it in collect
ing money from candidates Tor Othce.
It prevents the liberal man from Civ
ing more than his share and compels
the stingy man to do his duty. We
have as much sympathy for the poor
clerk who has several widows and Or
phans to support, as the reformers
who have plead so eloquently for him
but we must rely somewhat upon the
Judgment of the political assessors, as
we must upon the officers of church
in their assessments. As rule, gov
ernment clerks get better wages than
they could elsewhere for the same
number Of hours. Those government
clerks out on Washington Avenue
who have been assessed S22 each anC
whose superior gave so emphatic a ~
to the question, by Post-Dispatcl
reporter, as to whether they would b
obliged to pay the assessment, are get