The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-06-30

bell against any further controversy Just
now with the civil service reiormeH, and
also Is aims. any further attempt to collect
money ior caYp4ien purposes from Federal
employ cs. They characterize It as. an un.
profitable Issue, and ob,rudcd upon the
public at d most inppportune time More.
over, II there Is any possible advantage 10
accrue from Il They are certain II will be
leaped by the Democrats, and not by, tho
Republicans. The men who are thus nd-
wishing Mr. llnlbell and tue Republican
committee, for whom he Ia acting, IRE
understood TO- lenetchants, bankers md
business men, pelsons who have heretofore
been among the ,nost7libcrnl contributors
10 the ELECTION expenses, and who expect
TO do 20 pgaln, though nonel OF them nre
expected 10 be Office holders. II Is not the
iint renl0nstrance oil the kind from the
sanioqnaitrff but ills uttered now In tho
imperative mood. 49, lj|
The Chairman Of the Congressional Com.
inittee has commended all along that the
contributions invitednby his Committee
were intended 10 be purely voluntary, ind
were in no wise TO be understood as con.
veying an intimaton that any pains or
penalties would be visited on tho heads OF
those who, refused to contribute, Ho has
ulso contended that members Of Congress
are not officers within tho meaning OF the
law. AS showing that no. threat Is in.
tended, he says that out OF the 10000
otiiceholders who In 1880 were invited 10
contribute toitho subscription fund only
about 1900 made my response, and that
out Of tho nearly 10000 men who failed to
contribute anything in 1850 not ono person
was disturbed in his place because OF his
failure to DO 80. ga.:i, y. .46i&tsg6;t' \
The Chicago Tribune, commenting upon
this statement Of the Chairman, says that
bis explanations are ut least comforting"
in one particular. a45 g
They show . healthy state Of public SEN.
tincntunder which the oliiccholders take
cour,ge and refuse to pay a percentage OF
their earnings rs a price OF holding office,
and it further, shows that the amount OF
money thus collected from these persons
for partisan purposes is annually decreas.
ing. The country has reason 10 congra.u.
lutte itself on tho lact that this kind OF party
assessment is falling into such disrepute
that no party now dare; outrage public sen.
timent by attempting to make refusal 10
pay good cause for dismissal, and that it
has so! far. fallen into contempt that only
very simple and very excessively loyal
persons, new apRointees mainly, pay any
attention 10 the, circulars, even when they
arc issued under the imposing NAMES Of
fifteen or more Senators und Representa-.
tiyes in Congress. ssfs9-it',.i;m' ~
There is practical question, however,
| which we are surprised has not forced itself
OH the consideration OF tho committee ut
washington, and that IL, SIS the game
worth the candle?" Here Is the open nd.
mission that 100000 'oiIiccholders were
invited to Send contributions equal to .
per cent Of their income, aud less than
onceighth" OF the number made any
response. Seven out Of every eight OF the
olliceholders took no notice OF tho com
mittee. Now, what were the party gains
and losses by this scheme to raise the
funds? Assuming that the 1000 persons
| who responded were in the receipt OF an
aversge salary OF 81 600 each, and that the
assessment was equal to . per cent OF the
salary, We have a total assessment paid in
OF $40 900. What that money was expend-
ed for we do NOT know, but it fell iar short
Of. compromising for the damage done
TO the party by the scandal OF its collection
and the Outrage 1t inflicted upon public
sentiment ltappearcd 10 the average ci,i-
zen as SO much money appropriated by
Congress for public purposes and inter
copied on its way from the National Treas
ury 10 pay the" expenses OF a political
party. One result OF this proceeding is,
that it has taken the Republicans Of both
Houses oil Congress two entire days 10 PAL
iatc tho assessment circulars, and TO estab-
lish the fact that the, committee had only
collected portion OF the money. that
they had expected, and that the trans.
action was not in violation OF the law be-
cause members OF Congress were not pub
lie officers. !EJtg gs.;gfJ u 1850; q,
There is not a political abuse more scan-
dalous in the public mind than this puliti-
cal assessment business 1t is Offensive 10
every intelligent man whose trade is no:
political oIliceholdins or brokerage, and in
this case it has become so costly because OF
its ofiensiYeness' that it cannot be compen-
stated for by any amount Of money Tint
may be gathered in. il
b - O. E . . H.F..H