New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-26
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS REPLIES TO CONGRESS
MAN HUBBEIL-

GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS REPLIES TO CONGRESS-
MAN HUBBELI-
George William Curtis has written tho following
letter to Congressman Jay A. Hubbell, chairman
and treasurer of the Republican Congressional
Committee, in reply to the letter OF that gentleman
inviting Mr.. Curtis to JON him IN request 70 .lc
President TO ask an opinion or the Attolney WI IN
eral as TO the soundneSs of the circular Ssucu Ny
the Civil Service Reform Associations
have received your letter Of the 22d inst In which
you comment upon the circnAr OF the Civil Service Re-
form Association, advising certain employees OF tue
Government that they may render them.tGS hog ~
a specified part of their saaTes into the treasury on
your committee. Upon this suggestion you ren MARI
"The law is msstated in your circular and nc a.a7n
you seek create is without justification
vaguely alude either misindersiands or peryerts T."
This is. however, merely your opinion ana 10 uinga
awaiting authoritative Interpretation does nor seen
TO TO either the incapacity tAe knavey wc
fessiOnal character IT, however your letter had cor
tanned only proposition 10 unite with the civil Ser
gi eson Of te ies question Hvoyed
should have nothing 10 aid TO me response Whch was
Whltrdge the counsel Of the association informing you
that VIC have already called the attention OF inc Atior
ney General 10 what hold TO he violations Of tue law,
and that VIC shall willingly JOIN With you IN making
case for the courts.
you thus mode of settlement as both more manly and
honorable than your attempt TO confuse the action
an al r,a' of he tovernmeIt who otherwise
would probably know it that II they take certain
they render themselves liable TO hhe ana dismiss
sal and that is attempt TO alarm snd con
fuse them. 1t to me, however, that a man VINO
lives with his family upon 5000 or $500 year would nnd
1t much more alarming and confusing TO be summoned
to p2y two per of that amount than TO be told that
such payment might lead to legal trouble II, indeed,
there De any question OF comparative maniiness ald
honor in the transaction, it strikes me that virtually 10
threaten laborers in nayyyrds and elsewhere clerks
clrand boys, and even women auu girls in the pGDhc
Offices, am informed mat circulars have been
sent that they are in dager OF dismissal II they 40 not
surrender part of their wages is conduct quite as open
10 the charge of want manncjs aud honor the act
of warning such aborers la the law PROBABLY protects
You remark that you disdan seek protection and
shelter any cover" You will not, therefore, at
tempt hide under the ptiu pretence hat me assess
OF Two per cent, or OJAer spcclHc sum loVIed by
the Con gressiOna Committee Is an ihVtion 10 MAKE
Ills stated that thirty thousand more of the circu-
lars your committee Gave been sent out have per
sonal knowledge Of them addressed TO the employees
Of the Government from Kentucky to New England aud
they undoubtedly daily mailed TO every part OF the
Union They are apparently addressed exclusively to
pubic employees and those employees undoubtedly IN
dersand that the alternative that OF payment or dis
uissal The demand Ia lssuc0 by Il committee which
knows that the general understanding III the SER
vice once eaded with superior officer against the
injustice of this assessment upon poor men earning small
wages aud reduced TO despair by the demand aad he told
i6 Oty ana pinIy Tor every one that did not wish
TO pay there fifty persons ready to take mis-
place with all It's incunbrances 1t Is not neces
practically sale OF the public service TO the highest
bidder that it destroys the screspect OF the puDnc
employees and that IL Is necessarily fatal to honest poi
tics aud economical administration II the wages
Of the public service are 100 msn, let them be re-
duced But by what right does committee OF an ire
sponsibe club of Members OF Congress levy party toll
upon the public employees under pam OF dismissal
Congressional Committee W hat party authority cOnst
ued nat committee In what way Is II responsible to
made upon mployes OF the OyernneI for the benefit
of a marry treaslry which nod TO be periOus abuse
il stond be authorized by those whom tie party desir
yates for purpose. lt IL certainly not duty
'S,,,od by any committee of members of the party
Iectcd for another purpose. II such committee may
domond per OF wages IL may eGtOrt 20 per cent
cr the same terror OtAer similar Committees may
me i,
nv yced by irresponsible committees il expendea in
Igays of which there is public account
1t becomes often vast corruption Hnd drawn
from Dox t9g RpOc secure s''G is conned cdn6l
vi the Government This is dangerous bow iOree
Institutions and the general knowledge Of the abuse
necessarily destroys popular confidence IN tie honesty of
elections brings as lace 70 Lace Win citasIoPIe'
Undoubtedly there are legitimate political eApensee;
be al liberty ala and refuse to aid hs party But
the public employees OF the Government are usuay Sc
lccled III way which practically deprYe' tieh oI II9
he holds his place by personal favor, he
will naturally propltiae that favor III order to retain ms
onoehOdcr in this thus Impaired wAlch led
Congress to pass the act OF protection to winch our CIR
cuar refers lhat ACT recognizes, as 7"'
and the reason of the case show, mat OONeI-
not delu'cd by the phrase voluntary cQit,I'iou 1
and fears that ne cannot refuse 10 pay without taHIhS
risk Of dismissal His refusal, ndecl would MOI nc
alleged the reason but 1t would be the reason aud
| to say 10 an clnploye as the circular o. lhe
| OongrtHsloha Noiinitt0c says Vh|V us ~
Will be ODjcc cd 10 III any official quarter il merely
to tighten Ii is hint u him tIa the GeinanI
Ia known and approved by those WHO can dismiss hlU
IOu your Willingness ask the President 10 Ask
opinion Of the Attorney General Bu our circular
the employees IN Inc Attorney Geuci al
oice and 1t distinctly them by necessary mpl
cation That the mead OF tbs Office does not object.
You read the cWrpapeiB carefully yOu arc aware or
very general Wnhc condemnation OF the practice Of
poiuc. -sncDts; aut they are condemned LOT inc
precise tldt ns are not nat they
pretend to be" voluntary contributions II you ask
Contribute 10 your treasury, am private cltLen
| L. VI.
your associates ask ny nclshJOr, is employed Ia
Cston-HOusc Tor contribution he feels ,hdt le Is
ia danger il he declines, This u TIE OF tie
cuual lneFty OF c.Zels which makes pYiclc" OIL
Gus, wnie IT. inevitable consequences make II threaten
Ing the public welfare. The association OF which
have the honor to be president viii no lawful ell
forts restore eq Iai liberty every citizen