The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-29
,run,c,,.s Political BlacIsmaiI.

A DEPARTMENT CLERK WHO CANNOT PAY HIS
IssEssMENT-AN INSIDE VIEW OF WHAT Is
KNOWN AS THE VOLUNTARY CONTRIDU-
TION" SYSTEM.
The Infamous political assessment BUSH
ness is graphically illustrated in the fol-
lowing Cape May correspondence OF the
New York Times:
Walking on the beach to-day in front Of
the excursion-house representative OF the
Times met veteran clerk, a Pennsylya-
nian, who holds an important place in the
Treasury Department at Washington, and
the two cOnyersed with freedom on the
political topics of the day, and especially
on that OF the Hubbell and Cameron
Cooper assessments. This gentleman has
been many years in The service. He
went TO Washington at the close Of
the war. in which he had served hon
orably on the Union side, and secured
a place as clerk, intending to remain q
few months or year, until he could find
some other occupation open to him. But
he settled down, married, and remained.
THAT" said he, "was the greatest mis-
fortune OF my life-that ever | went to
Washington at all. My salary is $500 a
year. The duties 1 discharge are of re-
house they would command easily $500
or $4,000 year. But ! am at the top Of
the ladder. Promotion is unlikely. There
are comparatively few salaries abote 81 800
a year, and the places which do command
more than that are struggled for by men
with vastly more political influence than
can command. / have made mistake. l
am thoroughly familiar with the duties Of
my bureau OF the Department, but have
fallen out OF the movement OF general
business circles, and would find it hard to
get into the current again if were thrown
out of the service"
Now, this gentleman is politically Stall
wart. lie is devoted to the success OF Mr..
Cameron's ticket in Pennsylvania. lie
seemed TO fear that if Mr.. Cameron were to
leave the "machne" the Republicans OF
Pennsylvania would be like lost sheep, IL
norant how TO 90 forward, and would be
beaten by tie Democrats. lie had been
writing some newspaper letters to this
effect. But in the course OF this candid
he said: 81 have now had
two assessments upon me fOr money for
party purposes in this campaign. Mr..
IiubbClPs circular demanded per cent.
Mr.. Cooper, the Pennsylvania chairman,
demands 2 per cent. also. That makes
on my salary S72. | cannot pay
it. | have wife and five children.
LIVING in the most frugal manner, |
cannot save anything out of S1.S00 a year
in Washington. What am to do:" And
then he added: These assessments fall
with equal severity on nearly every clerk
in the Departments. Nine tenths OF them
yes, may say nineteen tWentieths-haye
nothing left Of their months salary three
days alter il is paid them. For the rest Of
the month they go without money, antici-
pating the next payday. OF course this
is demoralizing to all Of us. But we must
pay these assessments. We must secure the
good will OF those who have the control OF
| shall pay az least one OF the
two levied upon me, though / can i'll spare
the $50. But ! say TO you most frankly
that whenever there shall appear a sincere
TO settle by law the principle
that the clerkships are to be held during
good behavior, and that no removals are to
be made except for incOmpetency or male
ieaSance, l shall welcome it with both
hands. You say to Us: Don't pay We
must pay. The trouble has been that we
dared not trust to the profeSsed purposes
OF ciyll-seryice reform. None OF them
seemed TO us strong enough, even if they
were in earnest, to protect Us from the as
saults Of the political leaders who would
resent our refusal to pay assessments, nor
from the wholesale sweep that would fol-
low the election OF Democratic President.
For me to pay So ont of my salary is more
than | can afford, in justice to my wife and
children, but can afford that sum better
than to lose my place entirely"
THIS was the substance Of what this gen
tleman said in half an hours conversation
on the special subject. The representative
of the Times said to him, in reply to his
suggesting the apparent want OF sincerity
or OF strength in the several movements
for reform in the civil service, that he
hoped to see the present canvass IN Penn
sylvania demonstrate the perfect good
faith in which the Independent Republic
cans had entered upon the work of reform,
and pointed out to lin their emphatic de-
claration, in the resolutions adopted at
Philadelphia on May "a: 1--WE demand, in
place OF the spoils system the reformation
OF the civil service by law, so that the ap-
pointive places therein may be freely open
to all nj and meritOrious citizens, and re-
moyals shall be only for good and sufficient
public cause" This demand was made i'm
earnest, and it would be pressed upon the
peoples attention. II the ground was I'M
broken, rs matter OF public discussion, ii
was all the more the purpose OF the indie
pendent Republicans to draw q broad fur
row through il at this time and trust to the
good sense and honest purposes OF the
people.