The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-09-28
rHE AssEssMENT HORL.

The New York Tribune hews out
this solid block of sense upon the sub
ject of assessment of office holders, and
the wild assumption of virtue by the
orators and newspapers of the Demo
cratic party:
"More amusing, if possible, than the
attempt by Democrats to make party
capital out of the passage of the river
and harbor bill, for which larger pro-
portion of Democrats than of Republi-
cans voted in both house and senate, is
the outcry the party leaders, orators and
newspapers are making over the "as-
sessment' of Republican officeholders
for political purposes. From Maine to
California the party stands aghast with
rolling eyes and palms turned outward.
They have Just heard that federal
officeholders are assessed for pOliti-
cal purposes! Look at Jay Hubbell 7"
they cry, "levying assessments on
the poor officehOldersi What are
we coming to if this sort of thing is per
mitted? The foundation of free institu-
tions are in dangerw And they call up
on the people to rise up in their might
and "rebuke the abuse of power" Re
Duke il howY Why, that goes without
of office everywhere and putting Demo
Gratis In To this end and no other are
all the protests and remonstraneeS
against the assessment of Office holders
directed. 1t is a gigantic wrong which
can only be corrected by Democrats; an
evil which nothing but Democratic as
cendancy can cure.
Now it is hardly necessary to say THAI
the Tribune is as heartily opposed to
the whole system of assessments for po-
litlcal purposes as any of these vigorous
Democratic howlers- More heartily in
deed, and with more sincerity, for we
have not hesitated to condemn it under
Republican administrations while Dem
ocratic condemnation Of it never reach
es the abuse of power by their own par
ty. But the Tribune knows too much
of the Democratic party and its his
tary to look in that direction for reform
in this or any other particular. 1t has
seen many abuses corrected by Repub-
lican administrations, never one by
Democratic, and it expects to see a
Republican administration make final
end of this. But what an empty hum
bug and cheat the Democratic profess
sions on this subject arel If the Roman
augurs could no. meet without thrust.
ing their tongues in their cheeks, what
must the Democratic leaders and orators
do who are making all this ado about
political assessments How can Mr..
Hewitt meet Mr.. Cox,or Mr.. Perry Bel
mont meet Dir. Roswell Flower after
raising an indignant outcry over politi-
cal assessments, when each one Of them
knows that the other has been assessed
by his party committee, and that there
is not an Office held by Democrat in
the country from fence viewers to gu
preme judge that Is not assessed and
assessed roundly.
Could anything be more palpably alb
surd than the pretense of virtue these
men are making? Nay, more; could
anything be more dishonest?
The Democratic party opposing po-
litical assessments? Why there has not
been Democrat in Office for the past
thirty years who has not been assessed
by his party committee. And if he
didn't pay his assessment-well, that,
they say, is what makes Mr.. William II.
English, late candidate for vice presi-
dent, so unpopular