Omaha daily bee., 1882-10-26

was undoub eddy the policy of con
gress. The question is whether it wa
competent for congress to adopt that
policy and enact law, and enforce it.
Smtth-It is a singular way to pro-
tect a subordinate, to punish him for
giving, even when the act Is volun-
tary, aud let his superior GO unpun-
lshed, wen when he exacts pay ment
10 conclusion Smith said he cou'd
only ~reiterate his con,iotion that con-
gress mad no right to regulate the con
duct Of government employees outside
the sphere Of the lsttei's ofic oil duties.
The solicitor general explained why
he had laid stress, in his argument,
upon receiving rather than giving
money for political purposes, and
closed with the following words: VI
am arguing this case in accordance
with The distinction made by the
statute between giving and receiving
General Curtis was receiver and
trustee, and shether congress had a
right to prohibit his giving money for
political purposes or not, 1t certainly
mad q right to prohibit his reoeiv-
ing it,"
Everett P. Wheeler, az representa-
| tive of the Civil Service Reform asso
citation, has submitted u brief for the
Government, 10 which the oonstitu.
tionality of the statute i, maintained
upon somewhat broader ground than
that taken by the solicitor general,
and in which an atteu ps is made to
show that the practice Of political as-
sessment Is not only illegal, but Is in
furious to the public service,
oppressive to government EN-
ployes and demoralizing to all who
have anything to do with it.
"Habitual assessmen's," Wheeler
says, "should be forbidden as protec
| ton to tfics holders themselves from
a most %distracting annoyance. IL
most circulars, indeed, contributions
are carefully called voluntary, and
they are usually 80 epoken of; but as
a matter Of fact they are not volun-
tary. They are radically different
from contributions for social or politi-
cal purposes, which are really volun.
,ary. These contributions for politi'
cal purposes are soliclted by those In
authority, or by those who are
likely to have special Influence
with the appointing power in par
| ticular. Tne amount wanted IL
designated and it is spoken of as
something which is 'due." As a
matter of fact, such assessments
amount to a specie, of txsortion
They are paid under duress, very
uften at great personal sacrifice, aud
under it, f1uence Of fear OF losing thei!
pace and means of livelihood through
success IF the party out of power OF
through dismissal by the party il
power, as means of punishment
for not having paid them. Tit
amount of contributions ,hemselvei
forms, moreover, a compete answer
to the superstition that they are vol
untary and pcoper. The assassin snts
in the year of each pr. 8 dental cleo
ton amouot to 6 per c MT Of the office
holders salary. A great majority o'
those ASSESSED r p'rsOns whose cal
aries do not exceed $1,000 per an
mum Prudent persons with such in
comes do not give away 6 per cent o
their salaries for any ons purpos
whatsoever, except under pressure
either real Or fancied. Tn
effects of political assessment
upon ting public + not less in
portant Shaas thSss upd,n thu office
holders themselves, aud such eff set
, alone aft ,rd sufficient reason for pre-
hibition Of the practice, and the NOR
ey which is raised becomes inevitabl
I a source Of corruption. 1t cannot b
, positi ely stated how much money
raised by means of these assessment
From the most trustworthy source G
< information to which acc sss can h
obtained, however, it may be pos
lively asserted at least 800, O0U al
annually raised respectively by tn
republican congressional commi
. tee and by the republics
state committee of New You
The exact amount is known to yer
few persons and no regular accoun
D are kept of recespts or Of expend
tures. WHAT accounts are kept a
q not audited and the expenditures 81
q in the hands Of one or two person
t who are Responsible to nobody. I'll
, disbursement of these sums may |
a entirely proper, but experience h
shown that such irresponsible expead
g lures are a direct, fruitful and mo
! ~lnsidious source OF corruption. I'll
most serious indirect effect Of Il
system It's influence upt
r the character and conduct of polite
.rties, In the eyes of the party o,
@ Of power the whole body of off ,e
. and employees of the national COVER
ment constitute a m%ercenary for
which draws money from the nation
treasury and spends it tor the purpo
deriving them of the honor ar
emoluments of Office and an opportl
. nifty of putting their prime
Piles OF administration into o.
y Grafton. The result Is to intr
: duce into every political conte
= elements which are wholly foreiga
= u. Inc IduCoT VI puCu COHtbbtb
: increased, the confidence of a lare
number of citiz .ns in honest and a
. partisan administration of laws reg
lstine elections 10 greatly diminish.
and a disposition to dispute the d
8 clared result Of such elections eth
Q by resort t. immediate violence or
legal contests is consequently great
Q increased"
y THE CABINET AND POLITICS.
The statement to the effect tn
poll ical affairs 10 New York al
Pennsylvania and other states h
been a subject for discussion az ca
met meetings is auth~oritatively deni,
by the president and members of ii
cabinet, Sho furthermore spec fc al
say that while the usual cabinet NEE
4, a.. ha-a haan hald COS tha conaida