The daily gazette., 1882-12-11
PIRATE HUBBELL'S WAY
SENATOR BAYARD ON POLlTI
CAL ASSESSMENTS.
PLAIN TALK AGAINST THEM
His Urgent Plea to Have the Infamous
System Investigated and Prohibited by
Penal Law.

-
In the Senate on Friday, during the de-
bate on the resolution of Mr.. Beck, inquir-
ing into the subject of political assessments,
and the substitute of Mr.. Hale, Senator
Bayard, after arguing that the substitute
was designed to defeat the real end sought,
said
The Senate will not mistake and the
country will not mistake the difference be-
tween these Easolutions and the results of
the inquiry under each. There was an act
OF Congress passed in 1876 in the shape of
an amendment to an appropriation bill that
looked toward the abatement of the per-
nicious practice Of mucting, assessing the
various officials of the Government of their
just pay for party purposes. At the time
that was passed the Democratic party had
control OF the House of Representatives, the
Republicans had control OF the Senate, and
by the joint action of the two parties the act
of 1876, which was intended to prevent the
assessment of the ministerial officers OF the
Government by any one in the employ of
the Government using his power as
superior officer acting upon the fears or
hopes of subordinates, sought to put an end
to the very abuse which 1t has turned out to
be Intellectual for stopping.
This last year one of the officials enumer-
name-I forget what office he held-was in
dicted in the United States circuit court in
New York for the violation of this act and he
was convicted, and he was sentenced, and
the Supreme Court, upon the hearing in a
habeas corpus for the purpose of inquiring
into the cause of the detention, is understood
to have affirmed the constitutionality of the
act. That stops the practice by men hold
ing like offices under Government, for sup
pose he was an executive officer of the
United States, appointed by the President
with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Two other officers, known generally and be-
lieved TO be as much part OF the official corps
of the countsy as Mr.. Curtis, one Of whom
was the chairman, l believe, Mr.. Hnbbell,
of one Of the Congressional committees, did
the same thing that Curtis did, openly and
above board and positively.
The President of the United States has
stated with candor and good sense and in
manner most creditable to himself that it
goes without saying that the contributions
Of this unhappy band of officials were not
voluntary; they were simply involuntary;
and the question was put to the President
whether or not in law Mr.. Hubbell was
liable to an indictment of the same char
acter under which Mr.. Curtis was tried,
convicted, and sentenced. He referred the
question TO the Attorney-General, and the
Attorney-General gave an opinion that
under the decision, mot of court but of the
Senate of the United States in the i'm
peachment case of Blount in 1897 a
Senator or Representative in Congress
was not an officer of the United States, aud
therefore that the letter Of the law had no
application TO him; nor its spirit, nor the
intent to prevent officials from being de-
prived Of their just compensation and emol-
ument, not the intent to prevent official
power from perpetuating itself by using an
official salary tor party end, but that.
technically because this member of Con-
gress, Senator or Representative, It mattered
not which, was not an official, strictly
speaking, therefore, lie could not be sub
jected TO the identical punishment that un-
der the restraining hand of the law had
been applied to Mr.. Curtis.
Now, as / understand, the object of
the Senator from Kentucky is TO
enforce that law in its spirit as well as in
its letter and TO extend its scope and power
SO as TO protect the United etates officials
from involuntary assessment and to prevent
official salaries given TO men for public
uses, no matter by what party, being applied
to the ends of that party.
A colloquy then took place between Mr..
Bayard and Mr.. Hale, the former charging
the latter with making speech at the last
session in favor Of political assessments.
Mr.. Bayard then proceeded
MIR. President, we have the fact that here
is an act of Congress through which the
customary coach and-four has been driven.
We supposed In 1876 that this practice,
which / esteem to be dangerous one, Of
coereing the subscriptions oil Government
employees to political funds, whether they
wish 70 make them or not, or whether they
can with just consideration to their own
expenses contribute or not, would be
stopped VIC believed the act Of 1876 would
stop 1t. 1t has turned out that there was
no stoppage at all but the customary coach
and-four has been driven through it, as i
have said, and we find that a number OF
gentlemen, members of both Houses, who
had assisted in passing that law have
rendered it an absolute nullity by changing
The agency by which these exaetions upon
officials were made.
THE BLooD-MoNEY PRINCIPLE.
This resolution does not tend simply to
amend that act which penalties the exaction
by superior officers from the official corps
OF the Government, but it teuds further TO
inquire whether or not the offices of the
Government have been made the spolls of
party conquest whether or not when men
refused to use their time or their money, |
their just salary to promote the success Of a |
given party, they were turned out OF office
and ergo those who had used time and |
money put in their place. The allegation is
distinct in this resolution that such things
were done and that they were done do /,
not presume that any man within the hear
ing OF my voice is disposed to doubt.
What is the meaning of this circular |
signed by civilian Malone, chairmanP'
What meant the statements which were pub |
lish.d during the last fall on this subject in |
which actunily the system of decapitation |
was so universal and so prompt and SO sud- |
den that blanks hud TO be kept in order to |
fill out the various writs OF execution |
against unhappy otiice- holders from the |
State OF Virginia here in the Departments in
case their places were wanted-wanted for |
what? Wanted for political ends, because
if they did not prostitute them to those ends |
Others were to be put in their place,
DO say anything that any man in my
hearing doubts! Think not. If these be
eyils, II is not because they were committed
during the last canvass by one side or the
other, do not mean to say that if you
had the whole patronage of this Government
In the hards of tine Democratic party
this evil NIL hit not have been as fully
committed. 1t was not so becaase they were
not in power. The QUESTION Is whether or
not wc'shall combine 10 prevent this abuse,
who tder OF not this step in favor OF Civil
Service reform shall be taken, and whether
it shall be strengthened BY tae vote Of both
parties.
Sow let That iall where it will, let the
blame TAIL where it will, let the discovery
fall where IL will, let contribution for . COZ
rupt end, private or public, oe discovered in
the course OF this investigation, | care not.