The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-07-09
PLEDGES IND LAWS.

PLEDGES 1ND Li vs..
The partisan assessment issue promises to |
he something more than an interludc in the
present campaign. 1t has attracted more
attention in high quarters as well as low |
than ever before, and has riven the respect |
able elements of the Republican party clean
asunder from the others. The contortions,
cursings, and frothings at the mouth Of the
ow.rrade Republican organs are painful to
witness, especially when they come to speak
Of Mr.. George William Curtis or other mem
hers Of their own party who have opposed
this abuse. The effects Of rending his prey
from the chaied tiger or depriving a ricketty
infant Of his pap-bottle are nothing in com
parison and it is highly satisfactory to the
Democrats to have such open confessions
that the "great Republican party" now
exists only on the expectation and by means
of the Spoils of office, and must Immediately
die when deprived of them in the slightest
degree. The most pitiahle exhibition of all,
however, Is given by those poor Department
parasites, some of them unsexed women
greedy of notoriety, who rush into print
with frantic professions of desire aud eager
ness TO pay the assessment levied on them,
and who have nothing but affected scorn for
the reiormers who wish to deliver
them from the necessity of doing so.
Union soldiers may remember during the
war an equivalent character in tho Rebel
"nigger " who fought to keep his own race
in bondage even after the Emancipation
proclamation and rnlisting of colored troops
hy the North. No white secessionist was so
blatant in contempt of the " Yankee " and
loud in admiration of the Confedcracy as this
unique and contemplate figure. His motive
cause was of course the abiect fear of his
master and mean hope for some selfish adj
vantage bred of servile life. The strangest
fancy of all is that these transparent profes-
sions of liking the yoke made by the poor
clerks have any logical bearing on the con.
troversy. The reform movement is only sec.
ondarily concerned with the interests of clerks.
1t wishes TO protect the great public, which
never held office, and never expects to hold
office, from the debasing effects of these Depart
mental funds flung into the electoral contests
of flee people TO overrule and battle their
choice. II Mrs. Smith of the Red Tape Office
is anxious to take the bread from the mouths
of her children to give to an irresponsible
campaign committee, even to the point of he
ing willing to break the law to do SO, in
Heavens name let her do it quietly and not
advertise herself for the admiration of gods
and men on the strength of such conduct.
But after all, the benefit of the present
agitation, even should the penal statute
involved be fully enforced, will he mainly
incidental, as leading to more eiiectual re-
form. Clerks will continue to give more or
less to their party SO long as their tenure Of
office IS dependent on that pdrty'S success. They
will consider it cheap method of insurance
against removal. There is needed a pledge
not merely from the present Administration
not to remove those who do not pay assess
ments, but from the opposite party not tc
remove the present clerks in case of politi
cal change. (We efirmly believe the Democracy
has lost at least two successive Presidential
elections for want of such pledge.) o.
rather, there is needed kind of Geneva con
vention between the two parties to regarC
purely administrative officials as non.com
batants and secure from slaughter. And il
speaking of pledges il should be remembered
that the pledge from the party in powe
should be not merely against removal, " bu
against discrimination on account of nou-pay
ment of assessments. The loss of well-earnet
promotion may be as eiTectual a covert threa
as that of absolute dismissal, in bringing til
money which is the bone of contention. Eva
sion, also, should be guarded against Thos
whowade through the rubbish and drivel of til
Spoils organised by sense of duty-wil
discover that their course of reasoning
about like this: the clerk who neglects t
pay up his two per cent. must be secretly G
at heart Democrat; Democrat no matte
how faithful and deserving, should be dis
missed TO make room for "a good Republ
"can;" ergo, clerk who does not pay asses.
ments and do other campaign work shoul
be replaced by one who will. Hence, by on
false assumption and an evil dogma all tn
results are arrived at from which the part
leaders recol when they are bluntly pre-
sented to them in Congress. Nothing bu
an absolutely non partisan, Merit system Q
tenure for subordinate Offices will preven
these consequences.