National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-14
Let Us Have Thorough Work.

dleton's civil service reform bill he should
have gone further. He has introduced bill
TO prohibit officers and employees of the
United States from contributing money for
political purposes. The senator in the re-
marks with which he accompanied the intro
duction of his bill arose to the full stature of
the professional civil service reform politician.
lie declared that the poor scared clerks Of tho
government contributed to campaign funds for
foar that If they did not they would loso their
places. lie wished ITO arm the poor clerk"
against the contribution box Of his party so
that no could not contribute money without
laying himself liable to fine or imprisonment.
He alluded TO tho depression among "theso
poor clerks" caused by "tho sinister pres
once of chairmen of state committees who
come here to Washington to I'LL their pockets
aud go home with the money squeezed and
coerced out Of mon and women"
Senator Voorhees, got good deal Of telling
irony into his brief speech. 1t was just a
little hint of what might como of tho new
policy Of logislating for the suppression of the
in earnest in advocating the congressional
guardianship Of grown men, and declaring
to what uses they shall put tho money they
have earned. Mr.. Voorhees, Is law
yer and knows, as does tho merest
tyro in tho land, that no man intelligent
enough to earn money would DO fool enough
TO pay any attention to such a law as he pro-
poses. Congress has as much right to pre-
vent government clerks from eating sirups
on their buckwheat cakes as it has to make
a suggestion to them as to how they shall
spend their own money.
The law to prevent tho interruption of
officers or clerks while on duty by persons
engaged in soliciting contributions is mere
regulation for the good of the service, and
has in it no ingredient Of ccnsure or disap.
proval of political contributions by clerks.
The section which shields tho govern
ment employees from removal, reduction
of rank, or deprivation Of promotion,
because of their failure to contribute.
is clear and its violation under any pre-
text would be a dangerous experiment. The
provision that officers shall not solicit OF re-
ceive from other officers is pretty strict but
it is intended to guard the employe against
the undue influence which one in authority
over him might exercise, if SO disposed.
These provisions Of law are approved by
the general sense Of the republican party.
Republicans understand very well that the
democratic zeal in favor of them was born of
Nobody believes that, If the Office holders
were democrats, either Mr.. Voorhees, or Mr..
Pendleton would hs 20 ever thought of
introducing bill to sew up their
pockets in election times. The pub
lie has been treated 4rto good
deal of CANNON on this theme, and quite a
number of people have, for the time be-
ing, been taken off their feet by the auda-
cious outcry Of old democratic party hacks to
the effect that it is very wicked to belong to
the republican party. A class of sycophants
and cyclists, calling themselves republicans,
but who cannot exist without democratic
hattery, have Joined the democratic chorus
against the awful depravity maintaining a
republican organization.
If the dem ocratic foxes and the republican
geese who accept their leadership really want
to corral the republican party by law, and
lock it up until after the presidential cleo
ton, we propose the following additional Sec
tions to the bill of Senator Voorhees,:
SEC. 9. No republican not in Office or in
Egovernmept employ shall contribute money
to the republican party.
ploy shall contribute his rote to the republican
party at any election.
SEC A. No republican not in Office shall
contribute his vote to the republican party al
any election.
SEC. 5. No republican shall in converse
ton or in writing communicate to any per-
son in Office any political wish or opinion.
SEC. 8. No republican shall in any manner
express a political opinion or wish to any
person not in Office.
SEC. Z. 1t shall be unlawful for the repub-
lcan party to have attached to it any
machine" commonly known as com.
mittee, whether the same be national
congressional, state county. or municipal
SEC. s. The political action of republican
shall be wholly in conformity with the regu
lations established for them from time tc
time by the caucuses and committees of tn,
domossSsif ssssie are tli 9itt --
SEC. 0. Deni1
aud 1t is hereby declared that demSs.ti
committees arc not machines.
The foregoing amendments to the bill @
the Indiana senator are entirely in keepin
with its sense and spirit. They would efeC
the object at which he is aiming, and we sc
no reason why they should not receive tn
support of all who regard democratic up
proyal as the only test of republican goo
conduct.
We have made the several prohibition
J apply to persons not in Office, for the reasO
that many of them desire to get in, aud, III
, less restrained by law, they might give ava
A. tI,oi. G., ~, ;Iioa mad in tho hnnn