Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-04
CLERKS TO BE SQUEEZED.
REPUBLICANS FIND CHEERFUL
GIVERS VERY SCARCE.

The Sweetly COuehed Appeal Proves
such Poor Magnet for Drawing
shekels that Sterner Methods VIII be
Resorted tO-BIaine's Peculiar Luck in
the Money making Line.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3.-The Republi-
can squeezing committee has not re-
ceived many contributions yet. Its mem
bers talk as though the clerks were
thronging their Office to deposit their con-
rlbutlons, but they are not. The office is
empty most of the time, and the commit
tee has taken in less than $500. The fact
IS. the committee does not expect much
from its first move. A few hundred zeal
Gus partisans may contribute a few hun
dred dollars, but there is a very great re-
luctance among the clerks to respond to
the invitation of the committee to make
voluntary contributions this year. The
committee does not rely upon this. Con-
trlDutIOns have always been obtained
heretofore by personal solicitation. This
viii be the method finally employed this
year. The present circular will be al
lowed to do what it will to remind
the clerk of his duty until Sept.
l, when a second circular will be
sent, cOuched in polite terms, ex-
pressing surprise that no credit has yet
been placed opposite his name upon the
books of the Finance Committee. 1t will
close by informing the delinquent that
during the month an agent Of the commit
tee will call at his residence to receive a
contribution. The committee do not think
that it will be necessary to call on every
one of the 5000 or 5000 clerks in Wash
ingtOn. After few have been talked to
they will tell the others in their respec-
tive rooms. The interviews will be pri-
vate and the arguments will be effective.
When these visits are talked over in the
departments it is believed that the neces-
sity for them will rapidly decrease.
Nevertheless no one will be neglected,
Democratic clerks will be visited as we'll
as Republicans. The record will be COM
plete. In order to make these domicil-
iary visits the city will be divided into
convenient districts and person will be
assigned to each.
MEN HARD TO GET.
To get just the right kind of men for
this service occasions the committee
the most anxious thought. In 1880
there was not so much trouble. Men
were taken right from the body of the
clerks. They were selected by the bureau
chiefs. They Ostensibly resigned from
duty, although some of them only took a
leave of absence for a month while col
lectlng. They Of course lost nothing bV
either plan. They were paid a good COM
mission on their collections, and were
thus encouraged to squeeze their fellows
as dry as possible. After the election
they were all reappOinted, and most of
them were promoted. Unfortunately for
the committee, the civil service law pre-
vents the continuance of this practice.
II a man resigns now he cannot
get back again except through the
Civil Service examinations, so there will
be no clerks used to squeeze clerks this
year. To find just the right kind of col
lectOrS is going to worry the Finance
Committee, and Mr.. Clapp's thorough
acquaintance in the city will be needed to
secure just the right men. a coarse per-
functiOnary dunning bill collector will
not do. The reluctant clerk would be
likely to slam the door in such a fellows
face, or possibly have him arrested
as blackmailer. What the COM
mittee wants to find is corps of
men of gentlemanly exterior somewhat
familiar with the workings of the
departments, with personal knowledge
of the principal officials and with political
information enough to talk intelligently
with the victims. These are the Qualifi-
cations needed, but to men having them
the work Will not be attractive. A
very good canYasser would, in all proba-
bility, come in for good cOnsulship should
Mr.. Blaine be elected.
But whether the committee is able to
get the ideal canYasser or not, the clerks
can be assured that they are going to be
well looked after in the next three months.
The committee indulge the hope that in
this way they may get anywhere from
$50, 600 to 100000.