St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-09-17
A Decademce OF Republican Enthu-
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"A DecAueMce O1 Republican Emfhls
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Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16.-The annual
exodus of clerks and government officials
which usually occurs at about this time of
the year, will not take place this season.
Usually by this time in the autumn every
Ohlo clerk and those from other states,
where elections occur in October, has his
arrangements made for going home to VOTE
1t is not so now, however. Walks and
talks among the clerks reveal the fact that
not one in ten and probably not one in
| twenty-five, will go home to cast his ballot
| ortake part in the election.
II don't believe" said an Ohio clerk talk
ing on this subject to your correspondent,
''that any Of the Ohio clerks are going home
to take part in the election this year. Usually
they have their arrangements all made before
this time and many OF them have been in the
habit OF leaving two or three weeks before
the election in order to take part in the can
vass They are not doing so now though. I
don't suppose one in fifty will go.''
What effect will that have on the Ohio
election?''
"It will cause the Republicans tolose about
one thousand votes" he replied.
why don't they go this year?''
'For two reasons; one is that they are
afraid to- tho other that they don't want to.
A majority of those who went formerly did
so under compulslon. They knew that they
were expected to go and if they did not
| do so their places would probably be
hlled by others who would go. Of
course.they went with apparent cheerfulness,
though 1t was really very heavy burden on
them. The man who gets a hundred dollars
month can't afford to spend $40 or $50 for
the privilege OF casting his vote. Another
reason now Is the dread of giving an excuse
| for removal. Many of the clerks feel that
the Democratic chiefs of theil divisions are
only waiting good opportunity to RECON-
| mend their removal, and they are determined
| 10 avoid every appearance of evil. You would
De surprised to see the promptness with
| winch they are at their desks now There
are not one-fourth as many sick leaves now
| as there were this time last year, and as for
politics and political labor they are entirely
| lost sight off,
win their apathy extend to the clerks
OF the other states which hold elections later
| in the fall?''
Undoubtedly. Out Of the seven or eight
thousand voting clerks here don't believe q
hundred will go home to vote this fall"
| ANOTHER EVIDENCE
OF the disappearance of political enthusiasm
is the absence of state Republican associa-
tions among the clerks. Formerly there
was Republican association for every
state having any considerable number of
clerks here. At this season of the year the
papers blossomed out with notices Of Re-
publican association appeals to the mem
bers to attend promptly, pay assessments,
and prepare for trips home to vote
Now you do not see them at
all. You might search every
paper In town carefully, and you would
not find one. They have all disbanded
probably every state Republican associa-
ton in the city has closed its doors, laid
aside or destroyed its books and ceases to
exist for the present at least, and most of
the members are glad of it. They found
even these organizations heavy burden,
and they are glad to get rid of the load
which they formerly carried under pro-
! test