Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-11-03
Washington Letter.
lFrom our Regular Correspondent.) WAsHISGToS,
 Oct. 26. 1888


 Oct, 26, 1888
 Deputy Commissioner of Pensions Mclean, in the picturesque language of slang, deserves to be awarded the bakery for unblushing cheek in compelling the clerks of the U. s, Pension Office to con- tribute to the democratic fund, called by courtesy the campaign fund, but which is in reality 8 corruption fund. It was thought that the poor clerks had been already sufficiently bled by having to E ve up per cent of their annual sals- es, bu. this week Rn entirely new sc eme vss sprung upon them, in he sh ape oi sL agent for that bankrupt rewspsper. the New York Graphic hich is being run ss a campaign snee
 by the democrRt.o national committee. This agent was provided by Deputy Commissioner clean with a list con- tsining the names of the clerks employed Tn the Pension office, and lest any of the clerks should misunderstand the official nature of this agents call upon them,
 Mir. Mclean detailed his private mes senger, 8 man well known Co everT clerk
 IF the office, to accompany him in his rounds for the purpose of calling the clerks ous of theIr rooms one by one, in order that the agent might privately bleed them. The modus Operandi as given 1e by several of the clerks was about as follows: The agent who was station ed out in the corridor would send the private messenger of the Dep uty CommlssIoner into the rooms, with message informing the clerk that gentleman wIsbBd to see him. When the clerk Came out, the smiling agent would advance with outstretched hand, and after giving toe hand of the victim a hearty shake. would inform him that be was soliciting subscriptions for the Graphic. In nearly every case the clerk at first declined to subscribe. Here 1t was that the agent proceeded to get in his fine work. Dropping his voice to s whisper, he would inform the clerk "thst thls is only 8 dodge, you know, tO get around the law which prevents @ gov ernment employees being solicited to make political campaign contributions. This $5 which was the sum demanded in every case is really for the national democratic committed, which IS in ur-
 gent need of the money" At thls stage of the proceedings the agent would hand the victim an autograph letter from Chairman Brioe. stating that the agent
 was authorized to receive contributions. The next nroceeding was usually tle payment oi tbe s by the clerk. This is no fancy ske.ch but an actual descrip- tion Of what took place ID the U. 5. Pen
 sion Office this week,
 Public Printer Benedict is ciose sec ond to Mclean in his bull doZing methods. Every sslaried man in the government has been compelled to con
 tribute per cent of his annual salary to swell the oemocrstic corrups on fund. Under the republican administrations previous 10 A hur's there wss no law against soliciting csmpI ign eontrlbu- tions from goyer- .lent emplO!es, bus there was never anything done ID that line that even approached the methods now resoi ed to by this democratic Rd-
 ministrslion, and this too, in spite of the fact that there IS R very stringent law on our statute books against II. The desperation of the democrats as they daily observe thelr chances growing l smaller and smaller, is causing them to disregard law, right, Lnd eves thing else, in the vsIn hope of retaining the power
 nich they have so no.oriously abused.
 All the members of the cabinet except Messrs Endicott and GE9l nd are Cn the stamp for fee tIr le. And the only req son they are not OUs, IS that E1dlcott ls Do speaker, and GsTlEnd's uussyo.y : re- co d in the Pan Electric Teieph5ne Cases mases him TuEvsIieiJie. O.eve- land leaves .o-niJ Tt to do his part, he goes 10 New Iork to be exhibited to oemucradc proc s-ion. IT. Is fortunat, for Mrs. Cleveland that the campaign ls nearly over, as they Weuld be csiiInF upon her to help the free traders.
 Few coDgFes smen remain here sI0ce the adjournment las. week. Eut they
 are constantly passing through hera as
 they go from place to place making | speeches. The unanimous verdict ot | all such IS that the people are thor | oughly aroused, and thst the election | of Harrison & Morton IS well nigh cer- tslnty, If the present enthusiasm and | hard work on the part of the republI-
 cans shall continue.
 Irs. Sheridan will erect a hBndsome
 monument over the grave ot "LItsle | Phil" in Arlington cemetery, The de-
 sign hes already been selected. Ihe Loyal Legion of which General Sberi-
 dan was president, offered to cree: Q
 monument over hIs grave. but Mrs | Sheridan, while thsn-ful, eays she de- | sired to erect the monument at thls spot herself. The Loyal Legion will erect B monument to bis memory m this cIty. Two important decisions Came from
 the Supreme Court this week. One at- | hrmed the right of state 10 prescribe tests for color blind 'ess among inc em- ployes of ell railroads In or passing through the state, and the other sfii -n-
 ed the right of state to prohioh
 the distillation of liquor within its bor-
 ders even if intended for consumption
 elsewhere.