River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-10-04

daring 70 face the President with many insist
ence that his fat should interfere. il has seen
Offices become parnsanized in a manner com.
cared with which the spells system Is manly
and honest
Early IN the Administration others pointed
out TO the President the danger which the Law
was about 10 encounter but the warning was
not heeded.
Before his election the President wrote:
The system OF levying assessments for par
tisan purposes on those holding ofice OF place
can not be too strongly condemned. Through
the thin disguise OF voluntary contribution this
is seen to be naked extortiOn, reducing the
compensation which should be honestly earned
and swelling a fund used TO debaueh the pe0-
pie and defeat the popular will"
This good intention has been broken down
with the rest Even the President himself has
been brought by the spells machine TO drink
the gall and wormwood. Stimulated by his
payment OF % per cent. of his salary it IS
doubtful II ever before more money was wrung
from employees than is being taken to-day,
though il may be largely through the III in dis
guise Of voluntary contribution Word was
passed among the employees that the Pension
ONCE at Indianapolis had been assessed SOL
There were fifteen Democrats ana one Repub-
lican. Late in July last the Democrats were
kept after ofice hours by the chief clerk, and
the matter OF the assessment was brought up
and they were urged 10 help pay It. After
mort Ut Isss vigorous protest on the part VI
some employees. it was finally settled that
each one should pay 2H per cent OF his salary.
Part OF shts was paid soon after TO the chief
clerk ip he pension ONCE in envelopes, which
he has distributed marked with the name Of
each clerk. II is needless 10 say that this is
not only a scandalous outrage on the clerks
but IL is a violation of law.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE.
The President apparently intended that
faithfulness aud competency should be the rule
of tenure of place, but Congressman have
swept out faithful. and competent servants by
the thousands. solely 10 make room for their
own personal appointees. He apparently in
tended that honesty and fitness should be the
test of obtaining appointment but Congress
men have appointed their partisans without re-
gard 10 htness and in the face OF the plainest
proof have appointed and kept in the service
bribers, swindlers. ballot-box suffers and Grim
inals. Finally Congressman have brought to
nothing the words of the late MIR. Hendricks in
1876 THE civil service ought rot TO be subject
10 change at every election" Throughout the
United States, already stated, the distribu-
ton of conquered spells by victorious Con
gressmen has gone on until 10000 places, with
salaries aggregating S70O0,0O) annually,
have been reduced 10 possession and
delivered over to personal followers by
a comparatively small number of men
who, by virtue of being Congressman, are
modern robber barons. Our inquiry is an,
swered The distribution of spoiis by Congress
men is not a good thing. The struggle for this
enormous booty has stifed the fair eonsidera-
tion of questions OF public welfare, has rem.
dered the ballot-box no longer the expression
OF the Will OF the people, and has degraded
Congressman and their henchmen and large
body of the people until they have lost the
sense of their own degradation
In President Cleveland's first annual mes
sage we read: Doubts may be entertained
whether our Government could survive the
strain OF a continuance OF this system, which
on every change of Administrator inspires an
immense army OF claimants for office 10 lay
siege to the patronage OF the Government"
That statement is still true. The present condi.
tIon can not continue This people can not
stand the strain OF the possibility OF 125,0G
servants being thrown out OF employment and
Their families deprived OF support every -four
years. II can not stand the strain of the posi-.
bilIty OF Is public business being thrown into
disorder by having forced upon it 1250JO new
/ hands every four years. II can not stand the
/ STRAIN of two great arm es-office-holders and
| ce-seekers-constantly contending for the
/ richest prize of modern times. The evil struct
/ ure founded by Jackson must be destroyed
| from turret to foundation stone. ConNessmen
/ of whatever party who keep themselves up by
| planting their feet upon the necks OF public
servants must be made odious and must be
| brought down. The constitution must be re-
| established, and any President OF whatever
/ party who does not do this is fathless to the
| highest duty of his office. And 10 this enc
| President Cleveland has said THE holders Of
| the ballot quickened by a sense OF duty must
| ''avenge truth betrayed and promis es broken.