The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-27
SUBTLE BLACKMAIL
Political Pressure q Once
holdcrgL
aooseyElT's LATEST aepoRT.


the fan oo0Oioo1oa . ropogt - ~ recent
fnvustixat5ou into sIIaGed vfolattons Of the
cjvil services law IN he Eew York custom
house, inst prior - Ne last presidential
sIoc4ton. upon ~ subject II IL collection
a poIjttcai assessment during Inst cam
peien. Roossyolt ssys ~ present lsu has
put : eompasse stop 10 open spoliaticn OF
poos clesf1 and make n comparatively an
heult o mu1ct them evsn secretly. Gov
eruuent emp1Oyee - mt. - rule, con-
tribute simply from dessSs 70 help ne 20
litical cause IN Which thsy believe In
other words. employees ere coerced into
making them seAs thsir position leopard
ised II th4y fail 70 do -. u - probably
sale % say that 90 per csnt Of the money
oolIecsed 1T political purposes from minor
ecvsrnnsntAj employees represents 20
much bIackmaf.
Those, he continues, Who agree in poll
tics With the party In control feel some ~
surnncs ol protection II they refuse 70 b
coescod into parting with their money. But
The unlcstunstss OF the opposite political
faith feel they have no power behind the
thYons On which 70 rslv, and are nsrvously
afraid u giving olIsnss and yisld helplsssiy
when threatened.
The amount psid Il not absolutely very
great In individual cases, but 70 poor
clerk Just able to get along. loss OF , per
cent. Of his salary may mean just the diiIer-
once betveen having or not having winter
0vercost Tor himself. . warm dress for bis
wife or Christmas tres for his children.
Another fact 70 b rsmedied ID that much
Of The money 70 collected Il never turned
into The party campaign chests at eli, being
kept Tor thsir own private uses BY the
jaekals Who have collected II.
One Of the witnesses In The present case,
. strong Republican, who was holding
fed be vs. advised 10 contribute to the
Democratic campaign BY one Of his friends.
. New York Republican district leader, Is
bsing The only thing 70 do II he wished TO
keep bis place.
In The Investigation Of alleged violations
Of The Law against making political assess-
ments. Mr.. Roosevelt says he has made .
moro or less complete examination into the
conduct In this rsspect Of The ofLices OF COL
lsctor, surveyor and naval officer OF the
port Of New York during the presidential
election Of isaA In The naval ONCE. under
Mr.. Burt. his investigation goes TO show
that he lev was observed absolutely both
in Iettaf and spirit. So far - Mr.. Roose-
welt can find out there were no collections
msds for political purpose In any shape or
form and nothing like political coercion
was tolerated.
In the collectors once, under Magons.
there was apparently . widespread. but
nos universal and BY no means always sue
cessful effort 70 evade the Law BY persuad-
ING or forcing Republican clerks 10 con-
txihuts. eome list Of these Republican
eIerks must hays bssn kspt because they
were oupocially singled cut for more or
lees indisoct Solicitation. sithef personal or
b. circular. nd thoeu y toe13ucEy IL
witnooo ~ ~ oo1Iclta1Jen 800 under
taken b ~ express command Of Maeone's
privato SECRETARY. There was nothing to
show. hovsvsr. that Nagons Vas aware Of
his secrstasy's action. The effort TO make
them contributs was made indirectly. and
usually % guarded that II 10 difncuit 10 say
the Law was actually violated in il lister.
In the surveyors ONCE under Beattie.
contributions. % far ~ IL SHOWN by the
testimony Of nty-eight witnesses ex-
omined. were universal. Democrats gem
orally gave their money Of their own accord,
but Republican clerks were practically
forced against their wishes to pay what
we're in reality political assessments for
the benefit Of the opposite party. This
Was accomplished by n ingenious and
widespread system Of yelled threats and
intimidations, 50 well carried out that ii
was completely successful. Every method
WAS rescrted 10. while ct the Same time
avoiding an actual demand Of money. For
instance. some Of the witnesses were forced
h contribute by being made very uncom-
Portable in their work until they did so.
They were originally 81 work at stations
near their homes and suddenly shiftsd 10
others far distant and very iaconvenient
for them TO 30 10. Their inquiries failed
IN discover any reason for the change. and
they were kept at the new stations until
they finally made mp their minds to pay,
when they we're transferred 10 their old
places without . word being said.