Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-10-18
Washington Letter.
(From orr Regular Correspondent


(From OR Regular Correspondent
Washington, ID. c.. Oct. II, 1894
That the democratic party should be
travelling under false colors is nothing
newt has never made any other sort
If campaign-but the hypocrisy of
Mr.. Cleveland's order, that prominent
members of the administration should
not take the stump, is under existing
circumstances extremely fercical TO
people in Washington, who know the
part that the administration is taking
10 this campail n. 1t is about as con-
sistent as it would be for the devil to
| take the road as nm evangelIst. and
comts with poor grace Just al er Secre-
tary Hoke Smith has returned from
bossing the state campaign in Georgi4,
which he came so near losing as to
give the democrats a scare that they
| have not recovered from. And it GER
tainly does not agree with the action of
the Pension Office officials, who are
usiLg all the machinery OF that office to
make votes for democratic candidates
for Congress, nor with the recent ex-
posture of the effolts of the negro offici-
ais composing the negro democratic
league to compel all negroes holding
Federal Offices to be assessed for the
benefit of the democratic campaign
fund.
Speaking of Campaign assessments,
few remarks of Civil Service Com
missioner Roosevelt, who is never
afraid to tell the truth, are in striking
contrast with the position that Mr..
Cleveland would like to have the coun-
try believe his administration occupies.
He SAID: I'VE are having trouble with
the Treasury department, but just now
we are having most trouble over this
matter Of political assessments. |
/ don't recall any non-presidential elec-
/ ton year in which we have bad half so
much. The recent decision of the De-
partment of Justice, that letter sent
to government employe requesting
him to contribute money for campaign
purposes did not come within the law
prohibiting the asking of funds for
political reasons from the clerks, has
initiated against the civil service com
mission in its efforts to stop the foul
business The law. to my mind, plain
ly covers eases where demands for
contributions are made by letter; but
the Attorney General thinks differently:
The commission is very anxious tn
get decision by the courts, and it
sometime ago requested the Attorney
General to bring n test case, in order to
get decision, but he has not done so.
Investigations have Just been ordered
ty the commission into two big offices,
outside 4 Washington, where the en-
ployes are being called upon to sub
scribe to campaign funds. II we can
get no other satisfaction we can at least
warn the clerks and employees that their
official positions will not be in any way
jeopard.zed by a refusal to accede to
the demands for contributions. aud we
shall Law the matter as strongly as pos
sibe before the President and Con-
gress.
MIR. Cleveland must think the people
are easy to gull Indeed, if he thinks he
can make them believe that the admin
istraton is taking no part in the cam
paign. in the face of the gathering at
| Batavia, n. Y, of Secretaries Gresham,
Carlisle. Lamont and Herbert, and
Postmaster General Bissell. 1t is all
very we'll to say that they went to hear
| Secretary Carlisle deliver his address
on Robert Morris, an early Secretary
/ of the Treasury; but everybody kr0ws
that their principal object was 10 give
| the New York campaign boost. Ii is
very clear that Mr.. Cleveland order is
merely bit of democratic hypocrisy.
The Washington Statistical Associa-
ton has no connection whatever with
politics, and for that very reason the
/ address Of Judge Lawrence, condem-
ming the recent changes in the Treas
ury department delivered st meeting
/ held by the association this week, has
attracted general attention. Ii is graft
| fying TO your correspondent to have
what he said on this subject in last
weeks letter endorsed by such high
authority as Judge Lawrence, who said
I in his address; During the five years
I that | was hrst Comptroller OF the
/ Treasury Department, bad some op
portunity to study and observe the
operation of the system established by
Alexander Hamilton, and in successful
operation ever since. Under 1t. fiauds
/ have been substantially impossible
/ The system in its praeti,sl operation
/ has been IS nearly perfect safeguard
against fraud and error rs human inge-
uuity could devise. The recent act or
I Congress based on the report of the
/ Doekerv commission revoutionizeS the
whole 81 this system and opens a wide
door for fraud and mistakes regard
i the change rs 3 most dangerous and